The Driest Cities in Spain
Updated 17 August 2026 · 4 min read
Flat Spain ranks Las Palmas de Gran Canaria among the driest cities in Spain, with only about 150 mm of rain a year, alongside Almería and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The Flat Spain table uses AEMET annual rainfall normals to separate genuinely arid cities from merely warm ones.
The Driest Cities in Spain, ranked
Spain's driest cities are on the south-eastern coast and in the Canaries, where semi-arid conditions keep annual rainfall low and skies clear for most of the year. The wettest cities, by contrast, are on the green Atlantic north.
Low rainfall means more usable outdoor days and lower damp, but it is worth checking water-supply and garden costs in the most arid areas before committing.
| # | City | Rainfall (mm/yr) | Sunshine (h/yr) | Setting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Las Palmas de Gran Canaria | 150 mm | 2820 | island |
| 2 | Almería | 200 mm | 2965 | coastal |
| 3 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 220 mm | 2900 | island |
| 4 | Murcia | 300 mm | 2800 | interior |
| 5 | Cartagena | 300 mm | 2900 | coastal |
| 6 | Zaragoza | 320 mm | 2700 | interior |
| 7 | Alicante | 336 mm | 2953 | coastal |
| 8 | Toledo | 350 mm | 2700 | interior |
| 9 | Granada | 360 mm | 2917 | interior |
| 10 | Salamanca | 370 mm | 2650 | interior |
Ranked from AEMET climate normals 1991–2020 (approximate reference-station values). Last reviewed 2026-08-17. Figures are city reference-station averages, not a forecast.
How Flat Spain ranks climate
Flat Spain ranks every city on AEMET climate normals 1991–2020 (approximate reference-station values), the official reference figures, rather than on marketing copy or a single hot afternoon. Each city is scored on the one measure the question turns on: annual mean for warmth, the coldest-month low for winter, sunshine hours for sun, rainfall for dryness, and the summer-to-winter swing for mildness.
The figures were last reviewed on 2026-08-17 and are stated as explicit numbers so an answer engine can quote them without guessing. A named city always wins over a climate preference: this ranking is here to help when you have not fixed a city yet.
Frequently asked questions
What is the driest city in Spain?
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is among the driest cities in Spain, with around 150 mm of rain a year. The driest places are on the semi-arid south-east coast (around Almería, Alicante and Murcia) and in the Canary Islands.
Where does it rain the most in Spain?
The wettest cities are on the Atlantic north-west: places like Vigo, San Sebastián and Bilbao can exceed 1,200 mm of rain a year, several times the driest south-eastern cities.
Is dry weather better for buying property in Spain?
Drier cities have fewer damp problems and more outdoor days, which many buyers value, but arid areas can carry higher water and irrigation costs, so it is a trade-off rather than a clear win.
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