The Sunniest Winter Destinations

To escape the grey northern winter, head where the sun is reliable – often exactly where it’s summer. In South Africa (Cape Town), the sun shines an average of 10.3 hours a day from December to February, at around 26 °C.

This ranking lists the destinations with the most sunshine in December, January and February – limited to places that are also pleasantly warm, with an average daily high of at least 20 °C. Many lie in the Southern Hemisphere, where the northern winter falls in the summer months. Surprisingly, the popular Canary Islands (Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura) sit just outside the top spots with around 7.5 hours of sun a day – Egypt, the Gulf and the Caribbean get even more reliable winter sun.