Town · Valencian Community, Spain · 38.10°N 0.85°W
Rafal, Spain
Rafal is a town of 3,659 people in the Valencian Community, with January highs of 16°C, 18 days a year above 35°C, a hospital 1.8 km from the centre and Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport (ALC) 32 km away.
Weather now
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0)
Normal for November, 1991-2020
20°high · low 10°C · 5 rain days
Who Rafal suits
Generated from the data below by published rulesGood fit for
Rafal meets none of the good-fit rules.
Weaker fit for
- Heat-sensitive people18 days a year above 35°C
Climate comfort
68/ 100
Top 12% in Spain
Based on: Average January high, Days above 35°C a year in the last ten years, Days with rain a year, Tropical nights a year in the last ten years, Frost days a year in the last ten years
Car-free living
54/ 100
Top 41% in Spain
Based on: Grocery stores within a 15-minute walk, Pharmacies within a 15-minute walk, Cafés within a 15-minute walk, Distance to the nearest train station, Distance to the nearest bus station
Access to services
67/ 100
Top 23% in Spain
Based on: Distance to the nearest hospital, Distance to the nearest airport with scheduled flights, Grocery stores within a 15-minute walk, Doctors and clinics within a 15-minute walk, Schools within a 15-minute walk
How precise is each number?Town-levelmeasured or computed for this townModelledestimated from a grid or a modelRegionalonly available for the wider area
Rafal compared with Barcelona
Pick another town in Spain to see the differences in plain terms.
- 3°C warmer in JanuaryAverage January highRafal 16°CBarcelona 13°C
- 5°C hotter in JulyAverage July highRafal 32°CBarcelona 27°C
- 45 fewer rainy days a yearDays with rain per yearRafal 47Barcelona 92
- 17 more very hot days a yearDays above 35°C per yearRafal 18Barcelona 0.5
- 20 min more daylight in DecemberDaylight on 21 DecemberRafal 9 h 31 minBarcelona 9 h 11 min
Climate today
Town-level · ERA5-Land reanalysis 1991-2020Month by month
Town-level · ERA5-Land reanalysis 1991-2020August is the warmest month (33°C average high) and January the coolest (16°C). September is the wettest (38 mm) and July the driest (3 mm).
Best time to visit
- Walking and cyclingOctober to MayBy the published month rules
- Not ideal for outdoor activity at middayJuly to AugustBy the published month rules
- JanuaryAir 16°5 rain daysCrowds: Low
- FebruaryAir 17°4 rain daysCrowds: Low
- MarchAir 20°5 rain daysCrowds: Low
- AprilAir 22°5 rain daysCrowds: Medium
- MayAir 26°4 rain daysCrowds: Medium
- JuneAir 30°2 rain daysCrowds: Medium
- JulyAir 32°1 rain dayCrowds: High
- AugustAir 33°2 rain daysCrowds: Peak
- SeptemberAir 29°5 rain daysCrowds: Medium
- OctoberAir 25°5 rain daysCrowds: Medium
- NovemberAir 20°5 rain daysCrowds: Low
- DecemberAir 17°4 rain daysCrowds: Low
Crowd levels are for Valencian Community as a whole: nights booked through online platforms in 2025, against the region's busiest month (Eurostat).
Is it getting hotter?
Town-level · ERA5-Land reanalysisDays above 35°C per year
Both measured periods come from the same reanalysis as the climate section.
Healthcare & getting around
Town-level · straight-line distancesWithin 1.2 km of the centre
- Grocery stores3
- Pharmacies1
- Doctors & clinics1
- Train stationNo
30 min by car
- Hospitals7
- Sea beaches7
- People620,160
60 min by car
- Towns over 10,00038
- Hospitals39
- Sea beaches155
- People2,209,329
- Nearest train stationCallosa de Segura3.0 km
- Nearest bus stationEstación Orihuela - Miguel Hernández5.5 km
- Nearest hospitalHospital Universitario Vega Baja: Urgencias1.8 km · 6 min by car
- Nearest airport with scheduled flightsAlicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport (ALC)32 km
Distances are straight lines from the town centre. Drive times are by road in free-flowing traffic (OSRM on OpenStreetMap roads); people counts add up the towns reached.
Daily life
Town-level · Overture Maps places, 2026-10-21.0Within 1.2 km of the centre
- 3Grocery stores & supermarketsSpain median: 4
- 1PharmaciesSpain median: 2
- 2CafésSpain median: 2
- 7RestaurantsSpain median: 9
- 1BakeriesSpain median: 1
- 0Gyms & fitness studiosSpain median: 1
- 4SchoolsSpain median: 2
- 1Doctors & clinicsSpain median: 0
Nature & surroundings
Town-level · WorldCover, Copernicus DEM, Natura 2000, OpenStreetMapPeople & community
Modelled · EU Census 2021 gridUnder 1515 to 6465 and over
International residents
| Share of residents | Rafal | Median town in Spain |
|---|---|---|
| Born in another EU country | 3.3% | 2.6% |
| Born outside the EU | 13.2% | 6.7% |
| Moved here from abroad in the past year | 0.8% | 0.5% |
16.5% of residents were born abroad, against 9.3% in the median town in Spain (2021 census). From the 1 km census grid cells within 1.5 km of the centre (6,159 residents counted).
Environment & natural hazards
- Earthquakes4 since 1900Magnitude 5 or larger within 100 km. Largest: M5.6.Town-level · USGS earthquake catalog
- Air quality11.1 µg/m³Average fine particles (PM2.5) at the centre in 2023. The WHO guideline for the yearly average is 5 µg/m³.Modelled · EEA
- WildfireNone nearbyNo fire of 30 ha or more burnt within 10 km of the centre in 2016-2025.Town-level · EFFIS
Places like Rafal
Matched on climate, amenities, nearest and access
- BenejúzarValencian Community89% match
- DoloresValencian Community87% match
- AlgorfaValencian Community87% match
- CatralValencian Community86% match
- Daya NuevaValencian Community83% match
Measures used: Average January high, Average July high, Days above 35°C a year in the last ten years, Days with rain a year, Grocery stores within a 15-minute walk, Cafés within a 15-minute walk, Distance to the nearest train station and Distance to the nearest airport with scheduled flights. A match of 100% would mean the same values on every one.
Common questions about Rafal
What is the weather like in Rafal through the year?
January averages a high of 16°C and a low of 6°C; July averages 32°C and 21°C. There are about 47 days with rain a year. These are averages for 1991-2020.
How many very hot days does Rafal get?
Rafal averaged 18 days a year above 35°C in 2016-2025, against 6.6 a year in 1991-2000.
Does it freeze in Rafal?
Rafal averaged fewer than one frost day a year (below 0°C) in 2016-2025.
What is within walking distance of the centre of Rafal?
Within 1.2 km of the centre there are 3 grocery stores, 1 pharmacy, 1 doctor or clinic and 2 cafés. In a straight line, the nearest train station is 3.0 km away, the nearest bus station is 5.5 km away, the nearest hospital is 1.8 km away, the nearest beach is 18 km away and the nearest coastline is 18 km away.
What is the nearest airport to Rafal?
Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport (ALC), 32 km from the centre in a straight line.
How much daylight does Rafal get in winter?
9 h 31 min on 21 December, against 14 h 49 min on 21 June.
When is the best time to visit Rafal?
By the published month rules: walking and cycling from October to May.
Sources & methodology
Every value comes from one of the open datasets below and is computed the same way for every town. Each section names how precise its values are: town-level, modelled or regional. Distances are straight lines from the town centre, and amenities are counted within 1.2 km of it. Read the full methodology.
"Who Rafal suits" lines come from fixed rules applied to every town in the same way. A rule only uses values that are modelled or better, and each line shows the numbers that triggered it. How the rules work.
| Dataset | Used for | Version | Licence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (30 m elevation) | Elevation | glo30_s120 | Copernicus DEM licence (free for any use, with attribution) |
| PM2.5, European air quality data (EEA, interpolated 1 km map) | Air quality | pm25_2023 | CC BY 4.0 |
| Burnt areas (European Forest Fire Information System, EFFIS) | Wildfires | 2016-2025 | CC BY 4.0 |
| ERA5-Land reanalysis (Copernicus Climate Data Store) | Climate | points_1991-2025 | CC BY 4.0 |
| Broadband coverage by municipality, Spain (Información de cobertura) | Broadband coverage | 2021-2025 | Spanish public-sector reuse conditions (Ley 37/2007, RD 1495/2011; datos.gob.es aviso legal) |
| ESA WorldCover 2021 (10 m land cover) | Land cover | v200_2021 | CC BY 4.0 |
| Broadband coverage by NUTS 2 region (European Commission, Digital Decade connectivity KPIs) | Broadband coverage | mid-2025 | CC BY 4.0 |
| EU Census 2021 population grid (Eurostat) | Census grid | V3 | Free reuse with acknowledgement (European Commission reuse policy) |
| Electricity and gas prices for households (Eurostat nrg_pc_204, nrg_pc_202) | Electricity and gas prices | 2026-11-02 | CC BY 4.0 |
| Air passenger transport by airport and route (Eurostat avia_par_<country>, avia_paoa) | Flights | 2026-11-02 | CC BY 4.0 |
| Physicians and hospital beds by NUTS 2 region (Eurostat hlth_rs_physreg, hlth_rs_bdsrg2) | Doctors and hospital beds | 2026-11-02 | CC BY 4.0 |
| Nights spent in short-stay accommodation booked through online platforms (Eurostat tour_ce_omn12) | Crowds | 2026-11-01 | CC BY 4.0 |
| Price level indices, COICOP 2018 (Eurostat prc_ppp_ind_1) | Price levels | 2026-11-01 | CC BY 4.0 |
| GeoNames | Place names and populations | 2026-10-31 | CC BY 4.0 |
| INE Spain (urban indicators and municipal register) | Rents, house prices, crime and population | 2026-11-01 | Free reuse with attribution (INE legal notice) |
| Natura 2000 protected sites (EEA, end 2024) | Protected areas | end2024 | CC BY 4.0 |
| OpenStreetMap (Geofabrik extracts) | Stations, hospitals, beaches, coastline | 2026-10-31 | ODbL 1.0 |
| OurAirports | Airports | 2026-10-31 | Public domain |
| Overture Maps places | Amenities | 2026-10-21.0 | CDLA-Permissive-2.0 |
| TEMIS UV index climatology (KNMI / ESA) | UV index | v2.0_clim_2004-2020 | Free use with credit; TEMIS asks to be told how the data is used |
| USGS earthquake catalog (ComCat) | Earthquakes | 2026-10-31 | Public domain |