Christmas and New Year in Mallorca: temperatures, daylight and the sea
Wetter Mallorca editorial team · · 2 min read
On Christmas Eve Palma averages a high of 17.9 °C over 2011 to 2025, and on New Year's Eve, averaged over 14 years, 16.9 °C with 8.6 °C at night (AEMET). The sea averages 17.0 °C in December (NOAA), and according to MET Norway there are around nine hours of daylight.
Holiday dates for Mallorca around Christmas
According to the OpenHolidays API, the 2026 Christmas school holidays start on 21 or 23 December in most German states. Bavaria is off from 24 December to 8 January, North Rhine-Westphalia from 23 December to 6 January and Baden-Wurttemberg from 23 December to 9 January. Austria breaks up from 24 December to 6 January, Zurich from 21 December to 2 January. In Mallorca, 25 and 26 December are public holidays, according to the 2026 working calendar of the Balearic government. 1 January and 6 January are public holidays throughout Spain, according to Nager.Date.
Temperatures in Palma over the festive days
Averaged over 2011 to 2025, Palma reaches highs of 17.8 °C and lows of 10.5 °C in December, according to AEMET OpenData. January brings 16.3 °C and 8.7 °C. Across the holiday stretch from 20 December to 6 January the daily values give an average of 17.4 °C by day and 9.7 °C at night. On Christmas Eve the average high is 17.9 °C. For New Year's Eve there are 14 years of data, which average 16.9 °C by day and 8.6 °C at night. So midnight outdoors calls for a proper jacket. All of these are averages, not a forecast.
Rain and sea in Mallorca
December brings an average of 36.2 mm of rain on 4.5 days with at least 1 mm, January 42.8 mm on 6.0 days. The sea off Palma sits at 17.0 °C in December and 15.4 °C in January, according to NOAA OISST. Swimming is for the hardy. More figures are on the December weather and January weather pages.
Short days in Mallorca
According to MET Norway, on Christmas Eve 2026 the sun rises in Palma at 8:07 and sets at 17:30. On 31 December the times are 8:09 and 17:35. That gives just over nine hours of daylight, so hikes in the Serra de Tramuntana are best started in the morning.
New Year's Eve in Palma
On 31 December Palma holds the "Festa de l'Estendard" on Plaça de Cort. According to Wikipedia, it commemorates the capture of the city by James the First of Aragon in 1229 and is considered one of the oldest civic festivals in Europe. The reading is clear: over the holidays Mallorca offers mild but not warm weather. All months side by side are in the calendar.
Frequently asked questions
How warm is Mallorca at Christmas?
On Christmas Eve the average high in Palma is 17.9 °C, and across December it is 17.8 °C with lows of 10.5 °C, according to AEMET over 2011 to 2025. These are averages, not a forecast.
How cold is New Year's Eve night in Palma?
On 31 December the average low in Palma is 8.6 °C and the high 16.9 °C, according to AEMET over 14 years. Being outdoors at midnight calls for a jacket.
Can you swim in the sea in Mallorca at Christmas?
The sea off Palma averages 17.0 °C in December and 15.4 °C in January, according to NOAA OISST. That is cold and best left to the hardy.
How many hours of daylight does Mallorca get on New Year's Eve?
According to MET Norway the sun rises in Palma at 8:09 on 31 December 2026 and sets at 17:35. That is just over nine hours of daylight.
Which public holidays fall between Christmas and Epiphany in Mallorca?
According to the 2026 working calendar of the Balearic government, 25 and 26 December 2026 are public holidays in Mallorca. 1 and 6 January are public holidays throughout Spain, according to Nager.Date.
Text written with AI and automatically checked against editorial rules before publication. Figures come from the linked sources. Wetter Mallorca is not an official weather service.
