Climate: natural and protected areas and coastlines
Climate
Summers are hot and dry. In winter, temperatures range from mild to cold. During this season, snowy landscapes can be found in mountainous areas in the north of the country, in parts of Andalusia and occasionally in the Canary Islands.
Spain’s south coast and the Canary Islands have a subtropical climate that guarantees medium temperatures all year round.
The Mediterranean climate ensures more than 3,000 hours of sun a year which, on the Mediterranean coast and in the islands, is the equivalent of between 200-220 days of light, ideal for all types of audiovisual productions.
For further information about the climate, visit the State Meteorological Agency - AEMET
Coasts
Spain’s coastlines comprise a maritime and land public domain, and therefore shooting in these areas is regulated by the General Coastal Regulation which sets out the applicable provisions that must be taken into account. Pursuant to this regulation (art. 60 and subsequent articles), usage that implies special circumstances in terms of their intensity, danger or profitability and requires the execution of work or installations, may only be allowed on request, assignment and the corresponding authorisation and concession, subject to the terms and conditions of Law 22/1988 of 28th July.
Therefore, specific authorisation must be requested in order to film on the Spanish coastline. The application must be made in the corresponding autonomous community, pending authorisation and payment of the corresponding fees. The maritime-land public domain may only be used for those activities or facilities whose nature prevents them from being carried out elsewhere. For full details of these permits, you can consult the film commissions or film offices.
In most cases, and depending on the space to be used, specific terms and conditions are set, such as the times and dates, type of audiovisual equipment used on site or the number of staff. It is essential to find out beforehand which spaces are included in the maritime-land public domain.
A further factor for consideration is that the procedures for obtaining these permits may vary in length depending on the territory in question. It is therefore important to check the periods set for each of Spain’s autonomous communities.
When the coastal areas are part of a park or protected natural area, they are also under the protection of the Spanish Coastal Law, which stipulates specific uses and restrictions in order to ensure environmental protections and the sustainable development of the coastline.
The controlling body is Spain’s Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenges.
