This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting our small business.
La Palma has one of the most stable climates in Europe, with coastal temperatures that stay between 18°C and 26°C all year. The island sits in the cool Canary Current and the northeast trade winds, so it never gets as hot as its latitude suggests. What changes dramatically is rainfall: the green, cloudy east side can get three times as much rain as the dry, sunny west. This guide breaks down the weather figure by figure, month by month, using data from the AEMET station at La Palma airport, and for where to base yourself, see our where to stay in La Palma guide.
La Palma Weather by Month: What to Expect
Average temperatures at sea level range from 18°C (64°F) in January and February to 24°C (75°F) in August and September. The airport station records a mean annual temperature of 20.7°C and about 369 mm of rain a year, but that hides the island’s real story. The northeast trade winds push cloud and drizzle against the windward slopes, so Santa Cruz de La Palma and the north can be damp while Puerto Naos on the west coast, 20 km away, sits in sunshine. Altitude matters too: Roque de los Muchachos at 2,426 m averages 18°C in summer and just 3°C in winter, with frost and occasional snow between December and March. See the full month-by-month table further down this page, and use it alongside our complete La Palma guide to plan a trip.
La Palma Weather by Month: Winter (December to February)
December is the wettest month of the year, with 75 mm of rain in Santa Cruz, and January brings another 39 mm. Daytime highs sit at 20-21°C (68-70°F) and nights drop to 15-16°C (59-61°F). This is a mild winter, not a cold one: snow falls only on the highest peaks, and even then rarely below 1,800 m. The sea stays at 19-20°C, cool but swimmable with a wetsuit for longer sessions. The west coast, around Puerto Naos and Tazacorte, gets far fewer cloud days, which is why many northern Europeans spend Christmas there. If you want warm winter sun, read best time to visit La Palma before you book.
La Palma Weather by Month: Spring (March to May)
Spring is La Palma’s calmest stretch. Rainfall drops from 25 mm in March to 17 mm in April and just 4 mm in May, while highs climb from 21°C to 22°C. By May the almond blossom is long gone and the hillsides turn golden on the dry west side, while the laurel forests of Los Tilos in the north stay permanently green. Trade-wind cloud tends to form a blanket around 1,200-1,500 m in the afternoons, which means hikers on the high trails often walk above a sea of clouds. March and April are also the calmest months for swimming, with little wind and sea temperatures of 19-20°C.
La Palma Weather by Month: Summer (June to August)
Summer is warm but rarely hot. Highs reach 24°C in June and 26°C in August, and the thermometer almost never passes 30°C at the coast, unlike mainland Spain where 40°C is common. Rain nearly stops: June, July and August together total about 5 mm in Santa Cruz. Sea temperatures climb to 22-23°C by August, the warmest of the year. One thing to plan around is the calima, a hot, dusty wind that blows in from the Sahara a few times each summer, pushing temperatures into the mid-30s for two or three days. Check the local forecast before planning outdoor days, and see things to do in La Palma for ideas that work in any weather.
La Palma Weather by Month: Autumn (September to November)
September keeps summer’s warmth, with highs of 26°C and the sea still at 23°C, making it the best month for swimming. Rain returns in October (43 mm) and November (57 mm) as the first Atlantic fronts arrive. November is the cloudiest month on the east side and can bring several wet days in a row. The west and south stay noticeably drier and brighter through autumn, so this is a good season to base yourself on the west coast and visit the green north for its waterfalls, which are at their fullest after the first rains.
La Palma Weather by Month: Monthly Climate Table
These figures are long-term averages for Santa Cruz de La Palma (the capital, on the east coast). Expect roughly 20 percent less rain and more sunshine hours around Puerto Naos, Los Llanos and Tazacorte on the west side.
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Rain (mm) | Sea Temp | Sun (hrs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20°C | 15°C | 39 | 19°C | 5 |
| February | 20°C | 15°C | 52 | 19°C | 6 |
| March | 21°C | 15°C | 25 | 19°C | 7 |
| April | 21°C | 16°C | 17 | 19°C | 7 |
| May | 22°C | 17°C | 4 | 20°C | 8 |
| June | 24°C | 19°C | 2 | 21°C | 9 |
| July | 25°C | 20°C | 1 | 22°C | 10 |
| August | 26°C | 21°C | 2 | 23°C | 9 |
| September | 26°C | 21°C | 12 | 23°C | 8 |
| October | 24°C | 19°C | 43 | 23°C | 7 |
| November | 22°C | 17°C | 57 | 21°C | 6 |
| December | 21°C | 16°C | 75 | 20°C | 5 |
La Palma Weather by Month: The East-West Divide
La Palma is really two climates in one. The windward east and north, from Barlovento to Santa Cruz, catch the trade-wind cloud and get 500-1,000 mm of rain a year, with the laurel forest at Los Tilos taking the most. The leeward west and south, around Los Llanos, Puerto Naos and Fuencaliente, get 250-500 mm and are the sunniest and driest part of the island. In practice this means you can wake to drizzle in Santa Cruz and drive 40 minutes through the Cumbre Nueva tunnel to clear skies in Tazacorte. The La Palma neighborhoods guide explains which side suits which traveler.
La Palma Weather by Month: Sea Temperatures
The Atlantic around La Palma runs 19°C in February and March and reaches 23°C in September and October. That is cooler than the Mediterranean, thanks to the Canary Current, so casual swimmers are happiest between June and November. The calmest, most sheltered swimming is at Los Cancajos on the east coast and Charco Verde near Puerto Naos. For more on packing and water sports, see the La Palma travel tips article, and check La Palma events and festivals if you are timing a trip around a festival.
