Winter sun holiday destinations

For those of us in the upper northern hemisphere the winter can seem like a long drawn out dreary affair and the desire for a little break to somewhere to shake of the winter blue can be strong.

Whilst there are the obvious choices of long haul flights to far flung tropical resorts this is, for some, usually far from practical given that many families will have used much of their holiday leave during the summer months and then there is the issue of taking the children out of school.

Below we list some suggestions of both short haul and long haul destinations to cater for both those in northern Europe and the USA, many will also apply if you are situated in northern Asia.

Of course, whats short haul for northern Europe can be added to long haul for else where and vice versa.

Short haul winter sun destinations for Europeans:

  • Canary Islands, Spain – Temperatures around 22°C, Sea temperatures typically 21°C, Hours of sunshine average 6 hrs.
  • Morocco – Temperatures around 23°C, Sea temperatures typically 19°C, Hours of sunshine average 6 hrs.
  • Egypt – Temperatures around 24°C, Sea temperatures typically 24°C, Hours of sunshine average 6.5 hrs.
  • Turkey – Temperatures around 21°C, Sea temperatures typically 18°C, Hours of sunshine average 6 hrs.
  • Costa del Sol, Spain – Temperatures around 20°C, Sea temperatures typically 16°C, Hours of sunshine average 6 hrs.


Short haul winter sun ideas for northern states of the USA:

  • South Florida – Temperatures around 21°C, Sea temperatures typically 23°C, Hours of sunshine average 7 hrs.
  • Mexico – Temperatures around 27°C, Sea temperatures typically 22°C, Hours of sunshine average 7 hrs.
  • Jamaica – Temperatures around 27°C, Sea temperatures typically 24°C, Hours of sunshine average 8 hrs.
  • Cuba – Temperatures around 23°C, Sea temperatures typically 23°C, Hours of sunshine average 7 hrs.
  • Bahamas – Temperatures around 22°C, Sea temperatures typically 25°C, Hours of sunshine average 7 hrs.

Long haul winter sun destinations for Europeans and North Americans:

  • Dubai – Temperatures around 22°C, Sea temperatures typically 33°C, Hours of sunshine average 6.5 hrs.
  • Thailand – Temperatures around 26°C, Sea temperatures typically 28°C, Hours of sunshine average 7 hrs.
  • Sri Lanka – Temperatures around 26°C, Sea temperatures typically 27°C, Hours of sunshine average 7 hrs.
  • Australia – Temperatures around 28°C, Sea temperatures typically 19°C, Hours of sunshine average 8 hrs.
  • Maldives – Temperatures around 29°C, Sea temperatures typically 20°C, Hours of sunshine average 8 hrs.
  • Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Temperatures around 25°C, Sea temperatures typically 27°C, Hours of sunshine average 6 hrs.
  • Hawaii – Temperatures around 23°C, Sea temperatures typically 25°C, Hours of sunshine average 7 hrs.
  • Mauritius – Temperatures around 26°C, Sea temperatures typically 26°C, Hours of sunshine average 8 hrs.
  • South Africa – Temperatures around 30°C, Sea temperatures typically 18°C, Hours of sunshine average 10 hrs.

Sea surface temperatures, air temperatures and hours of sunshine are quoted for December average figures. Averages are taken from most popular holiday destinations for a given country.

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