The Best Time to Visit Madrid

The best time to visit Madrid varies, and it depends on what you're looking for on your trip to Spain. Poolside lounging and people-watching in plazas under guaranteed sunshine is possible between mid-spring and early autumn, but the height of summer can make outdoor sightseeing a little unbearable. Madrid’s restaurants are fabulous year-round, and the food scene is thriving like never before, but there’s a charm to scouring the local markets and following fellow foodies as they spill into sprawling parks to tuck in either side of the midday sun. Here, we run through the seasonal highlights of the Spanish capital, explaining why it’s possible to uncover a new side to the city every month of the year.

A version of this article originally appeared in Condé Nast Traveller UK.

December is the best time to visit Madrid for fans of all things festive.

December is the best time to visit Madrid for fans of all things festive, when the city transforms into a cheery utopia. More than 100 stalls sell their wares at Plaza Mayor Christmas Market, welcoming travelers in to peruse nativity scene figures, children’s toys, and playful trinkets to take home. Wrap up warm and wander through the city’s winding streets, where colorful scenes consume windows and Christmas lights twinkle overhead. New Year's Eve is an even brighter spectacle. Celebrate in one of the countless charming restaurants or join the thousands who descend on Puerta del Sol to eat 12 lucky grapes to the 12 Real Casa de Correos clock chimes.

The festivities continue into the first week of January. Once the capital has recovered from the New Year's Eve celebrations, the Three Kings Parade moves through the streets on an evening in the first week of the month. See the spectacle, then warm up among the bodies and the flaming food stalls at San Miguel Market or make an indulgent pilgrimage to Chocolatería de San Ginés, which has been serving thick hot chocolate and crispy churros for 130 years.

In the spring, Madrid’s temperature jumps to an average daily high of 60°F, climbing to 74°F in May.

Things start to heat up in the Spanish capital come mid-March, and the temperature jumps considerably to an average daily high of 60°F, climbing to 74°F in May. Summer (between June and August) can be overwhelmingly hot, especially when sightseeing is on the agenda, so late spring and early summer are the best time to visit Madrid to enjoy all the city has to offer outdoors. Opt for tourist hotspots rather than tourist traps with a sunny day in El Retiro Park; take rowing boats on the lake before a hearty picnic among the blooming flowers.

Visit Madrid around May 15 and mark the (rough) start of the festival season at Fiestas San Isidro, joining Madrileños to celebrate their patron saint, Isidore the Laborer, an 11th-century farmworker known for his piety towards the poor and animals. It’s not strictly a religious occasion though, as rock, pop, and electronic acts take to stages across Madrid while a program of activities involves all the family in the fun. Gastrofestival arrives in town just as the saintly festivities die down, so fuel up after all that dancing in the participating restaurants, markets, and bars as they run special menus for a few weeks.

Perfect summer hangouts can be had by the Palacio de Cristal in the Buen Retiro Park.

Some may call a trip to Madrid at the height of summer questionable, preferring to stick to the shoulder seasons. However, it’s the best time to visit Madrid for guaranteed sunshine and long days that draw locals into the balmy night for rotating tapas plates and full-bodied wines. Check into a hotel with a pool to enjoy lazy days cooling off away from the midday heat: The Madrid Edition and Palacio de los Duques Gran Meliá are some of the sleekest stays with the prized amenity.

This is peak festival season too. Highlights include A Summer Story (June), Noches del Botánico (June and July), and Mad Cool Festival (July), so plan ahead as Madrileños swarm into the parks to catch their favorite acts. Alternatively, find solace in the incredible museums, which house some of the most extensive art collections in the world.

As autumn approaches, Madrid starts to bundle up and the parks are covered in reddish leaves as they tumble from towering trees.

As autumn approaches, the city starts to bundle up and the parks are covered in reddish leaves as they tumble from towering trees. However, this doesn’t happen until October, and temperatures can still be comfortably warm—perfect light-jacket weather. The traditions of Halloween and Día de Los Muertos come together for an exciting program of events, from the family-friendly to the late-night. Events happen across the city between the end of October and the beginning of November, resulting in some spooky cultural excursions. Autumn is the best time in Madrid for music lovers, as festival season draws world-class acts to the city’s stages throughout September as the International Jazz Festival takes place between September and November.