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Autumn in Spain: Autumn colors, stews and... lots of sun
4 Oct 2021
Summer, winter and spring are also delicious or we would nominate autumn in Spain as the most beautiful season. There are endless reasons why autumn in Spain is magical. We collected some of them:
The autumn colors
Sometimes it may be a little more than Heverlee forest or the Sonian Forest. Autumn colors can also be admired in Spain's many forests. Thousands of shades of yellow, orange, red, ochre and brown color the landscapes. These are some of the places where autumn comes into its own beautifully.>> Faedo de Ciñera (León)
In 2007, organization Bosques Sin Fronteras (Forests Without Borders) voted this forest the best maintained in Spain. Thanks to the beeches that live there for more than 500 years. Some trees are so old that they have their own names. You will also find a dilapidated coal mine, picturesque stone bridges, abandoned houses and plenty of water. Like the
Marmitas de Gigantes
, the pots of the giant, a series of cold water pools surrounded by streams and waterfalls.
>> Gorbea Natural Park (Basque Country)
Otzarreta, a forest in this nature reserve, is a particularly popular place to watch the leaves change color. The earthy colors, the stream gurgling through the woods: this magical place in Vizcaya looks like a fairy tale.
>> Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park (Jaén)
The vegetation resembles that of the north, but this natural park, the very largest protected area in Spain, is indeed located in the south of the country. After summer, with its crushing heat, these mountains really come alive. The green is slowly giving way to orange and yellow, the deer are barking, migrating birds are passing through and the fruit is ripening.>> Irati (Navarre)
Another classic for fall tourists. The valleys of Europe's second-largest beech-spruce forest turn an exuberant color. Ochagavia is the ideal base for exploring this area in the backyard of the Pyrenees.
Food and drink
While Spaniards eat as lightly as possible in the oppressively hot summer, they may now eat a little heavier and heartier. Away with the salads and gazpacho hello crema de calabaza (pumpkin cream soup) and caldo gallego (Galician soup with beans, cabbage and bacon). Stews are also popular, such as the Madrid cocido madrileño . Or how about a delicious churros con chocolate to warm you up? Autumn is the season of mushrooms and chestnuts. In many villages you can taste dishes with mushrooms. Pujerra, a hamlet in the province of Málaga between Estepona and Ronda, presents itself as the Spanish capital of the chestnut. During the annual Chestnut Festival, chefs serve up as many as fifty different dishes, and in the museum you can admire clothes and tools for the chestnut harvest. But vendors of roasted chestnuts also appear on every street corner elsewhere in Spain.
Most grapevines may have been harvested in early September, but autumn is also a great time to visit vineyards. Whether you head to La Rioja, Ribera or a less famous region, the fields there color beautifully autumnal anyway. As in the photo above this article. And in every bodega there is a drink to score. In Jerez de la Frontera, the Andalusian village where sherry originated, you can attend tasting sessions or tours during an International Week of Sherry.
Less crowded, cheaper prices
The international and Spanish tourists are returning home and the hustle and bustle of summer is dying down. In autumn, Spain once again becomes that little secret, yours alone. From now on, you won't have to use your elbows to get a table at your favorite tapas restaurant. In the off-season, hotels lower their prices and you can visit popular attractions like Alhambra or the Sagrada Familia without first spending five hours at the door. The famous museums are also suddenly a lot emptier. Yet in many regions, such as the costas or Madrid, you can still eat perfectly on a terrace. The temperatures are pleasant, the skies blue and the sunshine still frequent. More on that later.The time to visit cities
Summer in Spain is often far from ideal for a city break. In the sweltering heat, you will soon feel like a rotisserie chicken. No, I'd rather cool off on the coast. Good news: in the fall, you can still make your way around town without getting an immediate sunburn.>> Seville
One of the hottest cities in Europe, but very mild and peaceful once the leaves fall off the trees. Daytime temperatures are still pleasant enough to picnic in parks or plazas or explore old winding alleys through atmospheric neighborhoods on foot.>> Madrid
The capital of Spain resembles the better baking oven in the summer months. In autumn it cools down, but you can still dine on a terrace without any problems.
>> Valencia
Ideal temperatures for exploring the historic center, arty Ruzafa or fishing village Cabanyal, as well as for taking a splash in the Mediterranean or drinking beers in one of the many chiringuitos , or beach bars.Weather
Autumn provides relief for those who struggle with the leaden heat of summer. In many places in Spain, autumn is still sunny - and warm enough to do a terrace - but you are not knocked every five meters ko by the heat. You can also work on your bronzing in Spain in the fall. With 3,000 hours of sunshine per year on the southern coasts, summer lingers here longer than anywhere else in Europe. The most pleasant autumn spots in Spain are:>> Costa Blanca
Although the temperature of the sea water gradually drops below 20 degrees, the Costa Blanca remains a pleasant place in autumn. At least until the end of October, the temperatures in seaside towns such as Torrevieja, Guardamar, Santa Pola and Alicante remain heavenly. Note: in autumn, sometimes a
gota fría
along the Costa Blanca, a cold front that briefly brings heavy rain. After that, however, there is always sunshine.
Discover real estate on the Costa Blanca.
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