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You are here: Backpacker Resources > Travel Tips > Top 5 Winter Sunshine Breaks

Top 5 Winter Sunshine Breaks

1. Tenerife
   

   Destination Info: Of all the Canary Islands, Tenerife is one of the most accessible and one of the most recently renewed. The year round temperature never drops below the 20 degrees Celsius mark, the winter seas are warmer than most spa side hot tubs and the sand is a wonderfully unusual shade of volcanic black. You can go whale watching, swim with turtles, appreciate Agatha Christy in her former summer retreat and even bike up Mount Teide. That’s not to mention the bars to be crawled between in Playa de las Americas and Puerto De La Cruz. Getting There: Monarch Airlines offer fares from London, starting at just £88.

2. Corfu
   

   Destination Info: This Greek Isle is well known for its party hard reputation but there’s a lot of Mamma Mia-esque beauty in the area too. Day long boat excursions are relatively inexpensive and the Pink Palace hostel over there has its own private beach. Add to that the Archaeological Museum, the Paleo Frourio old fort, Aqualand and Mount Pantokrator, and you’re mini break itinerary is sorted. Getting There: Olympic Airlines, Aegean Airlines and Easyjet all offer cheap flights in and out of the island, however there are some seasonal restrictions so check before you book. Inexpensive ferries sail in from Italy, Greece and the parallel isle of Igoumenitsa. Conveniently these run all year round.

3. Morocco
   

   Destination Info: A little further towards the sunny climes of the equator we have Morocco, sitting on the tip of Africa. A mere four hours away from London, this culture rich destination offers everything from the run of the mill camel back tours to the out of the ordinary mountain towns of the Rif area. Getting There: It’s easiest with EasyJet and Royal Airmoroc, but you can also jump on a boat from Algeciras in Spain – which is a little bit more romantic, and equally inexpensive. Casablanca and Fes are the most popular destinations in this wondrous country.

4. Barcelona
   

   Destination Info: So there are chances of minor, nocturnal cold snaps in this Spanish city but these are pretty irregular and in the depths of winter, you can rejoice in an average temperature of 15 degrees Celsius. You’re right – it’s not scorching but it is better than the zero degree mark in London and you do get a good bit of Gaudi thrown in with the sun shine! Getting There: Believe it or not the bus is one of the cheapest ways to get to Barcelona – when you’re coming in from other mainland Europe destinations. Eurolines do some corking deals but if you prefer to fly, Ryan Air and EasyJet are your best bets within the European Circuit.

5. Nice
   

   Destination Info: Nice has an undeserving destination as the gritty underbelly of southern France. Many backpackers simply jet into the city on the way to St Tropez, Monaco and Eze, but if you make the effort to stay in town you can make the most of nearby scuba diving, sailing, surfing and plenty of Matisse! Nice is also a great city for hiring a scooter to explore the old school back streets and nearby, locally liked beaches. Getting There: Most European and international airlines fly into and out of Nice. From Europe you shouldn’t pay more than €60 for an advance return ticket.

- Rob Savage