Mama MálagaPostsSeasons & MonthsOctober in the Costa del Sol

October in the Costa del Sol

September 26, 2024

Last modified on: December 4, 2024

Table of Contents

October in the Costa del Sol is great. The weather is mostly pleasing, there are two major ferias going on – one in the beginning of the month, another in the middle – and to close the month, there are Halloween events everywhere! There are also castañas asadas (roasted chestnuts) which are available uniquely during the fall, and lots of seasonal deserts made with chestnuts. October is a delicious month to be in the Costa!

The weather in October in the Costa del Sol

The rainy season in the Costa del Sol runs from October to May. It may have torrential rains, but it is uncommon. From my experience, it rains more during the nights than during the days. There are way more blue-sky days than gray days; plenty of people still go to the beach in October in the Costa del Sol, and walking around in shorts is still the rule during daytime. At night or very early in the morning, though, you may prefer to wear trousers and to add a sweater.

Weather-related data for October in Malaga (data from Weather2travel):
🏊 sea temperature: +19^oC
🌅 Sunrise times: 08:13 am (October 1) – 07:41 am (October 31)*
🌙 Sunset times: 08:01 pm (October 1) – 06:21 pm (October 31)*
🌼 Average number of daylight hours: 11
☀️ Average number of sunshine hours per day: 7

* Note that the daylight saving (summer time) finishes on the last weekend of October. Precisely at 03:00 a.m. from Sunday, clocks jump back to 02:00 a.m.

The weather information above is 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 October 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 October 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 October in the Costa del Sol! You can click on each image to enlarge it. 😉

If you are coming in the beginning of October, bring bermudas, dresses and light coats; if you are coming on the end of the month, bring them in black and a scary costume too! Plus jeans and tennis, because the time is perfect to walk around and there is a lot of interesting stuff going on this month in the Costa.

Remarkable dates

October 12 is the National Day of Spain; surprisingly, there is no big celebration associated with it, but Fuengirola’s Feria del Rosario scheduled a celebration of the National Day to happen in the Plaza de la Constitución on the 12th at noon. In the end of the month, there is Halloween, which is a very big deal in the Costa del Sol!

Food of the month

While walking around the Costa, try the roasted chestnuts! They are available in stalls that appear (magically!) on the streets after the chestnuts are harvested. They start to appear around mid-October, and last while there are still chestnuts available – which is usually until mid-November. They are a delicious and healthy snack – unique, right?

October in the Costa del Sol - chestnuts — A roasted chestnut stall in Malaga, October 2023

Events in October in the Costa del Sol

Feria del Rosario in Fuengirola

The Feria de Fuengirola, also known as Feria del Rosario, happens from October 6 to 12 on most years. The distinctive aspect of this feria is that it is also a horse show event, with horses and carriages throughout the city, particularly during the processions / parades. There are also shows every night, and of course, a funfair and daytime attractions going on in the Recinto Ferial and on other parts of the city. If you are in the Costa del Sol during those dates, don’t miss the opportunity to visit the Feria de Fuengirola, an incredible event on a fantastic place!

October in the Costa del Sol - Feria del Rosario

Feria de San Pedro Alcántara in Marbella

The Feria de San Pedro Alcántara, in Marbella, is the last feria of the season. It is a large celebration that attracts locals and tourists alike, to a traditional event that lasts almost a week. It’s quite impressive. Marbella is an enormous city that spreads through the cost, and San Pedro itself, one of its neighborhoods, is almost a town in its own right.

October in the Costa del Sol - Feria de San Pedro Alcantara

Film Festival in Benalmadena

Every October, Benalmadena presents a new edition of its Film Festival, the Festival Internacional de Cine de Benalmadena, FICCAB. Look for screenings both in the Casa de la Cultura, in Arroyo de la Miel, and in the Centro de Exposiciones, in Benalmadena Costa.

Halloween

Enjoying Halloween in the Costa del Sol? What a terrific idea! If you are afraid there are no such celebrations in Spain, you may feel mortified to know that yes, there are, and many! Spain celebrates the date in style, with city-wide parties, decorated calabazas (pumpkins), telarañas (spiderwebs), scary ghosts, werewolves, all kinds of spirits, sodas, sweets, and tapas! Check our Halloween in Spain and in the Costa del Sol to know more about how this tradition is celebrated locally.

Diwali in Benalmadena and Torremolinos

Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is a festive occasion for the Hindu community, that celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance and good over evil. It coincides with the beginning of the year according to the Hindu moon calendar, so its dates vary – some years it falls in October, others in November.

The Hindu temple hosts the Diwali celebration in Benalmadena, while in Torremolinos, special lights are displayed in Calle San Miguel and events to celebrate the date usually happen in the Centro Cultural Pablo Picaso.

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

Conclusion

If you are thinking about coming to the Costa del Sol in October, I think you are thinking right. October has great foods and great events, plus less tourists and lower accommodation prices than summer! Come and enjoy the amazing experience that is October in the Costa del Sol. See you around!