Blog/Design
14 February 2026 · 6 min read
Why a south-east opening reads warmer than south
South sounds like the right answer for a Marbella villa. The plan is more interesting than that. A south-east opening catches the morning, softens by mid-afternoon, and reads warmer in winter without cooking in August.
Carlos
Architect and Founder, DIEZ
Why "south" isn't always the right answer
Open most Costa del Sol listings and you will find south orientation listed as a feature, in bold, near the top. The implication is that south is the answer and everything else is a compromise. In practice, the plan is more interesting than that.
South-facing rooms collect direct sun from late morning until late afternoon. In December that is welcome. In August it is a problem the air-conditioning has to solve, and the slab and walls hold the heat into the evening.
South looks best in the brochure. South-east is more comfortable to live in.
South-east, by contrast, takes the morning sun, softens by mid-afternoon, and lets the room cool by sunset. Warm, then cool, is a more comfortable rhythm to live with.
What each orientation gives you
| Orientation | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| South-east | Living rooms, kitchens, principal suites | Morning shade from a steep east slope |
| South | The view and winter sun | August overheating on glass-heavy rooms |
| East | Early risers, breakfast terraces | Little afternoon or evening light |
| West | Sunset light, evening-only use | Harsh, low summer sun late in the day |
Rooms that benefit from south-east
Principal living room
The room you spend the most evening hours in benefits most from a face that is already cool by 18:00. South-east gives you that.
Principal suite
If you wake early, south-east is generous: warm morning light and a room that does not need the curtain drawn at 11:00 in July.
Caveats and exceptions
South-east is not a universal answer. A few conditions push the recommendation elsewhere:
- The view is due south. The view trumps the orientation argument; if you cannot see the bay, the orientation is not doing its job.
- The plot is steeply south-facing. The slope shades a south-east opening for too much of the morning to be worth it.
- You are only ever there in the evening. For evening-only use, west or south-west becomes more interesting for sunset light.
Common questions
Is south orientation a deal-breaker if a property doesn't have it?
No. South-east, east, and even south-west each have specific advantages for specific rooms. Pure south is one good answer; it is not the only good answer.
How do I check the orientation before viewing?
Pull up the address on a sun-path tool such as SunCalc, drop a pin on the principal living-room window, and check the sun's position at 09:00, 13:00, and 18:00 for both summer and winter. Most disappointments come from never running this check.
Does this apply to apartments and penthouses too?
Yes, even more so for penthouses, where the terrace orientation drives the use pattern. South-east terraces are usable for breakfast and again at sunset; pure south terraces become unusable midday in summer.
Related
