The best winter sun destinations from Europe
By the Agoroam team · Published 20 August 2026
Quick answer
- Inside Europe, only the Canary Islands are reliably warm in winter at 20 to 23C.
- Within four to five hours: Morocco, Cyprus, Egypt, Cape Verde, and the Gulf all deliver 20 to 28C.
- Madeira is 19 to 21C, green rather than beachy, and the best walking destination in winter.
- January and February are the cheapest months for all of these, with the exception of the Christmas and New Year fortnight.
- Check sea temperature, not just air temperature. The Canaries sea is 19 to 20C in January, which is swimmable but bracing.
The Canary Islands, the only sure thing in Europe
The Canaries sit off the coast of Africa at the same latitude as the Sahara and are the only part of Europe that is genuinely warm in winter. December to February averages run 20 to 23C by day and 15 to 17C at night.
The islands differ more than people expect. Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are dry, volcanic, and windy, with the most reliable sun and the best beaches. Gran Canaria has the widest range, from dunes in the south to pine forest and mountains in the centre. Tenerife has the highest mountain in Spain and the most variable weather, with the north often cloudy while the south is clear. La Palma and La Gomera are green, quiet, and for walkers rather than beach groups.
Sea temperature in January is around 19 to 20C, which is swimmable but noticeably cold to get into.
- Lanzarote and Fuerteventura: driest, sunniest, windiest, best beaches
- Gran Canaria: most varied, dunes and mountains
- Tenerife: south for sun, north for cloud and forest
- La Palma and La Gomera: green, quiet, for walking
Madeira, the walking option
Madeira runs 19 to 21C in winter with a subtropical climate, and it is green rather than arid. It is not a beach destination in any meaningful sense, with mostly rocky coastline and volcanic pools rather than sand.
What it is instead is the best winter walking destination reachable from Europe. The levada paths, irrigation channels with maintained walkways beside them, run across the whole island through laurel forest and along cliffs, and they are walkable year round.
Funchal is a proper city with excellent food, a strong wine tradition, and prices well below the Canaries. The flight is around four hours from most of Northern Europe.
Morocco, the closest non-European option
Marrakesh runs 18 to 21C by day in winter and drops sharply at night, to 6 to 10C, which surprises people who packed for a beach. Agadir on the coast is milder at 20 to 22C with more consistent sun and actual beaches.
The Atlas mountains are an hour from Marrakesh and have snow in winter, so a group can combine a warm city with mountain scenery in the same trip. Essaouira on the Atlantic is windy and cooler at 17 to 19C but has the best seafood in the country.
Morocco is the cheapest option on this list by daily cost and the flight from Europe is three to four hours.
Cyprus, Malta, and the eastern Mediterranean
Cyprus runs 17 to 19C in January and February with a lot of sun, and it is the warmest place in the Mediterranean in winter. The Troodos mountains have skiing, which makes for an unusual combination.
Malta is 16 to 18C, walkable, historically dense, and very quiet in winter. It is not a swimming destination in January but is an excellent city and history trip.
Egypt is the step up in temperature: Hurghada and Marsa Alam run 22 to 25C in January with sea temperatures around 22 to 23C, which is the warmest swimming reachable in a five hour flight. Luxor and Aswan are 22 to 26C and are far more comfortable to visit in winter than in summer.
- Cyprus: 17 to 19C, warmest Mediterranean option, mountains with snow
- Malta: 16 to 18C, best for history rather than swimming
- Egypt Red Sea: 22 to 25C air, 22 to 23C sea, the warmest swim within five hours
- Luxor and Aswan: 22 to 26C, the correct season to visit
Cape Verde and the longer flights
Cape Verde, six hours from Northern Europe, runs 24 to 26C year round with sea at 23 to 24C. Sal and Boa Vista are the beach islands, Santo Antao is the dramatic hiking one, and Sao Vicente has the music culture.
Beyond that, the Gulf states run 22 to 26C in winter with a six to seven hour flight, and the Caribbean, Thailand, and Vietnam all sit at eight to twelve hours. At that distance, the trip needs to be ten days or more to justify the flight.
What to check before booking winter sun
Sea temperature, not just air temperature. Air at 21C with sea at 18C is a sunbathing holiday, not a swimming one. The Canaries in January are 19 to 20C in the water, Egypt is 22 to 23C, and Cape Verde is 23 to 24C.
Wind. Fuerteventura and Sal are excellent for kitesurfing precisely because they are extremely windy, which is less appealing if you wanted to lie on a beach.
Rain. Madeira and northern Tenerife get genuine winter rain. Lanzarote and Egypt get almost none.
Night temperature. Marrakesh at 19C in the day and 7C at night needs a jacket, and a riad without heating in January is genuinely cold.
Frequently asked
Where is warm in Europe in winter?
Only the Canary Islands, at 20 to 23C from December to February. Madeira is 19 to 21C but green rather than beachy. Southern Spain, Malta, and Cyprus run 16 to 19C, which is pleasant for walking but not for swimming.
What is the warmest place within five hours of Europe in January?
The Egyptian Red Sea coast, at 22 to 25C air and 22 to 23C sea, which is the warmest swimming reachable in a short-haul flight. Cape Verde at six hours is warmer still at 24 to 26C with sea at 23 to 24C.
Can you swim in the Canary Islands in winter?
Yes, but the sea is 19 to 20C in January and February, which is swimmable and noticeably cold on entry. Air temperatures of 20 to 23C make it comfortable once you are in and out.
Is Madeira good in winter?
Very, if you want walking rather than beaches. It runs 19 to 21C, is green and subtropical, and the levada paths across the island are walkable year round. Funchal has excellent food and is cheaper than the Canaries. It has almost no sandy beaches.
Is Marrakesh warm in December?
Warm by day at 18 to 21C and cold at night at 6 to 10C, which catches people out. Riads often have limited heating. Agadir on the coast is milder and sunnier at 20 to 22C with actual beaches, and the Atlas mountains an hour away have snow.
Plan it with your crew.
Free for the first trip. Everyone votes. The AI does the boring half.