The great British winter weather: freezing fog, sleet and overcast grey mornings are at their most dismal during February’s 28/9 days and often seem to have no end in sight.
Fortunately, while it can feel like the longest, the shortest month of the year is broken up with ideal excuses to escape for a final burst of winter sun before the welcome transition into a much milder UK spring.
With a week-long half-term and – love it or hate it – Valentine’s Day, February is primed for family holidays for some far-flung fun in the sun and romantic long weekends for overseas one-on-one time.
From balmy St Lucia’s white sands to sundrenched Gran Canaria and the Algarve in southern Europe, here’s our guide to finding some failsafe sunshine in February.
Post pancake day vitamin D, a tan top up close to home and the thrilling rides of Florida’s theme parks await.
Read more on winter sun holidays:
Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
The sun-drenched Canaries bring the vitamin D to Europe for winter
(Getty Images)
- Average temperature in February: 21.3C
- Hours of sunshine per day: 6
For mild temperatures, hiking trails and 147 miles of volcanic coastline punctuated with traditional tapas haunts, the third-largest Canary Island is a dream for vitamin D this winter. Sun-drenched Gran Canaria, known as the “miniature continent” for its versatile landscapes, offers not only parasol-peppered beaches but multiday hiking routes weaving a blanket of fertile forest and peaks of 1,950m best tackled in February’s low 20C heat. Better still, the black sands and Pico de las Nieves mountains are less than a four-and-a-half-hour flight away.
Goa, India
A pleasant 28C blesses Goa in February
(Getty Images)
- Average temperature in February: 28C
- Hours of sunshine per day: 10
Go to Goa this February to experience India’s capital of coastal cool with 10 hours of sunshine a day and no sign of monsoon season. The ideal antidote for the winter blues, Goa’s pocket-friendly nature extends from the opulent shoreside hotels to its deliciously diverse coconut-laced cuisine, with miles of golden beaches to stroll. Inland, the birth country of yoga welcomes Westerners to study the discipline, or tour Unesco-listed churches and the colourful chaos of Panaji if a parasailing adventure isn’t on the agenda.
St Lucia, Caribbean
St Lucia’s tropical climate welcomes a balmy but…
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