When the thermostat sulks at 5°C and daylight feels rationed, there’s a simple, stubborn question on British lips: where is actually warm in December? Not a tepid “might swim if brave” warm, but the kind that loosens your shoulders and smells faintly of sunscreen and grilled fish. Let’s find the real heat for winter 2025.
“Just anywhere bright,” she murmured, a half-laugh that sounded like hope. A man in a wool coat nodded at nothing, as if remembering how sand gives way underfoot.
It struck me that December is more mood than month. Back home is casserole weather and shrunken days; elsewhere it’s mangoes and a sea that remembers summer. The gap is vast, yet a boarding pass shrinks it to nothing. The trick is choosing. And choosing well.
Here’s the thing no one tells you until you ask: heat comes in bands.
Where is warm in December 2025?
Short haul first. The Canary Islands — Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura — sit in that sweet 20–23°C daytime zone, with 6–7 hours of sunshine and Atlantic water around 20–21°C. Madeira is softer, mid-teens to low 20s, all bougainvillea and levadas. Agadir in Morocco often nudges 22°C and feels like someone turned the light on.
Middle distance brings more punch. Egypt’s Red Sea (Hurghada, Sharm el Sheikh) hits 22–25°C with bath-warm water; Dubai and Abu Dhabi float at 26–28°C under cobalt skies, and Oman’s coast is velvety at 27–29°C. Cape Verde sits 24–26°C with a friendly breeze that can become a proper trade wind. The Gambia is dry, golden and 31–33°C — safari sunsets and palm-fringed beaches in one line of latitude.
Long haul is where the mercury climbs and the rhythm slows. The Caribbean — Barbados, St Lucia, Jamaica — has 28–30°C days and turquoise that doesn’t argue. The Maldives and Mauritius hover around 28–30°C, Seychelles whispers 30°C with warm showers. Thailand’s Andaman coast (Phuket, Krabi) is in prime season at 30–32°C and gleaming. Mexico’s Yucatán (Cancún, Tulum) runs 28–29°C, Florida stays beachable, and Cape Town feels like a European summer, only bigger.
How to pick your perfect winter-sun break
Start with three filters: heat tolerance, flight time, and water worship. If 21°C is plenty, keep it simple with the Canaries or Morocco — four hours, minimal faff. If you crave pool-like seas and guaranteed sun, step to the mid-haul Gulf or Egypt. Long haul buys you lush warmth and postcard moods, but also jet lag and a longer sit. *Choose like you shop for coats: by feel, not just the label.*
Snapshot choices help. For the 26–29°C sweet spot without too many hours in the air, the UAE and Oman are easy wins, with family-friendly hotels and new openings for winter 2025. For value, Egypt’s Red Sea often undercuts the Gulf while matching water temps. Want barefoot luxe? Maldives and Barbados deliver that heady “days have edges but no corners” sensation. Prefer a city-beach mix? Cape Town pairs table-topped drama with Clifton sand and winelands, then adds penguins like a mic drop.
The mistake most Brits make is chasing the absolute hottest place, not the best-fit place. We’ve all had that moment where the pool looks perfect online and the wind steals your towel in real life. Look at wind and rain charts as much as temperature, and remember Christmas week is the price spike of the year. Let’s be honest: nobody really does that every day.
“Pick the climate first, not the destination. The right heat is a personality match,” says a travel planner who books winter-sun trips for a living.
- Short haul: 20–23°C — Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Agadir
- Mid haul: 24–29°C — Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Red Sea Egypt
- Long haul: 28–31°C — Barbados, St Lucia, Maldives, Phuket
- Wildcards: Cape Verde for trade-wind beaches; Cape Town for big-sky summer
The smart way to chase December sun
There’s a rhythm to getting this right. Book early December for quieter resorts and softer prices; the week before Christmas is still friendly, then the graph goes vertical. Use flight-time bands as your guardrails: 4–5 hours for Canaries and Morocco; about 7 hours for the Gulf; 8–10 for the Caribbean and Mexico; 10–12 for Indian Ocean and southern Africa. If you’re travelling with kids, schedule arrivals by late afternoon local time so the first evening feels like a treat, not a test.
Luggage is another quiet win. You need fewer clothes than you think and better fabrics than you planned. A light jumper helps on breezy Atlantic evenings; a travel-size after-sun is worth its weight. If you swim daily, pack a second swimsuit so one can dry. For the Canaries and Cape Verde, note the wind — a sheltered hotel or cove can transform the day. For Thailand and the Caribbean, pack reef-safe sunscreen and happy feet.
Here’s a simple rule that stops the doom scroll: pick by sea temperature when you’re a swimmer, pick by evening temperature when you’re a diner.
Consider two real trips. A family from Leeds chose Tenerife in early December: 21°C days, 20°C sea, and a villa that looked over black-sand coves. They swam most afternoons and wore light layers at dinner — the kids slept by nine, the stars did their best. Meanwhile, a couple from Bristol flew to Dubai for a long weekend: 27°C by the pool, warm water, a sunset dhow cruise, and a short taxi to shawarma. Both came back the right kind of tired.
Beyond the anecdotes, the numbers help. The Red Sea often clocks 9 hours of daylight and sea temps around 23–24°C in December. Dubai averages 8–9 hours of sunshine, with humidity a far gentler guest than in summer. Thailand’s west coast sits in its dry season; average rainfall falls off a cliff compared to October. Cape Town is full summer — expect 25–28°C days and an ocean that can be bracing, which is half the thrill.
Price patterns have their own weather. Early December bargains are real, mid-month stabilises, Christmas breaks climb fast, New Year’s week climbs faster. Flight demand to the Caribbean and Indian Ocean remains high, though new capacity is quietly easing fares to the Gulf. Package deals to Egypt are sharp, and direct flights to Tenerife and Lanzarote are plentiful. If you’re mixing cities and coast — Bangkok then Krabi, say — fly open-jaw and let the route do the work.
Where to go for winter sun in 2025: the shortlist
If you want warmth without a long sit, Tenerife and Gran Canaria are still the reliable friends — 20–23°C, a soft Atlantic and enough hiking or tapas to keep you honest. For a step up in heat with glossy ease, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Muscat are smooth, sun-baked and surprisingly varied. For water like silk at sunset, Egypt’s Red Sea keeps delivering. If your heart wants coconut trees and slow mornings, Barbados, St Lucia and the Maldives are your sigh-in-the-shoulders picks.
Cape Verde is moodier but magical: big skies, breezy beaches, music that hangs in the air. Thailand is peak-season joy, all lime juice and long-tail boats. Cape Town is summer drama, where your camera gets happier by the hour. What ties them together isn’t just temperature — it’s that December feeling of stepping out of a plane into a different kind of day. Pick your version of bright and lean into it.
| Point clé | Détail | Intérêt pour le lecteur |
|---|---|---|
| Flight-time bands | 4–5h Canaries/Morocco; ~7h Gulf/Egypt; 8–12h Caribbean/Indian Ocean | Match warmth with travel tolerance |
| Heat profiles | 20–23°C short haul; 26–29°C mid haul; 28–31°C long haul | Set realistic expectations for comfort |
| Timing & price | Early December value; Christmas–New Year premium | Save money and avoid crowds |
FAQ :
- Where is the closest reliable warmth from the UK in December?The Canary Islands. Expect 20–23°C days, plenty of sun, and swimmable seas around 20–21°C.
- Is Dubai too hot in December?No — it’s the sweet spot. Around 26–28°C with low humidity, warm water and long, clear days.
- Where has the warmest sea in December within 7 hours?Egypt’s Red Sea and the Gulf. Think 23–25°C water, perfect for long swims and diving.
- What’s the best-value long-haul winter-sun destination?Mexico’s Yucatán and parts of the Caribbean outside the big-name islands often undercut the Indian Ocean while staying hot and bright.
- When’s the best time to book for December 2025?Spring to early autumn for the widest choice and fair prices. Early December dates hold value longest; Christmas week sells out early.
December sun is less about escaping winter and more about choosing your version of light. Some people want warm walks and coffee outside; others want poolside novels and a sea that feels like kindness. Temperature sets the scene, but what you do with it is the story. If a place makes you breathe out on arrival, that’s your map. And if someone asks where is warm in December, you’ll have an answer that’s not just weather — it’s a picture you can step into.
