Alcúdia's climate month by month: temperatures, rain and sea to plan your year

Most people who buy a home in Alcúdia first got to know it in summer. But a second home is enjoyed —or not— in the other three seasons. This guide sets out, month by month, what to expect from the weather in northern Mallorca: temperatures, rainfall, sea conditions and the wind that changes everything, the Tramuntana.

The figures are indicative, drawn from the area's historical records. Any given year may deviate; the pattern does not.

The essentials in three numbers

• Sunny days per year: around 300, with roughly 2,800 hours of sunshine.
• Average annual temperature: 17-18 °C. January averages about 10 °C; August, 26-27 °C.
• Annual rainfall: 450-550 mm, concentrated between September and December. Summer is practically dry.

Winter: December, January and February

• Temperatures: lows of 6-9 °C and highs of 14-16 °C. Frost is exceptional by the sea.
• Sea: 14-16 °C. Only for winter swimmers, but perfect for walks along the shore.
• Rain: 40-60 mm per month, over 5-7 days. It rains, but rarely all day.
• Wind: this is Tramuntana season. When it blows, the wind chill drops several degrees and the bay gets choppy. It usually lasts two or three days and leaves behind an immaculate sky.
• What it's like: the town is quiet, local restaurants are open and lunch outside in the sun is possible on many days. Almond trees blossom inland in late January.

If you plan to spend winter here, the house matters more than the weather: orientation, insulation and heating make the difference. We cover it in how to prepare your house for winter stays.

Spring: March, April and May

• Temperatures: from 10-17 °C in March to 15-23 °C in May. For many residents, May is the best month of the year.
• Sea: rises from 14 °C to 19 °C. The first swims arrive in mid-May.
• Rain: 30-40 mm per month and falling. April can surprise with the odd heavy shower.
• Wind: the Tramuntana retreats and the embat begins, the afternoon sea breeze that cools the coast.
• What it's like: S'Albufera in full bird migration, busy terraces, and temperatures for walking and cycling without suffering.

Summer: June, July and August

• Temperatures: highs of 28-31 °C and lows of 20-23 °C. August is the hottest month and, above all, the most humid: the muggy nights are what newcomers notice most.
• Sea: 24-27 °C. Comfortable swimming from June until well into October.
• Rain: under 15 mm per month. July is the driest month of the year.
• Wind: the embat blows in from the sea almost every afternoon between 1 pm and 7 pm. In Alcúdia Bay it comes from the east-northeast, and it is what makes July's heat liveable.
• What it's like: peak season. Port d'Alcúdia fills up; residential areas such as Alcanada or Mal Pas keep their calm. The lesser-known beaches are what separate residents from tourists.

Autumn: September, October and November

• Temperatures: September is still summer (20-27 °C). October, 16-23 °C. November drops to 12-18 °C.
• Sea: the warmest of the year in September (25 °C) and still 22 °C in October. It is the island's best-kept secret: summer sea without the crowds.
• Rain: this is where most of the year's rain falls. October is the wettest month (60-80 mm), often as short, intense storms. Worth having gutters and downpipes cleared beforehand.
• Wind: long calms alternate with the season's first Tramuntana episodes.
• What it's like: golden light, terrace temperatures and an island that belongs once again to the people who live on it.

What the maps don't tell you

• Alcúdia Bay faces east. Sea-facing villas get the morning sun and are sheltered from the afternoon glare. You notice it on the air-conditioning bill.
• Humidity: high all year by the sea. Cross-ventilation and the right materials matter as much as temperature. We cover it in anti-salt materials.
• Microclimates: Alcanada, at the foot of the La Victoria peninsula, gets less northerly wind than Playa de Muro. Ten minutes' distance can mean two degrees and a different breeze.
• Summer nights: with the embat coming in during the afternoon and the stone releasing the day's heat, sleeping with the windows open is possible most of July. August is another story.

Conclusion

Alcúdia has a long summer (you swim from June to October), a mild, luminous winter, and a spring and autumn that are, for those who live here, the best of the year. The only real enemy of comfort is humidity, and the best weapon against it is a well-oriented, well-built house.