The Valencia region is one of Spain’s most popular tourist destinations, for Spaniards and foreigners alike.
Whether it be the capital itself, the smaller cities of Alicante or Benidorm, or the countless coastal towns in between, the Valencia region and Costa Blanca in particular have been well-established summer spots for decades.
However, for those that have visited or lived there, you’ll also know that the summers can get pretty unbearable at times. And it’s not just the heat specifically, as in other parts of Spain.
Though parts of the Valencia region do of course reach the low-40s at times, you’ll be unlikely to see the scorching temperatures you regularly see down in Andalusia, for example. At least not so consistently, anyway.
In the region’s coastal cities such as Valencia and Alicante, it’s the humidity that is the problem. Or as the Spanish call it, bochorno.
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According to the results of a study by HouseFresh (cited here in the Spanish press) the two most humid cities in Europe are Spanish – Palma de Mallorca and Valencia, with 116.8 and 111.8 humid days per year.
In the summer this means that although Valencia is unlikely to break any maximum temperature records, hot sticky, humid days (and nights) of anything between 32-42C are common.
On days like those, leaving the house (or doing anything, for the matter) without getting drenched in sweat seems near-impossible. During the high season, temperatures regularly stay in the early to mid-20s through the night, meaning sleeping through the sweltering summer nights can be a struggle.
Fortunately, the Valencia region is also home to several towns and villages that have slightly more bearable temperatures.
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Coolest towns in the Valencia region
Obviously, saying for sure where the ‘coolest’ towns (meaning temperature, not how hip it is) depends on the year and weather.
This is southern Spain in summer we’re talking about, there aren’t any guarantees that these place don’t get hot. But if we consider temperature trends over the years we can at least get an idea of the parts of the region where it’s probably easiest to cool down.
Looking at old weather data, there are several towns in the region where minimum temperatures sometimes even fall below 10C during the summer.
Bocairent
A tiny town in inland Valencia roughly halfway between the capital and Alicante, Bocairent is known for lower temperatures, including minimum temperatures as low as 8.4C during August.
Don’t just take out word for it: local media has described Bocairent “the coolest town in the Valencian region”.
Walk up to Bocairent. Photo: Gian Luca Sgaggero/Flickr (Commerical Use Allowed)
Xixona (Jijona)
Xixona, home of the famous turrón in Alicante province, sees minimum temperatures drop to 10C at times during summer.
Looking at forecasts for late-July on Aemet, Spain’s state meteorological agency, maximum temperatures are generally in the late-20s to early-30s — not bad for high summer season in Spain.
Mountains around Xixona. Photo: Fernando Espí/Pixabay
Villena
Villena, in Alicante province on the border with Murcia, has seen lows of 10.9C recorded at the Hondo de la Lagunilla observatory.
This part of Alicante/Murcia is generally quite hilly and mountainous, so the altitude often brings a light breeze that makes it easier to cool down.
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Interestingly, the coldest temperature ever recorded in Alicante province was in Villena in 1957, when the thermometer dropped to a staggering -24C.
A courtyard in Villena. Photo: Javier Dos/Pixabay
El Pinós (Pinoso)
Another town bordering Murcia, Pinoso, as it’s known in Castilian Spanish, is not only a popular place for British migrants but also one of the cooler parts of Alicante province and the Valencia region more widely.
Spanish media reports that it is “the coolest municipality” in the region, with lows of 12.6C overall, -2.2 percent below normal values.
The clocktower in Pinoso. Photo: Enrique Íñiguez Rodríguez/Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Utiel
Around 80km inland from Valencia, Utiel is another rural town surrounded by green space. Like many of these cooler parts of the region, Utiel is at a decent altitude (720m).
Surrounded by vineyards and mountains, these natural temperature barriers around Utiel means its regularly up to 5 and 6 degrees less than more coastal municipalities.
The local Levantine press has specifically highlighted Utiel has a good place to go during these sweltering summer nights, with average night-time temperatures of around 16.3C.
The Shrine of El Remedio in Utiel. Photo: Vicenç Salvador Torres Guerola/Wikipedia ( CC BY-SA 3.0)
Banyeres de Mariola (Bañeres)
Also in Alicante province, Banyeres de Mariola is a picturesque little town surrounded by streams and national parks like Serra de Mariola and Font de la Coveta. It’s been known to have minimum temperatures as low as 12C during the summer.
Like with some of the others on the list, Banyeres de Mariola is also at high elevation (816m) so the combination of heights and water nearby likely make it a nice place to cool off.
A view of Banyeres from a distance. Photo: Enquire Íñiguez Rodríguez/Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Castell de Castells
Probably the most rural of the towns listed here, Castell de Castells is a tiny town of around 400 people high in the mountains of the Marina Alta on the Costa Blanca.
For those of you looking to cool down over the summer, Castell de Castells is where the Rio Jalón begins and is surrounded by mountains, meaning the air can be a little cooler there than elsewhere at times.
Minimum temperatures can even get as low as 12-13C through the hot months.
Expect snow during winter in Castell de Castells. Photo: Joanbanjo/Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)
READ ALSO – Escape the heat: Eight places in Spain where it doesn’t get too hot in summer