So last summer I decided to plan a trip to New Carthage in Spain, right? Heard great things but had zero clue about the best time to go. Figured summer must be perfect – big mistake. Let me walk you through how I figured this out the hard way.
The Research Phase Was a Mess
Started like anyone else – googled “New Carthage Spain weather.” Pages and pages of climate charts popped up. Dry summer, mild winter… blah blah. Numbers didn’t mean squat. Checked some travel forums. Folks said May or September for beaches, others swore October for sightseeing. Contradicting info everywhere. Got frustrated and almost booked for July because “it’s Spain, how bad could it be?”
Booking Stuff & Feeling the Pinch
Clicked around booking sites. Holy smokes. July prices? Flights cost an arm and a leg, and hotels? Forget it. Everything downtown was triple the price or fully booked. Saw a cheap hostel way out near the port and almost pulled the trigger. Glad I didn’t. Settled on a mid-June trip thinking, “early summer should be okay, yeah?”
Getting There & First Impressions
Landed in Alicante, sweaty bus ride to New Carthage. Stepped off the bus – bam, wall of heat hit me. Like walking into an oven. Dropped bags at the hotel (tiny room, fan barely worked) and headed out to explore. Streets were packed. Wall-to-wall people shuffling along. Tried to check out the Roman Theatre ruins. Lines snaked around the block, everyone looked miserable, kids crying. Sun was brutal. Ended up hiding in a cafe all afternoon nursing overpriced sodas. Sightseeing? Zero done that day.
Adapting (Trying To) and Learning
Woke up crazy early the next day. Like, 6 am early. Streets were actually quiet! Cool breeze felt amazing. Finally walked the old town peacefully, saw the architecture without getting shoved. Sun came up strong by 10:30 am though. Lesson one: mornings are golden. Planned big activities early, afternoons were for siesta or museum hopping.
Evenings weren’t much better crowds-wise. Restaurants packed, long waits. Accidentally wandered into a festival area one night – total chaos, shoulder-to-shoulder. Fun for five minutes, then just sweaty and trapped.
What Actually Worked (My Real Tips)
Came back slightly sunburnt but wiser. Here’s the real deal for planning:
- Skip July/August peak insanity: Crowds are nuts, prices are insane, heat is intense. Just don’t.
- Aim for May, June (early), or September, October: Why? Way fewer people. Prices drop. Weather? Still warm enough for beach days (especially Sept!), perfect for walking tours.
- Spring/Autumn secret weapons: April/May bring wildflowers – gorgeous in the parks. October? Super pleasant for exploring ruins without sweating buckets. Saw way more, enjoyed it more.
- If Summer is Your Only Option: Be strategic. Book EVERYTHING way ahead. Get up at dawn. Embrace long lunches indoors. Carry tons of water. Stay near the historic center to ditch crowded buses.
Honestly, next time I go? Late September. Got talking to locals after my July meltdown phase. They all said September is the sweet spot – summer vibe lingers, but the crowds and prices go down. Felt kinda dumb pushing through the worst time! Live and learn, huh? Hope this saves you the headache.
