As days get shorter and the sun becomes increasingly elusive it’s hard to resist fantasizing about being somewhere a bit warmer, preferably with a beach. In fact it’s always struck me that a holiday in the sun makes far more sense in the cold winter months than during the summer when, with a bit of luck, us Brits aren’t completely deprived of a bit of sunshine.
The other big advantage of ‘winter sun’ holidays is that even in destinations with all year round hot weather, you’ll generally find tourism drops off considerably in the winter meaning your far less likely to have to fight for beach space.
Here are a few recommendations for sun seeking Brits:
Cancun, Mexico
Mexico’s world renowned beach resort is perhaps best experienced off season when the hordes have moved on, of course it will still be busy, it always is. Indeed, four million tourists descend on this sun kissed Yucatan resort city every year.
Despite the crowds however Cancun has much to recommend it – it’s blessed with year round sun, endless stretches of white sandy beaches and glorious translucent turquoise waters. Not to mention its reputation as the playground of Mexico; the resort boasts a particularly lively nightlife and has become something of a spring-break mecca for students intent on alcohol fueled partying.
Cyprus
Cyprus enjoys some of the Mediterranean’s best weather and remains pleasantly warm well into late November. Winter visitors shouldn’t expect blazing heat but will undoubtedly find that the island’s climate is a world away from the bracing British winter.
One of the islands unique selling points as a winter destination is that it combines still sunny beaches with the possibility of skiing in the Troodos Mountains, so you could quite feasibly spend the morning on the slopes and the afternoon sunning yourself on the beach.
Malaga, Spain
If you don’t fancy too long a journey then the Costa del Sol or Costa Blanca are probably your best winter sun bets in the Med. Because both these coastal stretches face south or south-east they are protected from cold winds and maintain pretty respectable temperatures throughout winter.
With average day-time temperatures in the mid 60’s and 6 hours of sun in the height of winter Malaga is the most consistently hot destination in Spain and its less than three hours away.
Follow itravelnet.com