Which way should your flat face?
It depends what you want. South gets the most sun in winter and heats up least in summer. West is the hottest in July. North gets no direct sun all winter. But orientation is only half the answer: the floor and the buildings opposite decide whether that sun reaches your window.
The figures come from Barcelona sunlight by neighbourhood: 69 neighbourhoods measured with ICGC LiDAR. Updated 2 November 2026.
What each orientation gives you
In Spain the sun doesn't always rise and set in the same place. In winter it rises in the south-east, stays low and sets in the south-west. In summer it rises in the north-east, climbs high at midday and sets in the north-west. So each façade gets different sun depending on the season.
When the sun reaches each façade that day, with nothing in front
- South
- South-east
- South-west
- East
- West
- North-east
- North-west
- North
South
In winter. The most sun. The sun is low and reaches deep into the room.
In summer. At midday the sun is so high that little gets in, and a balcony or eaves above block it. The easiest to live with.
Who it suits. Anyone who wants sun at home all year without sweltering in July.
South-east and south-west
In winter. Almost as much as south: south-east in the morning, south-west from midday into the afternoon.
In summer. South-east warms up in the morning and is in shade by the afternoon. South-west gets the afternoon, which is hotter.
Who it suits. A good alternative to south. If heat worries you, go for south-east.
East
In winter. Morning sun, but very low and at an angle: the buildings opposite soon block it.
In summer. Morning sun, while the air is still cool. Shade in the afternoon.
Who it suits. Bedrooms and early risers.
West
In winter. A little afternoon sun, also low and at an angle.
In summer. The hottest. The afternoon sun is low, reaches deep inside and arrives when the street is already hot. Without blinds or an awning, you'll feel it.
Who it suits. People at home in the afternoon, with good shading.
North, north-east and north-west
In winter. North gets no direct sun from late September to late March; north-east and north-west, a while at sunrise or sunset, with the sun low and side-on: whatever stands opposite usually blocks it. The light is soft and steady.
In summer. Sun first thing and in the evening, low and side-on. The coolest.
Who it suits. A study or office, or the second façade of a flat that has a better-facing one.
What the Barcelona data says
We've measured the winter sun on Barcelona's façades with LiDAR. This is what a typical façade of each orientation gets on 21 December, the day with the least sun of the year, on a middle floor:
| Façade | Direct sun |
|---|---|
| South, south-east and south-west | about 2 h |
| East and west | about 50 min |
| North, north-east and north-west | none |
The floor matters as much as the orientation. Across all façades, on 21 December 73% get no direct sun on the first floor, 53% on a middle floor and 37% on the top floor.
Why orientation isn't enough
- Top 37 % no sun
- Middle 53 % no sun
- First 73 % no sun
What's opposite
On a narrow street, the building opposite blocks the winter sun up to the high floors even if the façade faces south. Facing a wide street, a square or a park, far more gets in.
The floor
The winter sun is low, so every floor you go up gains sun. On the ground floor of a narrow street it may never get in.
Inner courtyard or light well
The inner façade can get more sun than the street one, especially in large blocks like those in the Eixample. A small light well hardly ever does.
Two façades
A flat facing two ways gets sun at some point in the day and lets the air flow through in summer.
How to tell which way a flat faces
At the viewing
Open the compass on your phone and stand facing the window, looking out: the bearing it shows is the orientation of that façade. Note what's opposite, too, and how tall it is.
Before you go
Look up the street and we'll email you, for free, the winter sun on each side of the street, by floor. Your street's sunlight
For a specific flat
The Asoleo report gives the exact orientation of each façade and the hours of direct sun on each window, at its height and with what stands in front, every day of the year. Find my flat
Frequently asked questions
What's the best orientation for a flat?
South, if you want winter sun without sweltering in summer. Then south-east and south-west. West is the hottest in summer and north gets no direct sun in winter. But look at the floor and what's opposite, too: in Barcelona, a south-facing façade on a middle floor gets about 2 h of sun on 21 December, and on the first floor 73% of façades get no direct sun that day.
Is a south-facing or a north-facing flat better?
For sun, south: it gets the most in winter and heats up least at midday in summer. North gets no direct sun from late September to late March, but the light is steady and the flat is cooler in summer. If it faces both ways, you get the best of each.
East or west?
East, if heat matters to you: morning sun while the air is still cool, and shade in the afternoon. West, if you're at home in the afternoon and want sun then, bearing in mind it's the hottest orientation in summer.
Which orientation is coolest in summer?
North, then east. South gets the summer sun very high, at midday, and little gets in. The one that heats up most is west: low afternoon sun when the air is already hot.
How do I know which way a flat faces?
With your phone's compass, facing the window and looking out. “Exterior” in a listing doesn't tell you the orientation. The Asoleo report gives it for each façade, with the hours of sun on each window: €19 where there is LiDAR (Catalonia, Navarre and the Basque Country) and €12 elsewhere in Spain.