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Winter sun in Europe
19 places in Europe with the warmest winters on our records, ranked by the average daytime high from December to February. Every card shows the three winter months, how often it rains and what a budget day costs.
The warmest places in Europe from December to February
Ranked by the average daytime high across the three winter months. We only list places that stay open and lively in winter, so the small Greek islands, warm on paper but largely shut until spring, are left out. Europe in winter is mild rather than hot: these are places for walking, sightseeing and lunch outdoors, and only the warmest suit a swim.
Tenerife
Dec 23°/16° · Jan 20°/14° · Feb 20°/13° · ~11 wet days/monthMount Teide, Anaga Rural Park, Garachico rock pools, Masca Valley, Playa Jardín. Budget day from about €90.
Canary Islands
Dec 22°/16° · Jan 20°/15° · Feb 20°/14° · ~10 wet days/monthTeide, Dunas de Maspalomas, Los Gigantes, Jameos del Agua. Budget day from about €90.
Malaga
Dec 19°/11° · Jan 17°/9° · Feb 18°/11° · ~6 wet days/monthAlcazaba, Gibralfaro Castle, Picasso Museum, Atarazanas Market. Budget day from about €79.
Madeira
Dec 19°/14° · Jan 17°/13° · Feb 17°/12° · ~12 wet days/monthPico do Arieiro, Monte Palace, Porto Moniz pools, Cabo Girão, Funchal Old Town. Budget day from about €80.
Seville
Dec 17°/9° · Jan 16°/6° · Feb 19°/8° · ~6 wet days/monthGiralda tower, Alcázar gardens, flamenco, Metropol Parasol, jamón ibérico. Budget day from about €77.
Valencia
Dec 18°/9° · Jan 16°/6° · Feb 16°/7° · ~4 wet days/monthLonja de la Seda, Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, Mercado Central, Playa de la Malvarrosa. Budget day from about €74.
Crete
Dec 18°/11° · Jan 16°/9° · Feb 16°/8° · ~10 wet days/monthMinoan palace of Knossos, Samaria Gorge, Elafonisi pink sands, legendary Cretan cuisine. Budget day from about €85.
Valletta
Dec 18°/14° · Jan 15°/12° · Feb 16°/11° · ~6 wet days/monthSt. John’s Co-Cathedral, Upper Barrakka Gardens, Fort St. Elmo, Grand Harbour. Budget day from about €85.
Chania
Dec 18°/13° · Jan 16°/10° · Feb 15°/10° · ~10 wet days/monthVenetian Harbor, Lighthouse, Samaria Gorge, Seitan Limania, Firka Fortress. Budget day from about €80.
Cordoba
Dec 16°/7° · Jan 14°/4° · Feb 18°/6° · ~6 wet days/monthMezquita-Catedral, Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos, Roman Bridge, Plaza de la Corredera. Budget day from about €78.
Gozo
Dec 18°/16° · Jan 15°/13° · Feb 15°/13° · ~7 wet days/monthCittadella, Ggantija Temples, Blue Hole, Ramla Bay, Xwejni Salt Pans. Budget day from about €63.
Ibiza
Dec 17°/12° · Jan 14°/9° · Feb 16°/9° · ~4 wet days/monthDalt Vila,Es Vedrà,Ses Salines,Cala Comte. Budget day from about €130.
Rhodes
Dec 17°/10° · Jan 15°/7° · Feb 15°/7° · ~11 wet days/monthPalace of the Grand Master, Acropolis of Lindos, Mandraki Harbour, Old Town. Budget day from about €73.
Mallorca
Dec 16°/8° · Jan 14°/5° · Feb 16°/6° · ~4 wet days/monthLa Seu Cathedral, Serra de Tramuntana, Cap de Formentor, Valldemossa. Budget day from about €105.
Lisbon
Dec 16°/11° · Jan 14°/8° · Feb 16°/9° · ~8 wet days/monthAlfama Fado, Tram 28, Jerónimos Monastery, pastel de nata at Pastéis de Belém. Budget day from about €81.
Sicily
Dec 17°/11° · Jan 14°/9° · Feb 15°/8° · ~10 wet days/monthValley of the Temples, Mount Etna, Teatro Massimo, Duomo di Siracusa, Erice. Budget day from about €100.
Granada
Dec 15°/5° · Jan 13°/3° · Feb 16°/5° · ~7 wet days/monthAlhambra, Generalife, Albaicín, Cathedral of Granada, Sacromonte. Budget day from about €73.
Athens
Dec 15°/8° · Jan 13°/6° · Feb 13°/6° · ~7 wet days/monthParthenon, Ancient Agora, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Plaka. Budget day from about €83.
Nice
Dec 14°/6° · Jan 12°/5° · Feb 14°/6° · ~6 wet days/monthPromenade des Anglais, Colline du Château, Place Masséna, Cours Saleya, Vieux Nice. Budget day from about €106.
Common questions
Where is the warmest place in Europe in winter?
On our three years of weather records, the warmest winter daytime averages on this list are Tenerife (21°C), Canary Islands (21°C), Malaga (18°C). The Canary Islands and Madeira, where they appear, owe it to their position far south in the Atlantic.
Is it warm enough to swim in Europe in winter?
Only just, and only in the far south. The sea around the Canary Islands stays at roughly 19–20°C in winter; the Mediterranean drops to about 14–17°C. Most visitors come for sunshine and mild walking weather rather than beach days.
How did you rank these places?
We picked places that stay open in winter, then sorted them by warmth. Each destination has three years (2021–2023) of daily weather for one point where visitors stay, from Open-Meteo's ERA5 archive; the order is the average daytime high for December, January and February.
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Plan my winter trip →Weather: Open-Meteo ERA5 archive, daily values 2021–2023, one representative point per destination (average daily high / low; a wet day is 1 mm of rain or more). Costs: TonyPlan budget-day estimates for 2026 (bed sharing a double, food, sights, local transport), in euros at recent rates. Flights not included. Event dates change: always confirm with the organiser before you book.