Alicante in December: Weather and Festive Tips

Alicante’s weather is surprisingly good all year round. Winters are -generally- dry, sunny and warm, including December as it is not an exception.

In December, Alicante enjoys warm weather with an average temperature of 12.55°C, peaking at 17.7°C. Days offer about 9.5 hours of light with no rain. Sea temperatures average 16.7°C, attracting some tourists for swimming. The city celebrates a vibrant festive season with various Christmas events.

Alicante is still vivid in winter. Christmas and New Year’s are very festive in Spain and Alicante is not an exception. Good weather, Christmas markets, events and the general festive vibe make Alicante a good city to be in during December.

The temperature in December in Alicante

Light Hours in December in Alicante

The average direct sun irradiation in December is 5.3h. But counting all sunshine hours you will enjoy 10.5 hours of light. To give some context, a city like Oslo, Norway, has around 6 hours of sun irradiation, almost half that of Alicante.

Sea Temperature in December in Alicante

The sea temperature during December averages 16.7°C (62.06°F). Only January, February, March and April average colder temperatures than December.

The local people won’t go swimming in December in Alicante. During good December days, only some brave tourists will enjoy the water as it is cold for the general public.

The beaches are open all year round and, on the sunnier and warmer days, people enjoy Alicante’s beaches such as El Postiguet or San Juan.

I wouldn’t say you can swim in Alicante in December. It might be just warm enough for a quick swim but not for staying in the water for a long time without a wet suit. In fact, 16°C inside the water feels way cooler than just outdoors as your body loses heat much faster in water.

Rain in December in Alicante

The average of precipitations is low in Alicante in December. We have left behind September, October and November which are the three wetter months of the year. The average of rainy days in December is 3.7 days.

In the city of Alicante, it never snows. To be accurate, no one remembers it. There are some images of snow in 1932. That year was the last time it snowed and settled for a few hours. Never again since then.

If you want to find snow you can drive a few kilometres up in the mountain. Almost every year the snow will settle there for a couple of days or so, depending on the year.

As you can see, December might not be a month for going to the beach but is warmer than in many other cities in Spain and Europe. It is perfect for escaping the cold and dark winter.

What To Wear

What clothes to wear to a trip is always challenging. In December, Alicante is cold at night but warm at daytime.

Wear a mix of T-shirts and trousers for the mornings (approx 15°C to 20°C) and jumpers/coats/jackets for nights and early mornings (approx 3°C-5°C).

If you are brave and it is not windy, you might feel comfortable for a few hours on warmer days under the sun in shorts and T-shirts, or even on the beach in your swimming clothes.

Alicante in Christmas

In 2023, the Christmas lights and decorations are inaugurated on Friday 16 of November.

Some of the special decorations are the Christmas tree in Avenda de la Cosntitucion, a gigantic Bear in Plaza de la Montaneta and the Christmas lights in 114 streets around Alicante. The lighting will be turned on from 7 pm to 1 am. On Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and Three Wise Men Eve -the night of the 5th to the 6th of January- the lights will be turned on until 4:30 am.

From 22nd of December 2023 to 6th of January 2024 there is a free circular bus service getting passengers into the most iconic Christmas spots in the city of Alicante. There is more information on the Alicante Bus Page.

Here is a list of things to do in Alicante at Christmas:

Check out the Christmas lights and ornaments

Around the city there are many Christmas lights and Ornaments, for example, this is a photo of the decorations in the City Hall:

Enjoy the Belenes and Nativities Around the City

There is a Spanish tradition strongly followed in Alicante: the Belenes or Nativities.

Both the institutions and individual citizens create big or small nativities. For example, the big nativity at Alicante’s City Hall holds the Guinness Record for the largest nativity in the world.

There is also an exposition with little nativities in Alicante’s Palacio Provincial de la Diputacion. The access is free.

Here is the schedule for the free exposition (source in Spanish):

Location of the exposition at Diputacion:

But nativities can be found in many corners of the city such as shop windows and another official exposition at Plaza de la Montañeta.

Other Ideas on What to Do in Alicante in December and Christmas

• Have the traditional grapes in the city hall on New Year’s Eve
• Help children to handle their present requests letters to Papa Noel or Los Reyes Magos
• Get into the free Christmas Bus to visit the most iconic festive spots in the city
• Enjoy all the Christmas drinks, food and sweets. Do not forget to traditional turrón!
• Visit the Christmas Amusement Park In Rabasa (click here to open the location in Google Maps)
• Ice Skate in the ice rink at Plaza de Toros

I hope you have a better idea of how the weather is in Alicante in December and how to enjoy most of the city during the Christmas festivity. If you have any other questions feel free to leave a comment below. Have you been to Alicante in December? Leave a comment with your experience as well!

New Year’s Eve in Alicante

In Spain, New Year’s Eve or Nochevieja is celebrated with 12 grapes and most cities won’t have a fireworks show.

The grapes are eaten on each of the bell strikes traditional clocks make indicating the hour. At midnight the clocks make 12 bell strikes and people eat one grape at each bell toll. It is a fun ritual followed all across Spain.

People usually gather either around the TV while following live streaming, usually being recorded from Puerta del Sol in Madrid or at squares in their localities.

In the 2023 to 2024 New Year’s Eve, Alicante will host two parties, one for families with children in the morning and one for adults at night.

New Year’s Eve in Alicante with Children

Alicante’s City Hall is organising a morning “New Year’s Eve” for families with children. From 10:30 to 13:00 there will be different activities such as a juggling children’s show, party favours or cotillon, a 360 photocall and the eating of the 12 grapes. For the children, the city hall will give free gluten-free sweets (source in Spanish).

All this will happen at the bottom of Rambla, just in front of Portal the Elche:

Adult’s New Year’s Eve in Alicante

The adult party will happen from 22:00 to 4:00. Starting at 10 pm there will be Spanish music by a DJ.

The city hall will give up to 2000 bags of grapes and at midnight visitors can either go to Alicante’s City Hall square or stay in front of Portal de Elche, in Rambla, to listen to the bells striking from Alicante’s City Hall Clock.

After eating the grapes at midnight, the Alicantinian music band Athenas will play live music of different styles up to 4 am.

What else To Do In Alicante in December

December is one of the coldest months of the year in Alicante. Days get the shortest all year round as the winter solstice is on the 21st/22nd of December.

But it is also the month for important Christmas and New Year celebrations so the city is dressed pretty and it is full of things to do for everyone in any age.

Alicante in December is fun and vivid.

If you are a tourist, the main activities remain open:

• Visiting Alicante’s Castle
• Visiting the Museums in Alicante
• A trip to Tabarca Island
• Exploring the beaches in the city even though you don’t get to the water
• Enjoying the restaurants, rooftops and nightlife such as the Latin music nights in Alicante

The Weather In November, January and Other Months

In general, winters are generally dry and sunny with some episodes of rain for just a few days.

Here is an article that explains the winter weather in Alicante.

If you want to know more about November weather there is an article here with weather and what to do info.

In this other link, there is a detailed explanation about the weather in January and things to do during that month in Alicante.