Where's warm in Europe in winter: the Canary Islands at 21 to 23°C by day, then Madeira, Cyprus, southern Spain and the Algarve. Average temperatures from national weather services, and flights from £28.
Written By Rick Blyth
Happiest at 36,000ft as the sun rises above the clouds
9 min read
Published on 26/10/2026
London in January: 8°C by day, and the sun's down before 5pm all month. So where in Europe can you go to warm up?
The Canary Islands. From December to February, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura reach 21 to 23°C by day. That's the average daytime high, the warmest part of a normal day. And in January the sun doesn't set there until after 6pm.
Flights are cheap, too. The cheapest one-city trip we found to Tenerife in December was £28 in flights per person. To Málaga in January, it was £35.
Madeira comes next, at about 20°C. Then come Cyprus, southern Spain and the Algarve, at 16 to 19°C. London averages 8 or 9°C.
Just beyond Europe, Agadir and Egypt's Red Sea coast are as warm as the Canaries. Marrakech is about 20°C by day.
Prices are flights only, per person: the cheapest trip leaving in that month, from any of our airports.
Pick a month. Each place sits at its average daytime high, with London at the bottom for comparison. The table under it has all three months, and the hours of daylight in mid-January.
| Place | Dec | Jan | Feb | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenerife | 23°C | 22°C | 22°C | 10½ hrs |
| Hurghada, Egypt | 23°C | 22°C | 23°C | 10½ hrs |
| Gran Canaria | 22°C | 21°C | 21°C | 10½ hrs |
| Lanzarote | 22°C | 21°C | 21°C | 10½ hrs |
| Fuerteventura | 22°C | 21°C | 21°C | 10½ hrs |
| Agadir | 22°C | 21°C | 22°C | 10½ hrs |
| Madeira | 21°C | 20°C | 20°C | 10¼ hrs |
| Marrakech | 20°C | 19°C | 21°C | 10¼ hrs |
| Paphos, Cyprus | 19°C | 17°C | 18°C | 10 hrs |
| Málaga | 18°C | 17°C | 18°C | 10 hrs |
| Alicante | 18°C | 17°C | 18°C | 9¾ hrs |
| Seville | 17°C | 16°C | 18°C | 9¾ hrs |
| Valencia | 17°C | 16°C | 17°C | 9¾ hrs |
| Faro | 17°C | 16°C | 17°C | 10 hrs |
| Malta | 17°C | 15°C | 16°C | 10 hrs |
| Palma de Mallorca | 17°C | 15°C | 16°C | 9¾ hrs |
| Lisbon | 15°C | 15°C | 16°C | 9¾ hrs |
| London | 9°C | 8°C | 9°C | 8¼ hrs |
The Canary Islands, by a distance. Tenerife averages 23°C by day in December, and Gran Canaria 22°C. The nights stay mild too, at about 15 to 16°C.
And they're among the cheapest flights of the month. The cheapest one-city trip leaving in December:
| Place | Daytime high | Flights from |
|---|---|---|
| Tenerife | 23°C | £28 |
| Gran Canaria | 22°C | £29 |
| Málaga | 18°C | £31 |
| Faro | 17°C | £30 |
| Malta | 17°C | £33 |
Madeira, at 21°C, has flights from 12 of our airports.
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January is the coolest month almost everywhere. Even so, the Canaries still average 21 to 22°C, and Madeira 20°C.
Southern Spain manages 16 or 17°C by day, and it's often sunny.
The cheapest one-city trip leaving in January:
| Place | Daytime high | Flights from |
|---|---|---|
| Tenerife | 22°C | £39 |
| Gran Canaria | 21°C | £40 |
| Málaga | 17°C | £35 |
| Valencia | 16°C | £33 |
| Seville | 16°C | £42 |
February warms up a little on the mainland. The Canaries stay at 21 or 22°C, and southern Spain climbs to 17 or 18°C.
🌅 Longer days: by mid-February, Málaga and Seville get nearly 11 hours of daylight, about an hour more than in mid-January.
The cheapest one-city trip leaving in February:
You won't sunbathe in Seville in January. But at about 16°C by day, it's perfect weather for walking round a city. London, by comparison, manages about 8°C.
On these city breaks, the light jacket comes off by lunchtime:
A few of the warmest winter trips we search are just outside Europe. They're still a direct flight.
Why go: Marrakech, in Morocco, is 19 to 21°C by day all winter. That's warmer than anywhere on mainland Spain.
🌙 Nights: cold, about 6°C in January.
✈️ Flights: from £30 in December.
🌡️ Temperature: 21 or 22°C, on Morocco's Atlantic coast.
✈️ Flights: 12 of our airports fly there.
🌡️ Temperature: 17 to 19°C, in Cyprus.
🗺️ Fun fact: strictly speaking, Cyprus is in Asia, but it's in the EU.
🌡️ Temperature: 22 or 23°C, in Egypt. That's as warm as Tenerife.
The Canaries are about four to five hours from the UK. Here are the shortest flight times:
📌 Key points
- The Canary Islands are the warmest places in Europe in winter, at 21 to 23°C by day.
- Madeira comes next, at about 20°C. Then Cyprus, southern Spain and the Algarve, at 16 to 19°C.
- Flights from £28 to Tenerife in December, and £35 to Málaga in January.
- Nights on the mainland are cold: Seville drops to about 6°C in January.
- You book each flight directly with the airline.
The Canary Islands. Tenerife averages 23°C by day in December. Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura average about 22°C.
The nights stay around 15 or 16°C. Madeira is next, at 21°C.
Southern Spain is mild rather than warm. Málaga and Alicante average 17°C by day in January, and Seville 16°C. The nights are cold.
For real warmth in January, try the Canary Islands, which are part of Spain. They average 21 or 22°C.
The Canaries, at 21 or 22°C, and Madeira, at 20°C. Málaga, Alicante and Seville reach about 18°C, and the days are about an hour longer than in January.
Málaga, Alicante, Faro and Seville are about two and a half to three hours from the UK. They average 16 to 18°C by day.
The Canaries are warmer, but about four to five hours away.
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Prices were found between the 23rd and the 26th of October 2026: flights only, per person, rounded up to the next pound. Fares change every day, so search for today's.
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