7 tips to keep cool in the Spanish summer
Having now lived in Spain for 2 years where pretty much every day is hotter than the British summer, we’ve picked up some good tips and tricks to help you survive the Spanish heat if you’re not used to it yet.
Hot weather is great fun until you’re sweating, sunburnt, and the kids start getting irritable, or can’t sleep at night.
Here are our 7 tips to keep cool in the Spanish summer…
Drink plenty of water
This might sound like an obvious one but when you’re enjoying your beer or cocktail in the sun it can sometimes slip your mind to drink lots of water. Hot temperatures and not enough liquids can end in dehydration and heat exhaustion, and in extreme cases a visit to the hospital.
The tap water in Spain is fine to drink but in our area it can often be a bit cloudy so we prefer to keep a jug of filtered water in the fridge so it’s always nice and cold. We bought this Brita jug and cartridges which works out a lot cheaper than buying bottled water from the supermarket
Find Water
Staying on the water theme, sitting in water or at least sitting with your feet in it is a great way to stay cool. Most houses and apartments in Spain will have access to a pool, whether it’s a private one or a communal pool. There is also usually a municipal pool which is free for local residents registered on the padron.
If you have a balcony or terrace, a small paddling pool is also a great idea.
Have a water fight
One for those of you with kids! A water fight is a great way to cool down, lots of fun, and it doesn’t cost much money. Kids can use water pistols, a sprinkler, hose or just plastic cups of water to throw at each other.
Close the shutters
Although it does seem a shame to shut out the sunlight, closing the shutters in your casa or apartment will make a huge difference to the temperature indoors. If you can keep your home cool during the day, it will mean you don’t have to use the air conditioning as much which is a big expense.
Stay indoors
This is something the Spanish do when it gets too hot (basically the whole of August!) and we need to get used to doing it ourselves – the sun is still a novelty to us and we want to be outside in it as much as possible!
The hottest time of the day during the summer in Spain is around 3pm, so keep your shutters closed during the day and then you can take advantage of the cool to have a siesta out of the sun.
Wear loose clothing
It’s very tempting to just live in your swimwear during the summer in Spain but if you do have to go out remember to wear loose clothing in light colours. As well as the sun itself, the humidity will hit you as soon as you step outside so you don’t want to be sweating in tight clothing or heavy fabrics like denim.
Invest in a fan
Before the hottest months arrive it’s a good idea to invest in a fan, especially to use at night. In Spain you can buy these for fairly reasonable prices in your local Chino.
We have air-conditioning in our house but it’s very expensive to run so we bought a few of these freestanding fans to place around the house – they’ve been a godsend at night!
We hope that some of these tips will help you to stay as cool as possible and enjoy the Spanish summer!
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