Hello everyone,
I will going to Spain in Nov. I am thinking about going to Compostela and possibly travel along Costa de Morte by bus if possible to enjoy the scenery. My concern is the weather. What will it be like? Is this a bad idea? I will be going first to Barcelona then Madrid then to Galicia depending if weather is too bad then south to Sevilla. I am thinking about skipping the South and spending more time in Madrid and Galicia and maybe provinces west of Galicia. Should I? Thanks.

Hmmm.. those provinces WEST of Galicia can be pretty WET in November. In fact, those provinces WEST of Galicia are wet ALL year 'round. What are those provinces called?? The Province of the Atlantic Ocean? hehehe.. Just teasing you, mikerod76.

I would imagine that Galicia would not be very hospitable in late November and probably cold and rainy in early November. I'd guess that if anyone knows the answer to this question it would be Eddie.

You may instead consider skipping Galicia and just "do" Barcelona, Madrid, and Sevilla, the last of which will have much nicer climate in November. I would hate for you to miss Galicia because it's so beautiful, but not sure you could really appreciate it when it's cold, rainy/snowy/cloudy.

Do you have to go in November? I guess so, huh. Well, I'm SURE you'll have a great time, regardless.

Saludos, MadridMan

That was funny MM. I meant to say provinces east of Galicia as you probably figured. I am disappointed to hear that that Galicia will have that kind of weather. Maybe I should deal with the weather for at least one or two days just to get to see Compostela...I am not sure. Maybe next time I will do the whole northern part. Correct me if I am wrong, does it seems that northern Spain is much more beautiful that southern Spain? Also, the sights are much more Spanish(Castillian) than the southern Moorish sights.

mikerod76, don't make plans just yet. I'm only making an educated guess as I've never been in Galicia during November. Give this thread another few days to see if others more familiar with Galicia have opinions.

And yes, I figured you meant EAST of Galicia, but couldn't resist "pulling your chain". hehehe..

As for the beauty of "North versus South", I think it's in the "eye of the beholder", really. I absolutely loved the "Green Spain" of Galicia last spring. Just incredible. Loved it. Southern Spain has it's own beauty in heavy Moorish influences, white-washed villages, warmer climate, etcetera. They're just distinct from one another.

Again, wait 'til you have more input on the November in Galicia idea before making definite plans.

Have a GREAT time! Saludos, MadridMan

Mikerod76 writes: It depends on the North Atlantic storm tracks and things like the Jet Stream; but in general, the earlier in November that you visit Galicia, the better your chances for good weather there. You might consider visiting Galicia first, then Barcelona and Madrid (and Andalucia). One good thing about Galicia: Longitudinally, it should be in the same time zone as Portugal or Ireland. But for Political correctness, Spain is all in one time zone. So it will get brighter later in the morning and stay daylight later into the evening, even in November.

Go about 70mi west from Santiago de Compostela and you'll be at 'Land's End.' That's it! No Mas! The next province to the west is either Atlantis or the Portuguese Madeira's islands.

If you really want to enjoy the scenery, take FEVE Ferrocaril Español de via estrecha. It's slow and expensive.

I lived in Santiago during the months of Sep-Dec in 1988. It wasn't the sunniest time, but the cool weather was welcome. When it did rain, it was less of a pouring rain and more of an ocean mist known as "llovizna" there. To me it simply enhanced the city and its flavor.

As we moved on towards December I remember it getting quite chilly (and this from a guy who moved there from Minnesota...).

Of course all of this depends on weather patterns as Eddie notes, but the general feel of Galicia in the fall-towards-winter months is cool and damp. You should encounter no crowds at touristy locations, though, which is a huge plus.

I visited in late November/Early December. ALthough it did rain everyday, it was just a light mist most of the time. And it usually only lasted for a very short time. It's a very beautiful area there.

mikerod76
Go for it! I went to Galicia last December and the weather was great, few very short misty type showers. The temperature was warmer than Castilla, which snowed. MM's idea about visiting Sevilla is good too.

Pescador Guapo,

I am happy to hear the rain will not, or better yet, might not be so bad. However, how cold will it be during the day and at night?

Hi Mikerod76,

I just found a website that has a webcam that shows the "llovizna" that CaliBasco and Pescador Guapo were talking about. Go to Santiagoturismo and you will be delighted by what you see.

I too was there in December and the temperature was similar to that in North Florida ( Jacksonville) in February, around 40F - 48F degrees, I can't remember what the celcius was...

I truly envy you! I wish I could get away this Winter and return to Galicia.