Six of the best sunny holiday spots to escape UK’s April showers

April is just around the corner, when spring is in full swing and so is unpredictable British weather.

The dreaded ‘April showers’ will fall in the UK, but elsewhere in Europe and beyond, there are warmer climes to be found on holiday.

The Greek islands come into their own, as beautiful as always but without the crowds, or you could opt for Spain‘s third-largest city, Valencia, for a vibrant break on the Med.

If you want to go long-haul, it’s shoulder season on the spectacular island of Bali, or in Rio de Janeiro you can try to keep Carnival spirit alive months after the annual event.

Whatever sort of holiday you want in April, these are the places to go for fun in the sun, and the best things to do when you arrive.

Valencia

Spain’s third city is seeing an increasing number of visitors, attracted by its many treasures. These range from the literal – such as the Holy Grail, which supposedly lies in the city’s cathedral – to the figurative, from its golden coastlines to the magnificent City of Arts and Sciences, the avant-garde modern symbol of Valencia that contains gardens, an IMAX cinema, a science museum and one of Europe’s largest aquariums.

Valencia’s main districts run in an almost straight line from south to north, from trendy, bohemian Ruzafa to Carmen, a favourite of locals and home to some of the city’s best bars and restaurants. In the middle is the charming Old Town, home to the city’s three main squares, including the picturesque Plaza de la Reina and Plaza de la Virgen.

Though walking through the city is a delight in most months, April brings temperate weather, and very little rain means entire days at the beaches Patacona and Las Arenas are possible, while it’d be remiss to not cycle at least part of the Turia Park, a six-mile long park that snakes along the old bed of the old Turia River.

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro has become Brazil’s tourism capital thanks to amazing landmarks, an infectious samba culture and some of the best beaches on the continent. There are few cities in the world that can compete with the number of…