As the dark winter months begin to take a firm hold, with temperatures dropping below freezing and the nights drawing ever more in, thoughts turn to sunnier destinations with many people now planning to escape the harshness of the season and head somewhere warm for a week or two.
But in this period of dullness, where the sun rarely shines amid the cloudy skies and it seems to be dark when you go to work and leave for home at the end of the day, where are the best places to head to for the most sunshine in Europe? Well, analysis carried out by loveholidays.com reveals that Almeria, in the Andalucia region of Spain, is ranked at the top of the pile with six hours and 18 minutes of sunshine on average per day between December and February.
Andalucia features very prominently in the research, with Cadiz (six hours, six minutes) in fourth and Sevilla (five hours, 54 minutes) in fifth.
Las Palmas, in Gran Canaria, was second with six hours and 12 minutes, while Cyprus’ oldest city Larnaca, situated on the south coast, is third with six hours and eight minutes of sunshine on average.
Al Murray, chief marketing officer of loveholidays said: “As the shorter days and darker nights take hold, many of us will be dreaming of escaping the UK in search of some sunshine this winter. The good news is you don’t have to travel far to find sunnier days and warmer temperatures – in fact, there are lots of options just a short plane ride away.
“We’ve seen no signs of holiday demand slowing despite Brits’ budgets being squeezed this year, and a rise in winter bookings suggests that many are still eager to get away.”
The top 10 is completed by Malta’s capital Valletta (five hours, 42 minutes in sixth, followed by Valencia (five hours, 30 minutes), Faro, Portugal, with five hours and 24 minutes per day, Barcelona (five hours, six minutes) and finally Marseille (five hours per day).
For more information, visit www.loveholidays.com.
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