With the recent cold spell lasting what seemed several weeks, many residents in the UK would have been looking at the daily temperatures and yearning for something warmer. The early weeks of January are usually the busiest time of the year for holiday bookings. With the festive season now over, thoughts turn to holidays and the volume of travel advertising trying to attract our attention increases to new levels.
For many who take just one holiday every year, decisions will be made about where to spend the main summer break, but for those lucky enough to afford the time and cost of more than one holiday, an additional winter sun break will provide an attractive change from the freezing weather we have experienced in the UK recently. There are many alternative destinations providing warmer climates than the UK and to show the options available I’ll look at three resorts than are located just a two hour flight, a four hour flight and a six hour flight from the UK.
For someone wishing to fly for just two hours then the Balearic Islands of Spain provide the nearest location for a warmer winter break. Daytime temperatures can reach 15 degrees Celsius in January and February which is very mild in comparison to UK temperatures at that time of year. Not exactly hot but certainly more pleasant than staying at home and the traveller has the choice of Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza a destination. While heat may not be guaranteed, sunshine almost certainly is, as Majorca typically records over 300 days of sunshine every year. Rain is also unlikely to be a problem with islands like Majorca receiving the heaviest falls between September and November.
Stay on a flight for a little longer and four hours travel will allow someone to reach the Canaries, a group of islands belonging to Spain yet situated just 100 kilometers off the North African coast. Here average daytime temperatures in February are a warm 19 degrees Celsius and holidaymakers can expect an average of 7 hours sunshine every day. Not only will the weather prove pleasant, but the resorts of the Canaries are used to winter travelers and have far more going on than those of the Balearics. The reason for these warm conditions result from the Islands’ location – Tenerife is on the same latitude as Florida – and also the mountainous areas of islands like Tenerife which prevent the moist Trade Winds from reaching southern parts of the island.
A four hour flight will also take the UK traveler to the Mediterranean island, where 6 hours sunshine per day will await along with average daytime temperatures in January and February of 12 degrees Celsius. Cyprus is experiencing a resurgence of popularity with resorts such as Paphos and Larnaca attracting many visitors. The Larnaca – Dhekelia Bay boasts one of the longest beaches in Europe and has received blue flag awards for cleanliness. The airport at Larnaca is only 9 kilometers from the resorts however over-sea flight paths reduce aircraft noise to a minimum.
Finally the more determined winter sun seeker may opt for a six hour flight and venture as far as the The Gambia, which although situated on the west coast of Africa is on the same time zone as he UK . Here the average daytime temperature during December to February is a very pleasant 24 degrees Celsius and rain is highly unlikely. Gambia has a very pronounced rainy season between July and September. Outside of these months the country experiences a long dry season which makes it particularly attractive to UK winter holidaymakers. The small city of Banjul is the capital and is also home to the airport which brings in flights from numerous northern European countries. Tourism is important to the country and recent investment has seen dramatic improvements to the airport and surrounding road infrastructure. If sitting in the sun on a beach by the sea in January is what you desire, then Gambia could well be your ideal destination.