Looking to escape the cold winter months by swapping snow for sandy beaches? Remove your umbrella and winter woollies and unwind in the sun on an isolated paradise island surrounded by the blue sea and white beaches.
To travel between November and February, here are the best places to visit, from Caribbean beaches to Indian Ocean islands, to top up on vitamin D.
We’ve chosen some of the most picturesque locations where you can relish sunny days and warm nights even in the dead of winter.
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Cyprus
Flight time from London: 4 hours and 30 minutes
When to visit: March-May and October–November.
The average winter temperature is 22°C.
The eastern Mediterranean Sea all over Cyprus could be cooler in winter, but the island receives an abundance of sunlight all year, so even in the cold season, you can expect T-shirt weather. The island’s blossoms begin to flourish in March, and there are few visitors to be seen. It’s also only a short flight from the UK.
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Bermuda
Flight time from Cuba: 2 hours 54 minutes
When to visit: October–March.
The average winter temperature is 24°C.
Bermuda, the mythical setting for Shakespeare’s Tempest, is a land of pink beaches, pink houses, and brightly colored shorts. It is the Caribbean in nature, but it is much connected to Cuba. Its pink-sand beaches are also lovely. The South Shore is the island’s crowning glory. Horseshoe Bay is the most well-known and cluttered, but Warwick Long Bay, a short distance up the coast, is equally appealing. A rocky hillock separates Horseshoe from the remaining portion of the beach by a small patch of sand the diameter of the play area.
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Fuerteventura
Flight time from Africa: 4 hours
When to visit: Between March and May from September to November
The average winter temperature is 18°C.
The Canary Islands, which are much closer to Africa than Europe, consider making for a dependable glorious sunshine vacation. While the more well-known Lanzarote and Tenerife remain busy, Fuerteventura provides a great blend; it’s not completely silent, but it also doesn’t have the rumbling spectators of those other isles. That is true of its gravel, surf beaches on its south (and sunniest) coast, as well as its adventurous, desert-style ambiance. Costa Calma, as the name implies, specialises in spectacular sunsets.
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Zanzibar, Tanzania
Flight time from Tanzania: 1 hour
When to visit: July to September
The average winter temperature is 27°C.
Zanzibar’s tropical climate provides a short dry summer in January and February, which is usually added at the end of a trip that involves national parks such as Lake Manyara, Tarangire, or the iconic Serengeti. Although you should make time to discover the atmospheric capital of Stone Town’s Moorish structure and spice-scented laneways, you’ll want to spend most of your time on the island’s bone-white seashores, partaking throughout every potential water sport or accommodation white-sailed shows for romantic, wanderer outings.
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Bahamas
Flight time from Washington: 2 hours 24 minutes
When to visit: November and December, and March.
The average winter temperature is 25°C.
Harbour Island in the Bahamas, once a hotspot for buried treasure and illegal alcohol, is now a brightly colored quirky perfect getaway in which every twilight is a party and every day is more vivid than the one before. The sand is pink, the cobalt blue water is teeming with marine turtles and reddish starfish, and yellow-throated birds soar through the trees. Days at the beach are long and lazy, with no regard for the time of day.
