We have been in the south of Spain since October 28 and the weather has just been fantastic. We only had a handful of overcast days and hardly any rain. Temperature ranged from 18 to 24C on average. Quite pleasant for walking, hiking, biking and sitting on a terrace, sipping wine and watching the world go by. It gets much cooler at night however or on cloudy days. So, even in the fall, you will need a warm sweater at night.

It is noticeably cooler this week in Nerja officially the start of winter my Spanish professor said today. For a Canadian it feels much more like a sunny day in October however.

Early mornings and evenings are cool, sometimes going down as much as 4C, in January, February and early March, so you will definitely need a jacket for going out at night but in the mid-day sun, it is still very warm and you will be happy to be in a t-shirt and even having a hat if you are sensitive to sunlight.

So the best thing you can do, is wear layers. T-shirt, sweater and a scarf is my daily attire in January. That is the way I start the day and as soon as I am walking in the sun, the layers come off. The sun is incredibly strong here and when it comes out, it is hot! In the shade however, you will want to put back your sweater or cardigan. On cloudy days, you may need a fall jacket. I have a short leather jacket which I find perfect for evenings and on cloudy days.

Jeans or a dress with tights works best for me. Terry wears his shorts everyday and jeans at night. I have a paid of boots as well for evenings but you can do without that if you wear closed shoes or runnings.

As far as Amy lou, the fashionista is concerned, she wears a “cooling” dress on really hot days and a fleece on especially overcast days. Rarely do we need to put on her rain coat, although, February is coming and it is known as the rainiest and coolest month of the year!

To summarize, t-shirts, shorts, jeans, sweaters, wrap or scarf and a light fall coat for evenings is what you will need during winter months on the costa del sol and a fleece for your small dog!

Here are a few pictures of daytime activities this month with friends visiting and with my wonderful weekly hiking group.