beat the brochure

The Brits love a bit of sun and with the winters we have in this county, who can blame them? Whether it’s freezing, biting winds; torrential, arctic rains; or ice, snow and sleet, there’s always some adverse weather to deal with and that’s not even considering the long nights and short days. If even the thought of all of this is setting a chill into your bones, you might want to consider escaping the horrendous British winters and following the sun abroad to a “winter sun” location. Here’s a quick guide on when and where you might consider escaping out to over the winter months.

November – Cyprus
With one of the best climates in the Mediterranean at the best of times, Cyprus still enjoys autumnal weather in the depth of winter. You can expect temperatures in the low 20°s C and if you’re brave enough to chance it the sea is usually still warm enough to swim in. With around seven hours sunshine a day and very little precipitation, winter sun holidays to Cyprus might be just what the doctor ordered to chase those winter sniffles away.

December – Canary Islands
The Canary Islands are the closest location to home that you can be guaranteed winter sun in December. You can expect temperatures of 22-25°C, with very little rain and a good chance of all day sunshine on Tenerife or Lanzarote. With the hustle and bustle that the festive season usually brings, on a holiday to the Canary Islands you can feel safe in the knowledge that you can just lie in the sun and forget all about tinsel and mince pies!

January – Dubai
January is one of the busiest months in Dubai’s calendar, with the Dubai Shopping Festival taking centre stage. The beautiful climate comes a close second, with temperatures ranging between 20-25°C, although it can be a little windy during the winter months. Holidays to Dubai in January offers a unique winter sun experience as it lets you work on your tan and shop at the same time.

February – Miami, Florida
Florida is one of few far-flung locations in the US that you can fly to directly from the UK without putting up with tedious stopovers. With fabulous, huge sandy beaches, warm water and average temperatures of 25°C in Miami you’ll be bucking the trends back home and wearing shorts in February! Holidays to Florida are great for kids on their half-term break as there’s plenty to do, they will already speak the language and there’s plenty of familiar food for them.

March – Egypt
Temperatures in southern Egypt in March average out at a balmy 25°C – compared to averages of 40°C in the summer months – making it an ideal time to explore Egypt’s temples, pyramids and all the wonders of the ancient world. Resorts also tend to be quieter at this time of the year, offering some much needed peace and quiet as the busiest time of the financial year rolls in – soak up the rays and chill out on a Nile cruise ship on a winter holiday to Egypt.