Somewhere in Spain in August with teens

[CherryHinton]

Hello, I am looking for ideas if any of you have them for a holiday in Spain in August 2025 for about 10 days. 2 teens - one likes reading a book on a sunlounger although happy with a bit of sightseeing too - the other is antsy if sat down for too long (his father is also similar!) so needs physical activities. A couple of years ago we did a 3 centre holiday on Menorca booked through BA which was excellent as the change of places stopped anyone getting bored so considering Mallorca as an obvious alternative, but also mainland Spain. (DD is doing Spanish A level!). Not the Canaries because I don't see the need for the longer flight in August as will be hot enough. Any suggestions of places would be great please!

Maybe Bilbao and San Sebastián? They are close and San Sebastián has a beach as well as a nice town and art centre, Bilbao is a very cool city imo… The south would be too hot for me at that time but if you like it then Tarifa for the beach and kitesurfing if they like those sort of activities and could go over to Morocco or up to Cadiz.

How about somewhere beachy but with a surf school for your active one - there’s quite a few along the N coast and some SW as well.

I own a second home in Spain. We actively avoid July and August because it just gets insanely hot where we are on the mainland. The Canaries would actually be cooler and more pleasant, as would possibly other Spanish islands.

We were in Spain in august and it got up to 45 degrees in San Sebastián & around that in Bilbao as well. I dread to think how hot it was further south. It was far too hot to do anything during the day which was a shame as it's a gorgeous place.

So I'd probably not recommend Spain in July or august!

In august, I would head for the Pyrenees or Granda. It is much cooler up there. You can get a villa with private pool fairly cheaply as not on a beach. There are lots of outdoorsy things to do- horseback trail riding, hiking, castles to explore.

Thanks everyone - bit shocked by the 45 degree temps in Bilbao as I have been Googling Basque area and Pyrenees since yesterday and thinking it could be our answer! And good point re Canaries and temps too.

How about Portugal - Santiago, Porto or mainland plains.

We did Lisbon and Evora last year (check out Octant Evora or any of the Octant chain of you are interested in Portugal).

I'm not sure Granada will be cooler. I've been in that area in summer and it was roasting 46 C was the highest temperature we saw on one of those eye searing pharmacist's signs. We joked that it was because it was closer to the sun.

I too wouldn't visit Spain for a sightseeing holiday in summer. It's much more pleasant between October and March/April although then you have the risk of storms so could be hit and miss. We've been to inland Andalucia a few times and recently we've had pleasantly warm but one very stormy day in mid October, mostly cool/warm and sunny in late April/early May but a couple of cold wet days with hail/snow(!) and recently a very lucky week in early November where it was warm and sunny all week but between two very wet weeks including the awful storms they had.

There was only 1 or 2 days of 40C heat in Bilbao this summer and I went at the start of August. Some of the time it was overcast and more like 26 to 32C, much more pleasant and better for sightseeing. It rained a little.

If going to North Spain then lots of places don't have pools or air con as its not as hot as the south. San Sebastian beaches were pretty crowded on a Saturday in August.

There is lots of sightseeing and good food and wine! We had a great time wine tasting in Rioja region. Go to Haro, 50 mins from bilbao for the day.

Watch out for local Fiestas which mean some restaurants shut and everyone piles onto the streets to have a massive party. Where we were staying in a working town just outside of Bilbao is was 4 solid days of partying. I did not enjoy the noise and the crowds. My friend was staying in a hamlet outside of another city nearby and she had a peaceful stay just driving into the city for fiesta.

Ds and I have been to Torreblanca in the south numerous times.

There is a great train that runs from Malaga to feungirola and so mum to see and do along the line.

We've done aqua parks, Benalmadena harbour, markets, cable car, bio park, there's a few watersports places along the coast that have the aqua parks and you can get an all day ticket so get on and off as you please for active one and loungy ones can lay on a sunlounger!

We've never found it too hot - but then again we lived in the canaries for quite a while and I wouldn't say that's cooler!

Plus you have to consider that Canary Spanish isn't pure Spanish. If she's learned at school you'll need somewhere where they speak Castilian Spanish.

Santiago is not in Portugal