Where to go for winter sun?

Mands

Pennywise wrote: »

If you want somewhere pleasantly warm rather than hot, you could look at Cyprus, which is probably the best of the "Med" countries for winter sun. Not as hot as the canaries and higher risk of rain, but still has a few hours of sun most days.

I would, respectfully, disagree. The winter in Cyprus is short and relatively mild but hotels and rental properties are not well insulated. Sitting in the sun, drinking coffee and looking at the beach at midday might be lovely but watching the sun go down at 4pm and heading back to a drafty room is less appealing.

I'm 30 minutes from Larnaca airport, in the Troodos foothills, and I hope to be pottering in my garden between Christmas and New Year but if I do I'll be wearing jeans and a sweater. I hope not to be sweeping snow off my paths. Either way in the evening my wood-burning stove will be lit, at least until the end of February.

The Canaries are much more reliable in terms of weather for the period in question but there's heavy demand then too.

Mands

Doshwaster

Mands wrote: »

I would, respectfully, disagree. The winter in Cyprus is short and relatively mild but hotels and rental properties are not well insulated. Sitting in the sun, drinking coffee and looking at the beach at midday might be lovely but watching the sun go down at 4pm and heading back to a drafty room is less appealing.

Yeah - I did New Year in Cyprus a few years ago. It was chilly and rained every day. The hotel didn't have heating so I had to go to bed with my coat on!

Another factor to consider with destinations around the Med is that while some resorts are lively year-round, others will be like ghost towns over the winter.

Personally, for a winter break I would consider somewhere like Barcelona. Plenty to do outside if it is nice (I've seen people sunbathing there on Christmas Day) but if you are unlucky with the weather then there is enough to keep you busy indoors.

Really depends if the OP wants guaranteed sunbathing weather or is prepared to take more of a chance.

skintsaver_2

Thanks very much for your replies.

Our budget is around £2000 and I can only go between 23rd and 7th Jan as we break up from work on 22nd Dec and are back in on the 8th

I'll price up some of the places you have all mentioned

We are 2 adults and 1 child so need somewhere friendly as well

Katiehound

Ballard wrote: »

December is summer in Southern Africa.

Yes, a senior moment I'm afraid.......you're right of course.
Most of my trips have been there in our summer but I do remember going to Zimbabwe at New Year and borrowing warmer clothes as the rains had started and it seemed cold after RSA

Mands

Doshwaster wrote: »

Yeah - I did New Year in Cyprus a few years ago. It was chilly and rained every day. The hotel didn't have heating so I had to go to bed with my coat on!

I think I remember you planning that. Sun Hall on Finikoudes?

To have rain every day for a week is really unlucky, but not unheard of. Winter is reckoned to last 6-8 weeks and I'd say there's more good days than bad, say 2:1. But, the sunlight hours are short and that, combined with poor insulation &/or heating, can make for a miserable trip.

If I was looking to spend my hard-earned holiday money on some winter sun I wouldn't pick Cyprus.

Mands

Pennywise

I did say Cyprus was the "best of the Med" for winter sun which it is. Like all places in the northern hemisphere, in the winter, days are short and nights are cold. If you want to go further than the med, then of course there are better places, but that involves travelling longer distances and higher cost. I've been to Egypt and Israel in the winter months, and they, too have short days and cold nights. I've been to the canary islands in November and suffered a miserable fortnight of rain and cloud every day. For longer days and guaranteed sun in our winter, you have to go to the Equator or Southern Hemisphere where it's their Summer.

Blue264

Mands wrote: »

I'm 30 minutes from Larnaca airport, in the Troodos foothills, and I hope to be pottering in my garden between Christmas and New Year but if I do I'll be wearing jeans and a sweater. I hope not to be sweeping snow off my paths. Either way in the evening my wood-burning stove will be lit, at least until the end of February.

Exactly.
The Eastern Med has had heavy snow the last few years, and in 2015/2016, my OH's mum in Athens had a lot more snow than we did in Zurich.

Parts of Europe have been hit by heavy snow with even holiday destinations like the Greek islands being affected.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/38554324

This one from last December still surprises me...

Satellite images from Nasa have shown snow in the Sahara desert in North Africa for the first time in nearly 40 years.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/38414826

Doshwaster

Mands wrote: »

I think I remember you planning that. Sun Hall on Finikoudes?

Yes, that was me. Just not much sun at Sun Hall.

I'm all for trying somewhere new as an adventure but I don't think I will be rushing back to Larnaca. It just proves that anywhere around the Med at that time of year is a gamble but wherever you go it's almost certainly going to be better than it is at home.

PompeyPete

We had a townhouse in Cyprus with an open garage area underneath the lounge. Overall it had naff all insulation and was like a fridge in winter and a sauna in summer. We had hot and cold air conditioning, but the cost of running it was prohibitive.

If you visit during the winter stay in a nice warm hotel. Look at TA reviews for the same period the year before to get an idea.

Gloomendoom

PompeyPete wrote: »

We had a townhouse in Cyprus with an open garage area underneath the lounge. Overall it had naff all insulation and was like a fridge in winter and a sauna in summer. We had hot and cold air conditioning, but the cost of running it was prohibitive.

If you visit during the winter stay in a nice warm hotel. Look at TA reviews for the same period the year before to get an idea.

We have rented a place this year that has a wood burning stove in the sitting room.

We are going end of June/early July so I hope we don't need it.