Climate in the Mountains

[Pete'nKim]

Hi again

We have looked at a number of properties within an hour of Malaga airport and like the amazing views up in the mountains. We are not looking to live in a climate like Seville but obviously one of the reasons for moving to Spain is the climate. However, at 5, 6 or even 800mtrs we recognise that there will a different climate over certain months. What is your experience of living at altitude, winter months, acccess to services etc.?

Thanks

[ajtg1952]

We live at 550m and it is cold in the winter. Access to services; not sure what that means, but we have mains electricity, water etc.

We rarely get a frost but the nights are cold and our house is not good at keeping warm so we burn a lot of wood keeping the stove going 24 hours a day just now.

[TorreDelAguila]

In winter, Competa (650m) can go just below zero. Sayalonga (400m) never does, but can drop to 3-4degC. Algarrobo Costa (costa) is typically 4degC warmer than Sayalonga.

Travel up further inland from Velez-Malaga, up to Zaffaraya - on the north side of the Zaffaraya gap winter temps can drop to -8degC.

[BENIDORM]

One hour from Malaga will probably mean that you will be near mountains, so the temperature is definitely colder, but it also has plus points, so all in all I´m happy to put up with the cold winters.
And a word of advice....Don´t discard your hot water bottles , thermal undies and electric blankets...put them in a box marked priority.

Regards,
Gordon

[costakid]

Never lived in the mountains but we left the coast for a drive, Malaga 28 degrees with a slight breeze and drove to Antequera in July and it was 40 degrees and totally unbearable. Also last week 17 on the coast and we went for lunch in Archidona which is about 45 minutes from the coast and it was about 10 with a cold wind. Certain times of the year is really really nice but the winters can be very harsh.

[Wicksey]

It can be very windy here as well. I wouldn't recommend living on a ridge .... however good the view may be, it can be very exposed. Some valleys are particularly windy ... the Velez Malaga one always seems to be like that (or at least every time I fill up at the Eroski petrol station at El Ingenio I almost get blown off my feet!)

Inland seems to be more extreme than the coastal areas, cold in the winters and boiling in the summer. In some areas the mountains can come almost down to the sea, so you could live quite high up but be only a few kms inland from the coast.

[Mowser]

Look on the bright side. If it's colder in the mountains, you may get your UK winter allowance when the rules change.

[alisonb]

We live at about 500m overlooking Lake Vinuela on the Los Romanes side. We face north, so the house is cold in winter, and very windy. Our garden is quite "English". We can't grow hibiscus or buganvillea. In summer, there's no breeze, but whether this is general to the mountains or specific to where we are, I don't know. We've friends who live just the other side of the ridge, and it's both warmer and less windy. But they don't have the views!

[Mowser]

We're in the mountains-ish. Slap bang in the middle of the village. Temperatures here are usually 2ºC cooler in winter and 2ºC warmer in summer. Being near the edge of the sierras, we have a bit more rain than Nerja which is only 7 kilometres away.

[Pete'nKim]

Thanks folks and keep them coming, as we are going to build up a nice climate picture I think

[TorreDelAguila]

Hi Pete'n'Kim . . .

I think you must be engaged on an organised quest to boost the number of posts on this Stupendous Site. Not complaining, though!

Atb,

[Pete'nKim]

Hi Chris

Not a post quest, more the quest for knowledge.
As the potential move gets closer and possible the more we realise we there are things we would like to know more about.

Thanks for your response and keep an eye for more questions over the next few weeks.

Pete

[TorreDelAguila]

Maybe they're just writing a book...

C.

[chrissiehope]

Our casa in in the hills just north of the A92 (Granada - Sevilla motorway), and is just under 800m above sea level. Because it is in a sort of 'bowl' it gets a welcome breeze even in summer. The weather in winter is generally similar to other inland areas (ie if it's mostly raining elsewhere, we will also get rain), but we have had snow on several occasions, and have also had to scrape ice off the car in the morning

Our nearest town (?village?) is Archidona, and we've noticed that although it is a similar height, it is often a couple of degrees warmer - presumably all the buildings, versus an olive grove...

[kexon]

We lived in Competa many years ago, summers were hottish with o breeze that was pleasant. Mists can roll in and the temperature will drop dramatically.
Winter is a different animal. Just think of driving down narrow mountain track roads, hitting a patch of ice and skidding to a mountain view you did not expect (the bottom). It gets very cold in Competa try thermal vest, T-shirt , jumper and two fleeces sat five foot from the fire. There is also the game called shuffle the garden furniture, the wind or wind and rain gets really going and you start exchanging garden furniture with people who live further down the mountain. There is just one drawback if you live at the top you get nothing back.
There is also the cost, it can cost a lot in petrol/diesel driving up and down the mountain.

[Mike.M]

If looking in to buy in the mountains/valey, a good general rule of thumb is to buy south facing and half way up the slope. If on the valley floor, you wont see much direct sunlight in the winter and if your south facing then you'll maximise the sun available to you. Half way up, protects you from the winds and also means that the mountains on the other side of the valley won't block the sunlight too much.

Regards,

Mike

[poppylou]

At 600m in Canillas de Albaida, next to Competa, we find our south facing 3 storey townhouse very comfortable in the winter. We never have the heating on before the sun goes down, and often have to drop the shades because the house becomes too warm. The small woodburning stove on the first floor landing heats the whole house very well (it would be too powerful to have in the lounge). We know many people with single storey properties who have to have the heating on all day in winter, and need many sources of heat throughout the property to achieve a good alround heat.

In the summer, we don't have airconditioning, and find using ceiling fans with the shutters down most of the day keep the house cool. But, we are never there in August!

[Pete'nKim]

Thanks again guys.

I suppose, as we suspected, if you're higher up it will be a lot cooler in some months. A lot will depend on the house as I don't want a warm house thats too small in a horrible or isolated location. Trying not to fall in love with something that will come back and bite us though.