Four reasons why autumn is the very best season in Andalusia.

1.The weather

The autumn is one of the best times to visit Andalusia , day time temperatures reach a very pleasant 20+ degrees while at night, they rarely drop below 15 degrees. It's warm enough to sunbathe at the beach and the Mediterranean reaches its warmest temperatures in September and early October.

For those of us who struggle to make it through Spain’s sweltering summer, autumn comes as a welcome relief: a sunny, breezy time when people are still enjoying the outside terraces, but in a much more pleasant temperature. The fall in temperatures makes it a great time for exploring.

2. The chestnuts

Each year, autumn is an important season for the beautiful location of Valle Genal because that is the time when it welcomes its most precious fruit – the Chestnut. The variety is known as pilonga and it is such a delicacy that it is exported to most of Europe as a “delicatessen” The place par excellence where the chestnut is the queen is undoubtedly the Genal Valley in the province of Malaga.

The best are roasted chestnuts which you can buy In many corners of Andalusia. It is a delicious dish to eat while strolling down the street or sitting in any square and watch people passing by.

3. Hearty food

As soon as the temperature drops, it's nice to cozy up to some warm, Andalusian cuisine in the autumn, especially after doing everything possible to avoid hot dishes in the sweltering summer.

Though they can be enjoyed year-round, there is nothing quite like churros con chocolate to warm you up from the inside now the chillier weather is here. 

Spaniards also love to make use of seasonal crops, so it's time to give up the refreshing gazpacho so perfect in the summer months and  instead tuck into crema de calabaza (cream of pumpkin soup), puchero (meat and vegetables stew) or lentil soup with chorizo.

4. Less tourists

In usual years, autumn is a good time to tour the more popular sites, once the hordes of tourists have left at the end of the summer. But this year Covid-19 dealt a severe blow to Spain's tourist industry and pretty much all but domestic visitors were forced to stay away meaning it was a great summer for those left behind to visit the famous sites without having to wait in line.  

But if you didn't get to roam the almost deserted grounds of the Alhambra in Granada or Malaga city without have to brave the lines outside, autumn is an even quieter time to do it.