Wintering on the Costa Blanca: why a monthly car rental makes sense
Winter sunshine, weekly markets and fiestas in Calpe, Altea, Moraira and Jávea, and how a monthly car rental with no deposit works.
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Every year from November to March, the Costa Blanca fills up with people who come for the winter rather than for the week: Dutch and Belgian couples in Calpe, Scandinavians in Altea, Germans and Brits in Moraira and Jávea. If that's you, here's what winter here is really like, how people get around, and why a monthly car usually beats both daily rates and buying one.
Winter in numbers
The nearest official weather station with long-term records is Alicante, about an hour south of Calpe. These are the Spanish met office (AEMET) averages for 1981–2010:
| Month | Average high | Average low | Sunshine | Days with rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December | 17.7 °C | 7.4 °C | 164 h | 3.8 |
| January | 17.0 °C | 6.3 °C | 181 h | 3.6 |
| February | 17.6 °C | 7.1 °C | 180 h | 3.0 |
That's more than 500 hours of sunshine and around ten rainy days across the three darkest months of the year. The towns of the Marina Alta don't have their own AEMET station, so treat these figures as a close guide rather than an exact forecast. Evenings are cool and houses here are built for summer, so pack a jumper; lunch outside in January is still perfectly normal.
Why you'll want a car
Many winter lets are villas and apartments in the urbanisations on the hills around Calpe, Benissa, Moraira and Jávea, where the nearest supermarket is a drive away and buses are few. And the best part of the winter routine is spread across different towns on different days: the weekly markets.
| Day | Market |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | Altea: weekly market at the Basseta car park, 8:00–14:00 |
| Wednesday | Calp: flea market (rastro), 9:00–14:00 · Teulada: weekly market in Plaza VI Centenari |
| Thursday | Jávea: weekly market in Plaza de la Constitución, 8:30–14:00 |
| Friday | Moraira: weekly market at the Les Sorts car park |
| Saturday | Calp: weekly market, 8:00–14:00 · Xaló (Jalón): rastro on the Paseo de la Alameda, 9:00–14:00 |
Xaló deserves a mention of its own: its Saturday rastro is a classic winter trip inland, and on the first Saturday of each month there's also the Mercat de la Terra, with local produce, in the church square.
Monthly rental vs daily rates vs buying
- Daily rates are designed for holidays of a week or two. Over three or four months they add up quickly.
- Buying a car in Spain means registration, insurance, the ITV inspection and selling it again, and it sits unused for most of the year.
- A monthly rental is one closed price for the whole stay, with everything included.
With Neptuno, long-term rentals start at one month and include exactly the same as a short rental: fully comprehensive insurance with no excess, unlimited mileage and 24-hour roadside assistance. There's no deposit on cars and nothing is held on your card. You can swap the car during your stay if your needs change, maintenance is on us, and if you have to leave early you can end the rental without a penalty as long as you let us know in good time.
How to get a price
Long-term prices aren't calculated by the online booking engine, because they depend on how long you stay. Send us your approximate dates, where you'd like the car delivered and the kind of car you need, and we'll send you a closed quote: use the contact form or WhatsApp us on +34 666 599 582.
We deliver across the area: Calpe, Altea, Moraira, Jávea, Dénia and the rest of our delivery zones. If you're flying in, we can also meet you at Alicante airport (cars only).
A winter calendar
- October: Moros y Cristianos in Calp, 21–23 October. In 2026 the fiesta celebrates its 50th anniversary.
- November: Santa Catalina festivities in Teulada, on the weekend after 25 November.
- December: Christmas programme in Jávea from 6 December to 6 January, and a Christmas market in Teulada on the Sunday before Christmas.
- January: Three Kings parades on 5 January; the Sant Antoni fair in Jávea (9 January to 1 February), with the blessing of the animals on 17–18 January.
- February: Carnival in Jávea and Dénia, and Dénia's mid-year Moros i Cristians.
- March: the Fallas in Dénia, centred on 17–19 March.
Dates come from the town halls' 2026 calendars; check them again before you travel.
Practical points
- Driving licence: licences from EU and EEA countries (Norway and Iceland included) are fully valid in Spain while they're in date. You don't need to exchange them.
- Long stays: EU and EEA citizens who are going to live in Spain for more than three months have to register; the Spanish police website explains the “certificado de registro”.
- British visitors: see our guide to driving in Spain with a UK licence.
Official sources
- AEMET: climate normals, Alicante (1981–2010)
- Mancomunitat Vall de Pop: Xaló rastro
- Xàbia: annual festivals calendar
- Calp: Moros y Cristianos
- Dénia: fiestas
- DGT: driving with a foreign licence
Cover photo: sunrise over the Peñón de Ifach, Calpe. Alejandro Gómez Vilches, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.