SOMETIMES you just want to be somewhere hotter than the UK without having to hop on a long-haul flight.
Thankfully, there are some great destinations that aren't too far away, and also won't cost too much even if booking last minute.
Using our many years of holiday experience, the Sun Travel Team has revealed their favourite winter sun destinations that are affordable - and all less than six hours from the UK.
Cape Verde was my first foreign holiday after the dreaded 2021 winter lockdown. As soon as restrictions lifted, my then three-year-old, boyfriend and I jumped on a TUI plane for some much-needed sunshine.
At just under six hours, the flight time was probably the longest I'd
do with a pre-schooler but enough to find guaranteed winter sunshine - and Cape Verde pretty much guarantees sunshine.
Even in bleak midwinter, 25C is the average maximum temperature and the sun is strong, although you never get too hot because it's also windy.
It's also just one hour behind the UK, so there was no jet lag to contend with.
We stayed at the all-inclusive Riu Palace Santa Maria, on the south
west coast of the island of Sal.
The nearby seaside town of Santa Maria had a strip of lively bars and
cafes and a number of seafood restaurants offering the catch of the
day, as well as a great beach bar where you could enjoy excellent
cocktails with your feet in the sand for just £2.50.
Attractions are fairly sparse on Sal, but there was more than enough
to keep us busy for a week.
We paddled with baby sharks, took a catamaran cruise and explored the island on dune buggies, but there were plenty of watersports for the more adventurous too.
- Caroline McGuire, Head of Travel
A place guaranteed to be warm in winter is Marrakech with temperatures above 20C - and it’s one of the most affordable to.
A visit to Marrakech comes with beautiful riad hotels, lined with multicoloured tiles and ornate decor and even pools in the middle - and can be found for just £35 a night.
Sure, the Moroccan coastline might temp you away for a winter beach break.
But the bustling city is the best to go pre-Christmas to stock up one some cheap presents.
Go empty suitcased and you’ll find hand blown glass cups, embroidered cushions and leather handbags often spotted on the UK high street in places like Anthropology and Accessorize but for so much less.
And with £16.49 flights thanks to easyJet, it's cheaper than a train into London.
- Kara Godfrey, Deputy Travel Editor
I on my first winter sun holiday earlier this year and even though I’m late to the party, I’m a total convert after falling in love with Lanzarote.
I stepped off the plane in January and was met by a 20C heat - the ideal January pick me up, especially when flights are as little as £16.
And I was even happier when I went for a dip at the heated infinity pool at my hotel, the newly-opened Barcelo Playa Blanca.
The 180m-long main pool was also heated, which meant I could get my lengths in without getting chilly.
The temperature was perfect for excursions too with four-hour boat cruises around the island, stopping near Playa de Papagayo, a golden sandy beach before a dip in the dip in the water and fresh paella.
Topped off off with evening drinks on a balcony looking out towards Fuerteventura, I didn't once have to take out my big winter coat - which was exactly the plan.
- Hope Brotherton, Travel Reporter
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