Sun and beaches · December to February
Winter sun destinations
When the cold arrives, there are places with sunshine, beaches and temperatures above 25 °C, some just a few hours’ flight from Europe. We’ve chosen them using each destination’s seasonal data: no rainy season or hurricanes in these months.
Updated 19 October 2026 · How we make our guides
Short-haul winter sun
Little or no time difference, and short flights from much of Europe.
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SpainTenerife
The climate of eternal spring: beaches in the south, snow-capped Teide up high and mild temperatures all winter.
What to see in Tenerife -
SpainGran Canaria
The dunes of Maspalomas, Las Canteras beach in the middle of the city and mountain villages: Spain’s winter sun.
What to see in Gran Canaria -
SpainFuerteventura
Endless white-sand beaches and constant wind for kitesurfing; one of the sunniest islands in the archipelago.
What to see in Fuerteventura -
SpainLanzarote
Volcanic landscapes, the work of César Manrique and coves like Papagayo, with good weather in the middle of January.
What to see in Lanzarote -
Cape VerdeSal
White sand, turquoise water and almost guaranteed sunshine in winter, off the coast of West Africa.
What to see in Sal -
EgyptHurghada
The Red Sea with coral reefs and around 25 °C by day in winter; easy to combine with Luxor.
What to see in Hurghada
The Caribbean and Central America
Past the hurricane season: December to April is the best time.
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MexicoCancún
White-sand beaches, cenotes and Maya ruins close by, in the dry season and with no hurricanes.
What to see in Cancún -
MexicoTulum
Maya ruins above the Caribbean Sea and cenotes to swim in, at the best time of year.
What to see in Tulum -
Dominican RepublicPunta Cana
The Caribbean with direct flights from much of Europe, with palm-lined beaches and all-inclusive resorts.
What to see in Punta Cana -
CubaVaradero
A beach more than twenty kilometres long, with Havana a couple of hours away by road.
What to see in Varadero -
ColombiaCartagena
A walled city, the Rosario Islands and the dry season: December to April is the best of Colombia’s Caribbean.
What to see in Cartagena -
Costa RicaTamarindo
The Pacific coast of dry Guanacaste, with surfing and sunsets, in the middle of the dry season.
What to see in Tamarindo -
Central America and the CaribbeanAruba
One of the driest islands in the Caribbean, outside the hurricane belt, with white-sand beaches.
Aruba travel guide
Asia, Africa and the Indian Ocean
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ThailandPhuket
December to March is high season on the Andaman Sea: calm water, sunshine and island trips.
What to see in Phuket -
ThailandKrabi
Limestone cliffs, Railay and the Phi Phi Islands, in the driest time of the year.
What to see in Krabi - Asia
Maldives
The dry season starts in December: crystal-clear water and nurse sharks under the jetty.
Maldives travel guide -
TanzaniaZanzibar
White-sand beaches on the Indian Ocean and Stone Town; easy to combine with a safari on the mainland.
What to see in Zanzibar -
KenyaDiani Beach
Kenya’s most famous beach, with reefs and palm trees; perfect for the end of a safari.
What to see in Diani Beach -
BrazilRio de Janeiro
It’s summer in the southern hemisphere: Copacabana, Ipanema and the New Year’s Eve Réveillon.
What to see in Rio de Janeiro -
PhilippinesEl Nido
Lagoons between cliffs in Palawan, in the dry season that starts in December.
What to see in El Nido
Frequently asked questions
Where to travel in December for warm weather?
Close by: the Canary Islands, Cape Verde or the Red Sea in Egypt. Further afield: the Caribbean (Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba), Thailand (the Andaman coast), the Maldives or Zanzibar, all outside their rainy season.
What’s the closest winter beach destination to Europe?
The Canary Islands, which are part of Spain, and Cape Verde, off the coast of West Africa. The Egyptian Red Sea is another short-haul option.
Is December a good time to go to the Caribbean?
Yes: the hurricane season ends in late November, and December to April is the dry season, the best time to go.
Why isn’t Bali on the list?
December to March is its rainy season. For Indonesia, April to October is better.
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Reviewed 19 October 2026. Dates and seasonal warnings: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.
Cover photo: dronepicr (CC BY 2.0), Wikimedia Commons.