July is the hottest and busiest month in Spain, and it opens with the most famous week in the Spanish calendar: San Fermín in Pamplona, 6 to 14 July, fixed to those dates every year. Madrid and Seville become genuinely difficult by day – the interior regularly passes 35°C – while the northern coast, the Balearics and the mountains are excellent. 25 July 2027 is also St James’s Day falling on a Sunday, the reason 2027 is a Holy Year at all.
San Fermín, Pamplona – 6 to 14 July
The dates never move. The festival opens at noon on 6 July with the chupinazo rocket in the Plaza Consistorial, and runs to midnight on the 14th.
- The encierro – the running of the bulls – takes place at 08:00 every morning from 7 to 14 July, over 875 metres from the corral to the bullring. It lasts a couple of minutes.
- It is genuinely dangerous. People are gored and trampled every year and there have been deaths. Participation is free and unregulated beyond basic rules; this is not an attraction, and anyone running should understand the risk they are taking.
- Watching is the normal choice. Balcony places are sold at high prices, the barriers fill hours ahead, and the whole thing is televised.
- Pamplona is full for the week at multiplied rates, with many visitors staying in San Sebastián, Logroño or Vitoria and travelling in.
The rest of San Fermín – the parades of gigantes, the nightly fireworks, the peñas and the sheer scale of it – is what most people actually come for.
Weather: the heat is the story
- Madrid and the interior – around 33°C by day and 21°C at night, with almost no rain – about 11 mm for the month. Heatwaves push it well past 38°C.
- Andalucía – the hottest part of Spain. Seville and Córdoba routinely exceed 38°C, and 40°C is not unusual.
- Barcelona and the Mediterranean – about 29°C with high humidity, which makes it feel hotter than Madrid despite the lower number. The sea is around 25°C.
- The Atlantic north – the answer. San Sebastián, Santander, Gijón and the Galician rías run at 22–26°C, green and comfortable.
- The mountains – the Picos de Europa, the Pyrenees and the Sierra de Gredos are at their walking peak.
Spain now issues health warnings during heatwaves, and they should be taken seriously. Hydrate constantly, avoid 14:00–18:00 outdoors in the south, and remember that Spanish cities are designed around a long indoor afternoon for exactly this reason.
Where to go in July
Invert the usual advice. The famous inland cities – Seville, Córdoba, Madrid, Toledo – are at their worst now, and the parts of Spain most visitors never reach are at their best:
- The Basque coast and Cantabria – San Sebastián, Bilbao, the Playa de Oyambre and the Costa Quebrada.
- Asturias and Galicia – the Picos, the Cíes Islands, the rías and a food scene that rivals anywhere.
- The Pyrenees – Ordesa, Aigüestortes and the Aran valley.
- The Sierra Nevada and the Alpujarras, where altitude does the work Andalusian shade cannot.
Xacobeo: 25 July 2027
St James’s Day falls on Sunday 25 July 2027 – which is precisely what makes 2027 a Jacobean Holy Year. Santiago de Compostela marks it with a major fireworks display on the night of the 24th in the Praza do Obradoiro and the full pilgrim mass on the 25th, and in a Holy Year both are exceptional.
It is also the single most crowded date on the Camino. If you want to arrive in Santiago for the 25th in 2027, book accommodation in the city a year out, and expect the last hundred kilometres to be extremely busy.
Prices and crowds
Peak. Spanish, French and northern European holidays overlap, the coast and the islands run at maximum rates, and Pamplona and Santiago have their own spikes. The inland cities are the exception – Madrid and Seville hotels are cheaper in July than in May, because the heat empties them.
See what a trip to Spain costs.
What to pack
The lightest clothing you own, a hat, high-factor sunscreen and a refillable bottle – Spanish cities have public fountains. A light layer for air conditioning and for the northern coast, where evenings are cool. See what to pack for Spain.
The July 2027 calendar
- Tuesday 6 July, noon – the chupinazo opens San Fermín in Pamplona.
- 7–14 July, 08:00 daily – the encierro, the running of the bulls.
- Wednesday 14 July, midnight – San Fermín closes with the Pobre de Mí.
- Saturday 24 July – fireworks in the Praza do Obradoiro, Santiago de Compostela.
- Sunday 25 July – St James’s Day, the day that makes 2027 a Holy Year; also Galicia’s national day.
- Late July – the Pirineos Sur and Jazzaldía (San Sebastián) festivals; the coast at maximum occupancy.
- All month – peak heat inland; peak season on the coast and the islands.
Read alongside
- Spain in June – warm sea, long days and the San Juan fires.
- Spain in August – the Tomatina, and the month Spain closes.
- Best time to visit Spain – all twelve months compared.
- Camino de Santiago guide – and what 25 July 2027 means.
- Best beaches in Spain – including the cool northern ones.
- Hidden gems in Spain – where to go when the famous places are unbearable.
- What to pack for Spain – the summer list.
Frequently asked
When is San Fermín in 2027?
6 to 14 July, as it is every year – the dates never move. It opens with the chupinazo at noon on the 6th and the running of the bulls takes place at 08:00 each morning from 7 to 14 July.
Is the running of the bulls dangerous?
Yes. People are gored and trampled every year and there have been deaths. Participation is free and largely unregulated, and anyone considering running should understand that risk. Most visitors watch from the barriers, a balcony or on television.
How hot is Spain in July?
Madrid averages about 33°C by day and 21°C at night with almost no rain, and Seville and Córdoba routinely exceed 38°C. Barcelona is around 29°C but humid. The Atlantic north stays at a comfortable 22–26°C.
Where should I go in Spain in July?
North. The Basque coast, Cantabria, Asturias, Galicia and the Pyrenees are all at their best, while Seville, Córdoba, Madrid and Toledo are at their worst. Altitude works too – the Alpujarras and the Sierra Nevada.
Why is 25 July 2027 important?
It is St James’s Day falling on a Sunday, which is exactly what makes 2027 a Jacobean Holy Year. Santiago holds fireworks on the night of the 24th and the pilgrim mass on the 25th, and it is the most crowded date on the Camino.
Is Spain expensive in July?
On the coast and islands, yes – it is the annual peak. Inland it is the opposite: Madrid and Seville hotels are often cheaper in July than in May, because the heat empties them.
Can you visit Seville in July?
You can, with discipline: sightsee before 11:00, stay indoors from 14:00 to 18:00, and go out again in the evening. Everything opens early for this reason, and hotel prices are genuinely low.
How warm is the sea in Spain in July?
The Mediterranean reaches about 25°C and the Balearics similar – genuinely warm. The Atlantic north stays cold, around 19–20°C, which is part of why its beaches are bearable in a heatwave.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.
