Over the past couple of weeks, I have had a number of queries from readers, all essentially asking the same thing: Where can they go to in November, other than the Canaries, for a blast of winter sunshine?
I know what they mean.
The Canaries is a great location for a week or two in the winter (or at any time of year, for that matter) but, after a while, if you’ve escaped to there on a number of occasions, you simply want a change of scenery.
There’s no straightforward answer, however, and there’s certainly no one-size-fits-all November destination.
It also depends, I suppose, on what exactly you mean by ‘winter sunshine’. For some people, that means guaranteed wall-to-wall sun of the 30C-plus variety.
If that’s your bag, then the likes of Abu Dhabi or Dubai will have obvious appeal, with temperatures hovering around the 30C mark. Although it’s long-haul, there are direct flights available from Dublin to both of these United Arab Emirates destinations.
Another long-haul location with hot November sunshine appeal is Bali in Indonesia. Again, temperatures will be around the 30C mark and you will be there ahead of the rainy season which kicks off in December.
Same goes for another popular destination – Mauritius, the island that lies off the coast of East Africa. Its ‘honeymoon location’ reputation tends to put others off (understandably) but if you can stand the sight of all that hand-holding and canoodling, then Mauritius is a lovely spot for a winter beach vacation.
Closer to home – and therefore not as costly in terms of airfares – I’d recommend the likes of Malta. With direct flights (about three-and-a-half-hours in the air with Ryanair) and also with a number of packages available (Concorde, Mercury Holidays, for example) you have plenty of options.
Temperatures are around 20C, so it’s pleasantly warm if not quite lying-on-a-beachall-day weather. And it’s an interesting island with plenty to see in its lovely, atmospheric capital of Valletta, in the stunning ‘silent city’ of Mdina, and in the coastal towns.
Morocco has long served as an alternative to the Canaries during the winter. Again, you’ll get heat in the very early 20Cs and you also have direct flights available.
Sunway is the Moroccan expert in package terms and you can choose from a number of specific locations in their portfolio from Agadir to Marrakesh to Essaouira.
If you are doing your own thing, on the other hand, then you could do worse than jumping on a Ryanair flight to Marrakesh. Who needs a beach when you have the buzz and bustle of such a fascinating city?
A slightly offbeat choice would be somewhere like the Cinque Terre in Italy. November here is pleasant (mid to high teens temperatures) and you get a chance to explore this gorgeous part of Italy when all the frenzy of the summer crowds has gone.
Distinctive for its five towns, as the name suggests, this coastline is famous for its colourful, cliff-hugging houses and the atmospheric streets of its towns and villages.
The town of Vernazza is a good base. The closest airport is Pisa (it’s a longer trek from Milan, but you’ll have more flight choices to there). From Pisa, catch the train to La Spezia and from there another train (15/20 minutes) to lovely Vernazza. You might never darken the Canaries’ door in November ever again!
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