The world’s best places for winter sun, from October to March

Average temperature: 21C / 69F

Best month to visit: February

Have you ever seen a picture of Dubai where it isn’t really, really sunny? The UAE city boasts loads of sunlight (an average of 8.82 hours per day, in fact) and really high average temperatures – it’s a solid winter-sun choice.

Average temperature: 18C / 64F 

Best month to visit: December

Offering similar levels of sunlight and warmth to Dubai, Thai capital Bangkok is a little cheaper. It’s often better to visit Bangkok in winter, when it’s manageably warm, rather than springtime and summertime (when it’s really, really hot).

Average temperature: 19C / 67F

Best month to visit: February

From October to March, it’s summer in Cape Town. Being Africa’s southernmost city, at this time of year the South African destination also has long, sunny days (with 10.22 hours of daylight, on average) and a notable lack of rain – in other words, it’s a top winter-sun spot.

Average temperature: 25C / 77F 

Best month to visit: November

Cancun might have a rep for party antics – but if you don’t go during spring break (ie. if you go in wintertime) you get all the beauty of this Mexican beach spot without the loutish young ‘uns. Dreamy, eh?  

Average temperature: 16C / 60F

Best month to visit: October

A little cooler than fellow Emirati winter sun spot Dubai, Abu Dhabi is remarkable for just how little rain it gets, getting just 0.3 inches per month. It is mostly desert, after all.

Average temperature: 18C / 65F 

Best month to visit: October

Aside from being the biggest of the Canary Islands and having loads of fascinating volcanic landscapes and countless white sandy beaches, Gran Canaria is known for its winter warmth. There’s extra convenience here for Europeans, who can get here very easily and won’t need a visa to visit.

Average temperature: 28C / 82F

Best month to visit: October

Hitting exceptionally toasty average daytime temperatures of 28C, the Indonesian island of Bali is also, just in case you didn’t already know, legendary for being a literal-heaven-on-earth sort of place. It also boasts an average of 12.5 daily hours of sunlight throughout winter.

Average temperature: 23C / 74F

Best month to visit: December

Another southern-hemisphere spot, Buenos Aires has the highest average winter temperatures of anywhere else on this list. It also boasts long days (averaging 10.76 hours of daylight) and, as one of South America’s biggest and buzziest cities, more than enough stuff to be seeing and doing.

Average temperature: 16C / 61F

Best month to visit: December

The capital of Rajasthan state is semi-arid and not far from proper desert, so its winters don’t really get much rain – just 0.3 inches per month, in fact. Which means that the weather is usually perfect for seeing such renowned Jaipur sights like the majestic Hawa Mahal and Jal Mahal, as well as all the rest of the Pink City’s numerous Unesco sites.

Average temperature: 28C / 82F 

Best month to visit: January

From its temples and caves to its beaches, the resort town of Krabi on Thailand’s Andaman coast makes for a fab winter destination. According to Forbes Advisor, Krabi is made even more attractive by its low costs – on average, seven nights in a hotel here costs just over £50 ($61).

Average temperature: 18C / 64F

Best month to visit: October

Sharm is known for having turquoise waters and cloud-free skies pretty much all-year round – it’s no wonder this place is such a stalwart for European holidaymakers. The Egyptian city also has the benefit of being reasonably close to mainland Europe, providing a swift escape from the continent’s chilly north.

Average temperature: 12C / 54F

Best month to visit: February

It isn’t called the Valley of the Sun for nothing: Phoenix’s year-round sunshine is legendary. The largest city in Arizona gets a whopping 330 days of sunshine per year (more than any other US city) and it rarely gets too cold, either.

Average temperature: 11C / 52F

Best month to visit: November

Of course, it’s also possible to get some winter sun without leaving mainland Europe. Alicante, on Spain’s southern Mediterranean coast, is low on rain (1.02 inches per month) and high on sunshine (7.61 hours of daily daylight) throughout the season – plus, you’ll avoid most of the crowds that dominate the place during peak tourist periods.

Average temperature: 27C / 81F

Best month to visit: February

Hat Yai is one of Thailand’s more under-the-radar destinations for no good reason at all. Aside from its ginormous buddha, spectacular Ton Nga Chang waterfall and beautiful beaches, the Thai city also has average temperatures of 27C – and winter (specifically January, February and March) is outside the rainy season, too.

Average temperature: 22C / 71F

Best month to visit: November

Out in Cape Verde, smack-bang in the middle of the Atlantic, Praia is one of the warmest and driest (averaging just 0.14 inches of monthly rainfall) destinations on the list. Its name translates simply as ‘beach’ in Portuguese, dropping a big clue to its appeal – but it’s also known for its historic neighbourhoods.

Average temperature: 23C / 73F

Best month to visit: December

It ain’t just the beach hotspots in Mexico that make for the best winter sun getaways. The port city of Veracruz – known for its rich blend of indigenous and Afro-Cuban cultures – is both warm and boasts little rain (between 0.5 and 1.5 inches per month) throughout November, December, January and February.