April in the Costa del Sol
April in the Costa del Sol is simply gorgeous! It is one of my favorite months, because of the flowers, that are blossoming more and more each day, and of the weather, that is warm enough to go to the beach, but not so hot that becomes uncomfortable. April is also the month of the Holy Week and a month fit for athletes; several races and walks are traditionally scheduled for this month, with all levels of difficulty. Don’t forget to pack your tennis shoes!
How is the weather in April in the Costa del Sol?
In April, the average high temperatures range from 20oC to 22oC; the average lows are around 10oC to 12oC, in the early morning, around 7:00h. Therefore, as per the historic record, you can expect mild temperatures in the morning, but somewhat warm weather in the afternoons and evenings. As a matter of fact, the graph below shows how, in 2023, the actual highest temperatures were a lot warmer than the average, sometimes reaching above 32oC, about 10oC more than expected.
Weather-related data for April in Malaga (data from Weather2travel):
🏊 sea temperature: +16oC
🌅 Sunrise times: 08:03 (Apr 1) – 07:25 (Apr 30)
🌙 Sunset times: 20:40 (Apr 1) – 21:06 (Apr 30)
🌼 Average number of daylight hours: 13
☀️ Average number of sunshine hours per day: 7
The weather information above is all for Malaga (city), but as the towns are so close together, you can extend this information to the surrounding areas as well. Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Fuengirola, Mijas, Marbella and Estepona, as well as Rincón de la Victoria, Torrox and Nerja, should not differ much.
What to pack for April in the Costa del Sol?
Over the years I’ve been living in the Costa del Sol, I’ve taken a lot of pictures. In many of them – as you would expect – there are people around. Here are a few of those pictures, each and every one taken on April of previous years, where you can see what people are wearing. The goal is to give you a good idea of what to pack to feel cozy on April in the Costa del Sol! You can click on each image to enlarge it. 😉
Remarkable dates
Holy Week sometimes falls in March but, most of the years, it is in April. During Holy Week, Friday and, often times, the Thursday are holidays in the Costa del Sol. In practice, tough, the whole Holy Week is somewhat a holiday week, and there is a chance commerce will be closed. Schools will be off, which, in itself, increase the chances of everything else closing. It’s better to check if your nearby restaurants, banks and supermarkets will be open from Monday to Wednesday.
With all the religious activities going on in every town plus the kids at home, what usually happens is a whole week with closed commerce, other than those establishments focused on tourism. On top of that, Holy Week is considered high season in the Costa del Sol – the weather is usually already reasonable for Spaniards living elsewhere, that also have a week off, to travel to the Costa, visit their families and enjoy the sun. Expect higher prices in vacation rentals and attractions if you are coming that week. The rest of April is low season.
Related post:
Malaga holidays 2024
Events in April in the Costa del Sol
Ruta de la Tapa de Estepona
I’m yet to meet someone that doesn’t like tapas, the small portions of food served usually with cañas (a small glass of beer) in some restaurants in Spain, that people can keep coming for hours or just as an appetizer before the main meal… Well, what about a Ruta de la tapa, an event in which several restaurants participate, offering tapas and cañas so you can taste a lot of what the town has to offer? Great, right?
The Ruta happens every year, sometimes in April, sometimes in March.
Plants Fair in Benalmadena
Celebrating the arrival of Spring, in the end of March or beginning of April we have the Feria de Plantas de Colección (Plants Fair) in Benalmadena’s Parque de la Paloma. In this lovely fair, plant collectors and nursery gardens gather to show and offer some of their greatest pieces, surrounded by the very pleasing ambiance of the park. If you like plants, it is the best place to be. A few posters of the previous years’ Plant Fairs:
Holy Week
The Holy Week is celebrated solemnly in Spain, with processions of members of religious brotherhoods carrying large and heavy thrones on the shoulders along a band playing ceremonial rites. It is a beautiful and profound spiritual occasion. There are religious processions happening every day of the week, and often more than one. Holy Week is celebrated in every city in the Costa and really dominates the April calendar.
For a lot more about these processions and the traditions associated, check our post dedicated to the Holy Week and Easter. 😉 And if you speak Spanish, don’t miss this activity: Tour de la Semana Santa en Málaga, which visit brotherhoods and churches of the center of Malaga, telling the stories of the Holy Week in the city while showing religious art and sculpture.
Related posts:
Holy Week and Easter in the Costa del Sol
Holy Week in Benalmadena 2024
Holy Week in Fuengirola 2024
El Paso in Benalmadena Pueblo
About 150 local people join forces on stage to make this unique presentation of the Passion of Christ, in the Parque Retamar, in Benalmadena, as part of the Holy Week celebration in the town.
Related posts:
Butterfly park and Stupa of Enlightenment
Holy Week in Benalmadena 2024
Sports Season
There are several athletics races that usually take place in or around April in the Costa del Sol. Calamorro Open, Calamorro Sky Race and the Circuito de Carrera Urbana de Fuengirola are just a few. To check the exact time and place they are taking place, check both Sportmaniacs and DorsalChip, which are usually involved in the organization of these events.
The kids have sport events to! Check the traditional Fiesta de la Bicicleta (Bicycle party) and the Patina en La Calle (rollerskate on the street) events in Benalmadena! You can find information about them at Deportes Benalmadena (but they tend to be a bit outdated) or through the Culture and Entertainment guides, when they are close to happen (our next topic.) A few pictures of Patina en la Calle below:
Culture and Entertainment guides
The best places to look for cultural events are the official monthly entertainment guides of the Town Halls websites and their Facebook counterparts. Some cities update them more frequently than others, and usually information is posted just a few days before the event itself; despite that, they are the most complete source of information about cultural (and sometimes not so cultural) events in each city. Below, a super useful list:
For Malaga city: Visita Málaga guide and Facebook
For Torremolinos: Torremolinos Cultura guide and Facebook
For Benalmadena: Benalmadena guide and Benalmadena Cultura
For Fuengirola: Fuengirola guide and Agenda Fuengirola
For Mijas: Mijas and Cultura Mijas
For Marbella: Marbella and Cultura Marbella
For Estepona: Cultura Estepona and Facebook
St George’s Day
St. Georges Day (April 23) is usually celebrated at the Plaza de la Mezquita, in Benalmadena. The event includes many shows on stage and English food and drinks available through the day.
Feria Internacional de los Países in Fuengirola (FIP)
The Feria Internacional de los países (International fair of the countries) happens every year in Fuengirola, in the end of April or beginning of May. In this Feria, which opens the Costa del Sol’s calendar of Ferias, several countries (33 in 2024) occupy, each, a booth in the Recinto Ferial de Fuengirola (Fuengirola fairgrounds), where they share their culture, music, dances and gastronomy. It is a great opportunity to travel without leaving the Costa del Sol! A remarkable event by all means. Don’t miss it!
For those of us who live abroad, the FIP is a way to feel a bit close to home and to eat some of our favorite foods!
Related Post:
Feria Internacional de los Países 2024
Activities
Back to the water
On January and February I didn’t add any activity in the water; in March we started timidly dipping our toes. Now we can already start revisiting the sea for real! So here are my suggestions for April: Dolphin watching (kids love! Adults love even more!), watch the sunset from a catamaran (the price is a steal!) and try some stand up paddle, if you didn’t try it before – or try again, if you did already. It’s the closest thing to walking on water. I did it once, and it was really good; I did it in a pool, though; in the sea it may be harder, but the view will be unique.
Food is always good
Because food is always good, here are a few food activities for you to explore the places and tastes locals enjoy: a highly recommended tapas crawl in Malaga and an Olive grove tour in Ronda!
Conclusion
Coming to spend April in the Costa del Sol is a great option. The weather is good both for sightseeing and to go to the beach; there are flowers everywhere but not as many people yet. 🙂 Take your time enjoying the environment, the markets, the food and the Spanish culture; I’m sure you’ll have a great time!
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