A sunny Spanish city is the best place to break the shroud of darkness which comes with winter in the UK.
In the run up to Christmas twinkling fairy lights, open fires and the warm glow of a mince pie oven do their best to break through the bleak mid-winter.
Once the amount of daily sunlight has dropped to less than eight hours however, it's easy to let the Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) creep in regardless.
If you're looking to escape these shores and top up your vitamin D levels, then Almería in Andalucía, Spain may be the place to go.
The city has ranked top in a ranking of the sunniest European cities by loveholidays, clocking up an average of six hours and 18 minutes of sunshine per day between the months of December and February.
Two other hotspots in Andalucía also ranked within the top ten and are both easily reachable from most UK airports.
That includes Cadiz (fourth place – six hours and six minutes per day), offering plenty of sandy beaches for a scenic walk, and the Andalucían capital, Seville - fifth place – five hours and 54 minutes per day - known for its impressive architecture and bustling atmosphere.
The city of Las Palmas in Gran Canaria came second in the ranking, with an average of six hours and 12 minutes of sunshine per day. A popular spot for Brits escaping winter, Gran Canaria boasts 40 miles of beaches and an abundance of history.
Larnaca, the oldest city in Cyprus famous for its palm-tree seafront and rich history, ranked third in the list of best places to visit to avoid the UK’s darker days (six hours and eight minutes per day), while the walled-city of Valletta in Malta ranked sixth (five hours and 42 minutes per day).
According to loveholidays, demand for winter sun has never been stronger, with bookings up 24% compared to pre-pandemic levels as Brits head off in search of sunnier days.
Best cities for winter sun
- Almería
- Las Palmas
- Larnaca
- Cadiz
- Seville
- Valletta
- Valencia
- Faro
- Barcelona
- Marseille
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.
"There are great deals to be had on breaks to all of these destinations and at loveholidays we can do the deal searching for you - making it even easier for you to relax and unwind on your getaway.”
