Acclimatising to the heat
 

I've just spent another restless night in the UK due to the heat. I'm hoping to be selling up and retiring to Spain next year. My question (sorry if it has been asked elsewhere) is: do Brits in Spain get used to the heat the longer we live there.
On holiday in the past, it's been for 2 weeks at the most, then it's back to crummy UK weather. I love it when i'm there but at night ...can hardly sleep much.. I'm hoping that living there, i'll get used to it.

Re: Acclimatising to the heat
 

Cold can also be a problem with poorly insulated housing.
Also many areas of Spain have vastly different extremes of temperature between winter and summer.

Re: Acclimatising to the heat
 

We have been in spain 5 years now and we think we have just started to notice that we are getting used to the weather. I would say when it's extremely hot as it is you need something to cool you on the bed at night.The thing we have noticed more is when the extreme heat goes you notice the temperature drop more.My advice is when it's extremely hot i you need to be round the pool if you can stay out of the sun and drink lots of cool drinks.I'm sure you will find spain a great place to live we do .Best wishes

Re: Acclimatising to the heat
 

I dont think you actually get used to it more like you tolerate it better. For the past 4 weeks it has been very hot and the heat is there all day and at night. I never work in August as it actually makes me quite ill. Dressing up, walking around, rushing. They take a terrible toll on me. Most Spanish take a good part of August off and simply stay in their homes during the heat of the day, emerging only at night. It is not uncommon for Spanish families to be all up at 2.00 am for instance, or for older people to sit outside their houses talking to each other until very late. Of course the temperatures vary depending on where you live but basically in all of Spain it's either hot or boiling!!. I think the longer you live here the more you start to dislike it. My first few years I thought it was great, sunbathing and swimming everyday. Now I never sunbathe and only swim around 8.00pm. Personally the thing that makes it so different in Spain from UK is not the temperature ( UK was 30 plus this week) it's the duration ( 2 very hot months). It sucks all the energy from you, which is nice for a short holiday but if you live in it you basically end up getting quite bored. Still that's my opinion and I am sure there are others who absolutely love it so I guess it really depends on you.

Re: Acclimatising to the heat
 

I totally agree with Chipmonks comments and I am someone who loves the sun. It's a bit like how in the north of England it's constant grey winter sky's that get you down, Spain July August the constant heat can have a similar affect. Last couple of days have been oddly duller if I was on holiday I would moan living here it's a pleasant break. You simply will find you adapt your life to suit, there's a reason Spain has siesta etc, you will search out shade or relish with joy when you get a bit of breeze especially if cool. As Fred says beware though Jan Feb may well be sunny outside but inside especially older village houses the cold will eat into your soul. You do adapt and as I say change your lifestyle to suit.

Re: Acclimatising to the heat
 

Friends living in the UK think we are mad when we tell them we dislike summer in Spain and avoid the hot sunshine

Re: Acclimatising to the heat
 

Hola

I have lived here in the coast of light (Costa de la Luz) for 17 years; three months after arriving it reached 44ºC in June! That was HOT. Now that I have acclimatised, I don't wear shorts unless it is going to be over 25ºC; I consider 30ºC to 35ºC "Nice" and HOT doesn't start until 41ºC.

I don't have air conditioning as it doesn't get hot enough to warrant it except for probably a couple of weeks a year - neither do I have a pool.

I do take a siesta in the summer months as exercise in the heat of the day is stupid and the Spanish work from 7am until 1pm in July & August.

I never sunbathe - why would you when we have 300 days a year of glorious sun. England is dull and grey and wet LOL

Davexf

Re: Acclimatising to the heat
 

Beautiful area Dave with the benefit of Atlantic breezes which must be a godsend at times, it certainly would have been here on Costa del Sol Last week. There was one day we walked past a narrow Calle leading to the sea with a lovely cool breeze blowing from the sea. Wife and I spent about 10 minutes just standing enjoying that breeze.

Re: Acclimatising to the heat
 

In July and August our routine was shopping as soon as they opened, then retire back to the house, windows and doors open in there was a breeze, and the aircon on if there wasn't , with doors closed.

Re: Acclimatising to the heat
 

Hi,

We have lived here in Benidorm for 6 years and have never regretted one day of being here. The weather is good all year round.

A few people we know who have lived here for years go back to the UK in the July and August months as the heat can get overpowering most days and its a relief for them to have some cool weather for several weeks. We are often glad when rain is forecast and have been known to go outside to stand in a cooling shower !!!

Generally though, in the height of summer we do any chores either early morning or evening when it's a little cooler and sit out of the sun, and in front of a fan, during the hottest part of the day.

As a simple answer to your question, no I don't think you can "get used to the heat" but you learn how to handle it better. Don't let it put you off though as 80% of the year the weather is excellent and suits most people who like and crave an outdoor style life.

Steve

Re: Acclimatising to the heat
 

I've been in Granada since early July, and only for the Covid outbreaks etc, I'd have gone back to Ireland for the summer. Too bloody hot, and I don't think anyone can ever get used to it, even the locals! The dog was in bits the last few weeks. It's a bit fresher now, but still over 30! Luckily I work from home, so can spend the day in my underpants.

Re: Acclimatising to the heat
 

Overdressed :ohmy:

Re: Acclimatising to the heat
 

I know people moan about the weather in the UK etc, but sometimes it's too hot! At least if it's a cloudy 15 degrees, you can still get outside! Not if it's 40. People come on their hols to Spain then and complain about the heat :p
I think there's a happy medium somewhere. (the north of Spain!)

Re: Acclimatising to the heat
 

I know. I never sit on my balcony now. It is either cloudy or its sunny. When its sunny it's always strong sun even in the winter months.

Re: Acclimatising to the heat
 

I've been living in Andalucia (5km inland) for almost 14 years now. July and August aren't my favourite months, but I don't find it TOO hot until the temperature goes over the high 30s, when we have the terral. What I do find is that I feel the cold much more now, when we first arrived we would start putting on sweaters in the winter once the temperature got to around 18C, now we're shivering and looking for the woollies when it's 21C! To cope in the summer, it took some time to get our heads around the fact that once the sun gets high in the sky, windows and doors really need to be kept closed and blinds/curtains drawn, then open them up again once the sun has gone down. In the winter, the reverse applies and windows should be kept open in the daytime to allow the warmer air from outside to get into the house. It feels wrong at first because it's the exact opposite of what we were used to doing in the UK. In the summer wear clothing made from natural materials especially cotton as much as possible, man made fibres are not good. Always walk on the shady side of the street. We have airconditioning now (didn't for our first 12 years here) but use it only on a handful of the very hottest days, and it's set on 28C otherwise if it's kept too cold it just feels hotter when you go into a room without airconditioning or outside. A ceiling fan in the bedroom keeps us comfortable at night, I find sleeping in an airconditioned room dries my throat and nasal passages out too much.

I find it easier to cope with the heat here rather than exceptionally hot weather in the UK, because all public spaces and especially public transport here is airconditioned, whereas the UK is not really geared up for it.