Benidorm sea temperature today

The live figure is a model estimate of water temperature close to the sea surface, not a thermometer on the beach. Open-Meteo draws it from a Météo-France ocean model distributed through Copernicus, on a grid of about 8 km, refreshed daily.

That makes it a good guide to the bay as a whole, but the shallows at the water's edge can feel different on the day: warmer after a calm, sunny afternoon, cooler after wind has stirred the water. Treat the number as the temperature of the open bay and the monthly average beside it as what is normal for the time of year.

If the live reading fails to load, the monthly average is the safer planning figure. Each month in the table links to our full weather page for that month.

The Mediterranean lags the air by several weeks. The sea is coldest in February, when afternoons on land already reach 18°C, and warmest in August and early September, often after the hottest air of the year has passed.

That lag works in autumn visitors' favour. In October the sea still averages around 22°C, as warm as June, while the beaches are far quieter; see Benidorm weather in October and Benidorm in October. By November it drops to about 19°C, which most people find cool but swimmable for a short dip (November weather).

Spring is the opposite. Air temperatures in April and May feel like summer, but the water is still recovering from winter; May reaches about 19°C only by the end of the month (May weather).

For most holidaymakers the sea feels comfortable from about 20°C, which in Benidorm means June to October. Open-water swimmers describe 15–20°C as fine once you are used to it, and 20–25°C as balmy.

From June to October a wetsuit is unnecessary for most people, and in water above 25°C it can make you overheat. Below about 18°C a 3 mm shorty or full suit makes snorkelling and long swims much more pleasant.

Jellyfish arrive with warm summer currents. Benidorm council's 2026 beach page names three species to recognise: the common moon jellyfish (Aurelia aurita), the pink-purple Pelagia noctiluca, and the yellow fried-egg jellyfish (Cotylorhiza tuberculata). It publishes jellyfish bulletins and a treatment sheet during the season.

The council acts quickly when something dangerous appears. In June 2019 two Portuguese man o' war were found, and red and jellyfish flags went up, closing Levante and Poniente to bathers for about an hour and Mal Pas for just over two. If you are stung, go to the nearest first-aid post. Our Benidorm beaches guide explains the flags, lifeguard posts and facilities on each beach.

Benidorm's two main beaches both hold Blue Flags for 2026 and both shelve gently into calm water.