It’s already January and you are already craving that winter sun escape! Hoping for the winter to be over soon? Sadly, it will take a couple of months before spring arrives in Europe. Maybe even longer for the fellows living in the UK. But don’t worry! We’ve got you covered!
The good thing about living in Europe is that on a 3-hour affordable flight, you can get to winter sun destinations where you wouldn’t freeze to death.
1. Maspalomas, Gran Canaria
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Maspalomas is a city in the south part of Gran Canaria. As one of the Canary Islands, it’s by far the warmest place in Europe. The islands are located just off the coast of Morroco and the average temperatures are between 16°C (60°F) to 26°C (78°F) degrees depending on which island you go.
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The reason I would suggest you go to Maspalomas is for the all year round stable climate – 23-26°C (73-78°F) degrees. And if you want a more rocky, volcanic scenery you can find that in Lanzarote.
How to get there?
To get there you can fly to Las Palmas and then take a shuttle bus to Maspalomas. It’s about a 4 hours long flight from London or if you live in Spain its 2 hours only! (Lucky you!). The cost in the winter (excluding Christmas & New Years periods) is about £120 return.
2. Cyprus – a winter sun escape
With a stunning 17 degrees in the winter months, Cyprus has the potential to be an incredible winter sun destination. Limassol, Larnaca, and Kyrenia are probably one of the best cities to enjoy delicious food and coffee near the mediterranean sea. It’s cheap and affordable and the food is delicious.
When the winter sun goes down, you could enjoy one of the most stunning views that would make your stay even more magical.
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How to get there?
You can fly to Larnaca from London and it takes about 4,5 – 5 hours on a plane, or from Eastern Europe is about 2 hours away. The cost of flights are usually at about £250 and even though it might seem a lot for Europeans, the cost of your stay there will compensate for the amount you paid for your flights.
3. Lisbon, Portugal
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From the amazing architecture, great food, and delicious pastries how can you not want to go to Lisbon? In January the average temperatures are around 15-18°C (59-64°F) degrees.
You get to do walks near the European “Golden Gate” bridge
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And eat delicious ice cream
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How to get there?
You can fly to Lisbon from London and it takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes on a plane where the cost of flights is usually at about £80-£90 return.
4. Sicily, Italy
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With a January average of 15°C (59°F)degrees comes Palermo in Italy. It’s a city that represents the ancient beauty of Sicily – the land of sun and oranges. The island is small enough to explore it by car, because of that, edge to edge is probably a 3-hour drive in which you would enjoy the gorgeous coastlines and scenery in this beautiful island.
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How to get there?
You can fly to Palermo, Sicily from London and it takes about 2 hour and 30 minutes on a plane. The cost of flights is usually at about £100-£120 return.
5. Madeira, Portugal
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With a beautiful 17°C (62°F) degrees comes the beautiful coast of Madeira, Portugal.
How to get there?
From London, there are some direct flights but the most common route will be via Lisbon. If you plan it well you can do Madeira and Lisbon’s winter sun all together on a 4-day weekend trip. The total cost of your ticket would end up being at around £130 or so.
