Spain (credit: Martijn Vonk via Unsplash).
The December festivities have come to an end and Blue Monday – dubbed as the most depressing day of the year – is just around the corner.
To help fight away any traces of January blues, especially on Monday 16th of January, Holidu, the booking portal for holiday rentals teamed up with Spain-Holiday to analyse which destinations are the best to escape to during the winter months! This study was conducted by comparing temperature and sun hours in all coastal cities in Europe to determine which is the best destination to spend the cold season in. So, whether you are escaping January blues, your rising heating bills or just want to soak up some sun, look no further than to our breakdown below.
Spain: Los Cristianos
Average winter sun hours 320.60 | Average winter temperature 20.6ºC
It’s official: Los Cristianos in Tenerife is Europe’s best destination to escape the winter. The city located in the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands averages a whopping 320+ winter sun hours and its winter temperature averages 20.6ºC. Los Cristianos is the perfect place to stay warm this winter. Whether you want to hit one of the town's dreamy beaches or go on an adventure to the Monkey Park, there is plenty to do in this warm escape.
Greece: Agios Nikolaos
Average winter sun hours 261.46 | Average winter temperature 16.4ºC
The top winter sun destination in Greece is the dreamy town of Agios Nikolaos. Located on Greece’s largest island of Crete, this town has an average winter sun hours of 261+ and winter temperature averaging 16.4ºC. This charming coastal town stays warm even in the winter. Beat the crowds from summer and check out its many beaches and waterfront restaurants or explore the nearby abandoned castles and olive farms. Agios Nikolaos should be on everyone's list of where to escape the cold Winter.
Italy: Siracusa
Average winter sun hours 258.20 | Average winter temperature 16.4ºC
The top destination in Italy is the historical city of Siracusa, located on the island of Sicily. This destination comes in with average winter sun hours of 258+ and winter temperature averaging 16.4ºC. Take a trip through history and explore the many archaeological sites or wine and dine taking in the stunning streetscapes. Make sure to check out Siracusa for your next winter escape.
Portugal: Luz
Average winter sun hours 250.10 | Average winter temperature 15.8ºC
Next on our list is the small coastal town of Luz in Portugal with average winter sun hours of 250+ and winter temperature averaging 15.8ºC. Located in the Algarve region, Luz is covered in breathtaking beaches and surrounded by impressive cliffs. You won’t want to miss this charming town for your next winter escape.
France: Cala Rossa
Average winter sun hours 252.46 | Average winter temperature 13.8ºC
The number one destination to escape the cold in France’s winter months is Cala Rossa. Averaging 252+ winter sun hours and temperature averaging 13.8ºC, explore its stunning white sand beach, and dreamy turquoise waters. If you are looking for an escape this winter in France, look no further than Cala Rossa.
Which country had the most in the top 100?
Spain! It is no surprise with its warm weather and year-round sunny status that almost 60% of the cities in the top 100 are located in Spain. With its modern cities to dreamy coastlines, you are sure to find the perfect destination to escape the Winter here in Spain. The Canary Islands are the best Spanish region to spend the winter, with 21 cities in the top 100, followed closely by the Costa Blanca with 17 cities ranking in the top 100.
Methodology: This ranking was made by Holidu and Spain-Holiday by extracting average data about each city from October – February to determine which is the best destination to spend the Winter season in. All coastal cities in Europe within 1km of the coast were analysed for this ranking. With data from World Weather Online, we then calculated the average number of sun hours and average temperature per month. These two data points were then combined to reveal which cities scored the top among both data points. Those without data were excluded from the ranking.
Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
