Vitamin D in Spain in October: sun, UV and what to expect
Good Good. A full dose takes about 12 minutes at midday, and the usable window is about 5.2 hours a day.
5.2 hsun window (UV 2.5+)
4.4peak UV Index
12 minto a full dose
25°Cafternoon high
4/30rainy days
28/30sunny days
Best places in Spain in October: Fuerteventura (good), Lanzarote (good), Tenerife (good), Gran Canaria (good), Alicante (good).
How long in the sun in October?
- Plan your sun session around midday (roughly 11:00 to 15:00), when the UV Index peaks at about 4.4. With about a quarter of your skin bare, a full dose takes around 12 minutes for skin type III at age 30, and about 23 minutes at age 65.
- Stop well before your skin turns pink. At this UV level skin type III can start to burn after about 45 minutes of midday sun, so cover up, find shade and use SPF 30+ on skin that stays out.
- Water, sand and light surfaces reflect UV, so at the beach you get a little more sun than the number suggests, for the good and the bad.
| Skin type | Full dose, age 30 | Full dose, age 65 | Time to burn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type I | 8 min | 15 min | 30 min |
| Type II | 10 min | 19 min | 38 min |
| Type III | 12 min | 23 min | 45 min |
| Type IV | 18 min | 34 min | 68 min |
| Type V | 24 min | 45 min | 91 min |
| Type VI | 40 min | 76 min | 2.5 h |
Minutes at midday for about 1,000 IU of vitamin D with a quarter of the body bare, at Mallorca, the median coastal place. Time to burn is the time to reach one minimal erythemal dose and does not depend on age. A rough planning guide, not medical advice.
Places in Spain in October
| Place | Rating | Sun window | Full dose | Afternoon high | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuerteventura | Good | 7.1 h | 8 min | 27°C | 2/30 |
| Lanzarote | Good | 7.1 h | 8 min | 26°C | 3/30 |
| Tenerife | Good | 6.8 h | 8 min | 25°C | 1/30 |
| Gran Canaria | Good | 6.6 h | 9 min | 26°C | 4/30 |
| Alicante | Good | 5.6 h | 11 min | 25°C | 7/30 |
| Benidorm | Good | 5.4 h | 12 min | 25°C | 6/30 |
| Ibiza | Good | 5.4 h | 12 min | 24°C | 5/30 |
| Formentera | Good | 5.4 h | 12 min | 23°C | 5/30 |
| Málaga | Good | 5.3 h | 11 min | 25°C | 7/30 |
| Mallorca | Good | 5.2 h | 12 min | 25°C | 4/30 |
| Menorca | Good | 5.2 h | 12 min | 24°C | 5/30 |
| Costa del Sol | Good | 5.1 h | 12 min | 25°C | 9/30 |
| Cádiz | Good | 5.1 h | 11 min | 22°C | 15/30 |
| Valencia | Good | 5.1 h | 12 min | 24°C | 10/30 |
| Barcelona | Good | 4.6 h | 13 min | 22°C | 10/30 |
| Seville | Good | 4.5 h | 13 min | 25°C | 11/30 |
| Costa Dorada | Good | 4.0 h | 14 min | 22°C | 15/30 |
| Marbella | Too cold | 4.9 h | 12 min | 22°C | 11/30 |
| Costa Brava | Too cold | 4.2 h | 14 min | 21°C | 12/30 |
| San Sebastián | Too cold | 3.3 h | 16 min | 22°C | 14/30 |
Other months in Spain
- Jan Too cold
- Feb Too cold
- Mar Too cold
- Apr Too cold
- May Excellent
- Jun Excellent
- Jul Excellent
- Aug Excellent
- Sep Good
- Oct Good
- Nov Too cold
- Dec Too cold
Best months: May to October. Full Spain guide