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As Britain suffers from a week of rampant rainfall, we take a look at the driest parts of the Continent
It appears we have entered that phase of the year defined by torrential downpours and long, dark evenings. Which we can take as our cue, if there ever was one, to start daydreaming about the brighter, drier corners of the Continent.
I certainly have. While enduring a particularly ferocious rainstorm during my morning walk to Lewes station, my mind turned to Almeria, the driest place in Continental Europe. Located in deepest Andalusia on Spain’s south-eastern coast, the area around Almeria receives such small quantities of rain (usually less than 200mm per year) that it actually qualifies as a desert. It has even been used as the filming location of various Westerns due to its hot, dusty terrain.
With water now cascading off my raincoat and drenching the tops of my trousers, I recalled my delight, in 2022, at discovering a Spanish city where tourism was an afterthought. Almeria’s city centre is a cobweb of unpretentious, lived-in streets, with excellent tapas restaurants (such as Puga Bar) where your tab is scribbled in chalk on the bar and a caña costs a couple of euros.
Not far from Almeria is the Cabo de Gata natural park, which stands out for its wild beaches and a craggy coastline that crashes dramatically into the turquoise Med. Because the area is a Unesco Biosphere Reserve, the coastline is spared the kind of brash, all-inclusive tourism that usually feeds off this kind of hot, dry climate.
Upon reaching the station – now half man, half water – I resolved to revisit Almeria one day. Or indeed one of the other corners of Europe that receive particularly low levels of rainfall. Here are five where you need not worry about packing an umbrella.
Tenerife has been our number-one holiday destination for decades now, and that is in no small part due to its hot, dry climate. The Canary Island receives similarly low rainfall to Almeria, with the driest months being June (1mm), July (0mm) and August (3mm) and the wettest being January (41mm) and February (23mm). As with other Canary Islands such as Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, your chances of encountering any of that rain is low. October is a lovely time to visit Tenerife, with temperatures lurking in the mid 20s. Consider a stay at Bahía Del Duque, Tenerife’s original luxury resort, which still sets the standard for the rest of the island (doubles from around £285).
Sardinia, like neighbouring Sicily and Corsica, receives low rainfall. Indeed there has been a persistent drought across the islands in recent years. But Sardinia remains a beautiful island to visit, with more than 1,200 miles of coastline and a cuisine focused around fresh produce, such as the local favourite malloreddus pasta (a bit like gnocchi, typically served with a tomato and sausage sauce). Despite having the ingredients for an enriching (and dry) holiday, Sardinia remains strangely underappreciated by British tourists – there were 1,138 flights in 2023, compared with 14,907 to Majorca. Stay at Petra Segreta Resort & Spa, a holistic luxury retreat with doubles starting from around £177.
It may not come to mind as a beach destination, but Romania has 152 miles of coastline, and the port town of Sulina, one of the mouths of the river Danube, receives consistently low levels of precipitation throughout the year. The area also welcomes few foreign tourists, but those who do make the journey are rewarded with sunset views along the Danube to the sound of chattering frogs, and the sight of shaggy Dalmatian pelicans soaring overhead. The Green Village Resort is a chalet-style hotel with rooms from around £85 per night, including breakfast and lunch. Temperatures will be nudging 16C in October, after which point it will remain cool until May.
Zaragoza seems to fly under the radar as a city break destination, which is odd considering it is a fascinating city with Roman ruins, Moorish palaces and a carnival-esque tapas scene to rival San Sebastián’s. One of the highlights is the Central Market, a grand Modernist structure filled with stalls selling colourful tins of fish and artisan sweets. Another highlight is that, like Madrid, Zaragoza receives wonderfully low rainfall levels, with just 13.3mm in July. Innside is an elegant urban hotel with rooms starting from around £60 per night. Temperatures will remain in the early 20s until November, after which things won’t properly warm up again until April.
Part of the Little Cyclades, Schinoussa ranks as one of the driest islands in Greece (Athens also receives low rainfall). It is certainly one of the lesser-known Greek islands, accessed via a seven-hour ferry from Athens or a one-hour 20-minute ferry from Naxos. Schinoussa is just seven miles long and popular among walking groups, while the best beaches on the north of the island are blissfully quiet, without a sunbed in sight. There aren’t many accommodation options, but take a look at Theasis Suites, a white-washed boutique hotel with rooms starting from around £185 per night.