Winter sun holidays 2021: 10 countries that are hot in October, November and December, from Portugal to Cyprus

As the nights draw in and temperatures get cooler in the UK, many of us will be thinking about taking a trip to a hot country in October, November or December, with the hope of getting some much-needed winter sun.

With travel restrictions relaxed since 4 October, it’s looking more likely than ever that those dream trips can actually take place in winter 2021.

But where is a good spot to go if you’re looking to soak up some sunshine over the October half term break, or Christmas?

Here are 10 destinations that are guaranteed to have winter sun, according to the Met Office.

Marrakesh, Morocco

As autumn brings down temperatures at higher latitudes, Morocco - and in particular its cities like Marrakesh - still sees highs of around 28.3 ºC, eight hours of sunshine and around 22 mm of rainfall over the course of the month of October.

Cloud cover also tends to be minimal. so you can fairly safely bet on clear skies and a perfect opportunity to top up the tan.

There are cheap flights via EasyJet. You can fly ex. Manchester to Agadir, ex. London Gatwick to Marrakesh, or Glasgow to Agadir. Alternatively there are British Airways flights to Marrakesh, ex. various airports.

Lanzarote

October is the perfect time to visit the canary island of Lanzarote if you’re after sunshine, an average of seven hours daily, and a comfortable peak temperature averaging 26.8 ºC and 19 ºC at its coolest during the night.

Rain during this month is at its most moderate with an average of just 11 mm. Adding to the favourable conditions, the wind speed is also notably lower than it is during the summer months.

Even in December, the temperature rarely dips below 20 ºC.

Jet2 flies to Lanzarote from numerous airports, including Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, London, Manchester and Newcastle.

Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

Consistently warm weather means that even in October, temperatures in Egypt can often peak at around 28 ºC, with low temperatures coming in at a still-balmy, 23 ºC.

The daily weather is reliably dry and sunny with rainfall being very rare during the month of October.

On top of that, sea temperatures are close to their warmest at 27 ºC, which means water-based activities become all the more enjoyable.

You can book direct flights to Sharm El Sheik via Easyjet. They fly ex. Bristol, London Gatwick, and Manchester.

Cyprus

The temperature in October remains quite hot in Cyprus during October, more specifically in Paphos with highs of around 26.7 ºC and 10 hours of sunshine.

The sea temperature is still warm during October, averaging 24 ºC, making it a perfect month for watersports including swimming, diving and snorkelling.

Flights to Cyprus are available via EasyJet, who operate flights to Paphos ex. Bristol, Edinburgh, London Luton, and Manchester. Alternatively flights and holiday packages are available via British Airways.

Kos, Greece

Average daily maximums in October reach highs of 26 ºC with around eight hours of daily sunshine and average wind speeds of 4.1 mph. Average rainfall does increase to 55 mm, however this is still a largely dry month.

October marks the end of the warm season with cloud cover steadily increasing toward the end of the month, so try the beginning of October for the greatest chances of sunshine.

Algarve, Portugal

Octobers in the Algarve are relatively warm, with an average daily maximum of 23.2 ºC and lows of 14 ºC during the night.

The Mediterranean climate does gradually decrease during October as the season heads towards autumn, although sunshine hours remain at an average of just over seven hours daily.

The month receives an average of 56 mm of rainfall, a steep increase from September.

Flights to Kos are available via Jet2, who fly ex. Bristol, Birmingham, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, London Stansted, Manchester, and Newcastle.

Alternatively you can fly via EasyJet, ex. Bristol, London Gatwick, Glasgow, and Manchester.

British Airways offer flight and holiday packages.

Singapore

The tropical rainforest climate of Singapore means that it is always hot and humid with a lot of rain - November is no exception.

Temperatures in November reach a maximum average of 31.3 ºC. Humidity remains high in November at around 85% which, combined with lights winds, make for a very warm climate.

Expect to get a little wet though; November marks the beginning of the pre-northeast monsoon season in Singapore, which sees rainfall increase to an average of 243 mm.

Numerous carriers offer flights to Singapore, but our choice would be to fly via Singapore Airlines, who offer extraordinary care and comfort at reasonable prices.

Barbados

Sitting just 13º north of the equator, Barbados enjoys a hot tropical climate.

Barbados’ rainy season tapers off in November with rainfall averaging 166 mm; however rainfall is still high with light showers on some days likely.

That rain will probably be welcome though, with eight hours of daily sunshine to be expected alongside temperatures peaking at 30.3ºC.

November also marks the end of the official Atlantic hurricane season so you can be fairly safe in the knowledge you won’t be seeing any major storms.

Virgin Airways operate flights to Barbados, ex. London or Manchester.

At time of publication, the cheapest flights to Barbados were via British Airways, who fly from numerous UK airports.

Brisbane, Australia

With Australia set to open its international borders from November, Brisbane could be the perfect place to catch some winter sun.

November marks the beginning of the hot and wet half of the year with average daily maximums creeping up to 26.6 ºC and rainfall averaging at 94 mm across the month.

November seems to be the best month to visit if you want to enjoy the warm and sunny days without experiencing too much rainfall which dramatically increases in the following months.

Late spring and early summer (remember this is the southern hemisphere we’re dealing with here) remains a popular and pleasant time to visit with eight hours of sunshine each day and minimum temperatures averaging 18.6 ºC.

Emirates Airline operate flights to Brisbane ex. London Gatwick.

Alternatively, British Airways flies to Brisbane ex. London Heathrow.

Madeira

This region of Portugal still offers warm weather in November in spite of the approaching winter season, demonstrating a year-round summer climate.

Daily sunshine hours do fall to an average of just six this month, and the chance of rain during your stay does significantly increase to 50% with the island experiencing an average of 95 mm during the month.

Despite the decrease in sunshine hours, temperatures are still warm, reaching a maximum of 21.7 ºC whilst nights drop to a refreshing minimum of 16 ºC.

Flights to Madeira are opearted by Jet2, who fly ex. Bristol, Birmingham, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, London Stansted, Manchester, and Newcastle.

You can also fly on EasyJet, who fly out of Bristol, London Gatwick, and Manchester.

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