The Warmest Places in Europe in Winter
The warmest place in Europe in winter is the Canary Islands, where Tenerife and Gran Canaria hold a December daytime high near 22°C (72°F) — while London shivers around 9°C. Below is every serious winter-sun escape in Europe, ranked by real climate data: average December and January highs, sea temperature and hours of sun. No vibes, just numbers.
If you want warmth in a European winter, the geography is blunt: the further south and the more sea around you, the better. The clear winner is the Canary Islands, which are technically Spanish but physically African — they sit at the latitude of the Sahara, roughly 1,300 km south of mainland Spain. That buys you a December that feels like a mild English June.
After the Canaries come the other Atlantic and Mediterranean warm spots — Madeira, Cyprus, Malta, southern Spain, Sicily and the Algarve. Every ranking below is built from published climate normals, not one traveller's lucky week. The travel blogs that fill this search all list roughly the same places; what none of them do is put the actual numbers side by side. So that is what this page is.
Europe's Warmest Winter Destinations, Ranked
Ranked by average December daytime high. “Sea” is the typical December sea-surface temperature; “Sun” is average daily sunshine hours in midwinter. Figures are rounded monthly normals — see Sources.
| # | Destination | Dec high | Jan high | Sea | Sun/day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canary IslandsTenerife / Gran Canaria (Spain) | ~22°C / 72°F | ~21°C / 70°F | ~21°C | ~6 hrs |
| 2 | Madeira (Funchal)Portugal | ~20°C / 68°F | ~19°C / 66°F | ~21°C | ~5.5 hrs |
| 3 | Cyprus (Paphos / Larnaca)Eastern Mediterranean | ~19°C / 66°F | ~17°C / 63°F | ~18–19°C | ~6 hrs |
| 4 | Malta (Valletta)Central Mediterranean | ~17°C / 63°F | ~16°C / 61°F | ~18°C | ~5.5 hrs |
| 5 | SevilleAndalusia (Spain) | ~17°C / 63°F | ~16°C / 61°F | — | ~5.5 hrs |
| 6 | Costa del Sol (Málaga)Andalusia (Spain) | ~17°C / 63°F | ~17°C / 63°F | ~16–17°C | ~6 hrs |
| 7 | Sicily (Catania / Palermo)Italy | ~16–17°C / 61–63°F | ~15–16°C / 59–61°F | ~17°C | ~5 hrs |
| 8 | Algarve (Faro)Portugal | ~16–17°C / 61–63°F | ~16°C / 61°F | ~16°C | ~6 hrs |
| 9 | Crete (Heraklion)Greece | ~16°C / 61°F | ~15°C / 59°F | ~17°C | ~4.5 hrs |
| 10 | AthensGreece | ~15°C / 59°F | ~13°C / 55°F | ~16°C | ~4 hrs |
For scale: London, Paris and Berlin all average a December high of just 6–9°C with barely 1–2 hours of sun a day. Every destination above is at least 8°C warmer.
Why the Canary Islands Win Every Year
The Canaries are not really competing with the rest of Europe — they are competing with North Africa, and winning on comfort. Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote sit between 27 and 29°N, the same band as Marrakech and the Florida Keys. Three things stack up in their favour in winter:
- Latitude. This far south, the midwinter sun is still high enough to warm the ground meaningfully — something no mainland European resort can offer in December.
- The ocean thermostat. The surrounding Atlantic barely changes temperature between seasons, holding around 20–21°C even in January. That keeps nights mild and days stable.
- The trade winds and terrain. The islands' volcanic peaks split the weather: the sunny, dry south (Playa de las Américas, Maspalomas) sits in a rain shadow, which is why the resorts cluster there.
The practical upshot: in the south of Tenerife or Gran Canaria you can reasonably expect short-sleeve afternoons, a swimmable sea and six hours of sunshine in the depths of winter. Nowhere else that is politically European comes close on all three at once.
Month by Month: Where to Go When
October & November
The whole Mediterranean is still warm. Cyprus, Malta, Sicily, Crete and southern Spain all hold highs in the low-to-mid 20s in October, easing into the high teens by late November. The sea is at its warmest of the whole winter half-year, having soaked up the summer.
December
The Mediterranean cools and the Atlantic islands pull ahead. The Canaries (~22°C) and Madeira (~20°C) are now clearly the warmest, with Cyprus (~19°C) the best of the Med. This is when the gap between “southern Europe” and “the Atlantic islands” opens up.
January & February
Europe's coldest weeks — and the moment the Canaries and Madeira are effectively unrivalled, still delivering 19–21°C highs and a 20°C sea. The Mediterranean options dip to the mid-teens and turn showery; go west (Atlantic) for reliability.
The Same Regions Own Europe's Heat
It is no coincidence that the warmest winter escapes sit in the same southern belt that holds Europe's summer heat records. Sicily — a solid winter option at ~16°C — also logged Europe's highest temperature ever, 48.8°C at Siracusa in August 2021. Southern Spain and the Greek islands trade blows for the hottest summers on the continent. If you want the other end of the story, see the hottest temperatures ever recorded in Europe and the hottest places in Europe by average summer heat. For the northern contrast — and why so many Britons flee south in winter — see the hottest and coldest places in the UK.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the warmest place in Europe in winter?
The Canary Islands. Southern Tenerife and Gran Canaria average a ~22°C (72°F) December high with a 21°C sea — far warmer than anywhere on the European mainland, because the islands sit at Saharan latitude off West Africa.
Where is hot in Europe in December?
Ranked by December high: the Canary Islands (~22°C), Madeira (~20°C), Cyprus (~19°C), then Malta and southern Spain (~17°C). The Atlantic islands stay warmest through the deep winter.
Is anywhere in Europe warm enough to swim in winter?
Yes — the Canary Islands and Madeira keep a ~20–21°C sea in December, warmer than the UK sea ever gets in summer. Cyprus, Malta and Sicily sit near 17–19°C: cool, but doable.
Which European city has the most winter sunshine?
The Canary Islands, Cyprus and Madeira all average roughly 6 hours of sun a day in December — about four times what northern Britain manages — with southern Spain and Malta close behind.
Keep Exploring
Compare the summer side of the same map in the hottest places in Europe, see where these regions rank globally in the hottest places on Earth, browse decades of records for Spain, Italy and Greece, or look up the historical weather for any date and place.
Sources
Monthly climate normals are drawn from national meteorological services (AEMET for Spain, IPMA for Portugal/Madeira, the Cyprus and Hellenic met services) as compiled in Wikipedia climate tables, cross-checked against climate-data.org and Climates to Travel. Sea-surface temperatures and sunshine hours are typical December normals for each coastal location. Figures are rounded and represent long-term averages, not any single year's weather.