There’s no better way to beat the winter blues than to escape grey skies. As beautiful as a crisp British winter’s day can be, from snow in Snowdonia to bright Brighton winter sun, the winter months can be long. An escape to warmer climes in the cooler months can make those dark days a little easier to bear, and help spring come around much sooner.
Of course, if you want a trip to the sun, especially during British winter, it does tend to mean travelling that bit farther – but a winter break to the tropics doesn’t have to break the bank. Choose the right destination, at the right time, and you can enjoy the winter sun with a wonderful price tag.
Here are seven of our favourite cheap tropical winter destinations.
1. The Canary Islands
Each Canary Island in this incredible archipelago has a unique draw and is a superb destination unto itself.
Cyclists love Lanzarote, surfers Fuerteventura, and hikers love Tenerife and Gran Canaria, but whichever island you visit, you won’t be lost for things to do. Plus, with over 300 days of sunshine a year, you’re almost guaranteed winter sun.
Low-cost airlines offer great rates on winter round trips to the Canaries, and plenty of fabulous resorts and Air Bnbs are as comfortable as they are competitively priced. Temperatures also hover somewhere in the balmy low 20s, even in January/February, making the Canary Islands an obvious choice for some budget-friendly winter warmth.
2. Madeira
Madeira is semi-tropical and situated right in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, so while hot sunny days aren’t guaranteed in winter, Madeira’s tropical attractions make it far more than a sun holiday.
For active holidaymakers, wintertime Madeira is heaven. An archipelago of four islands that enjoy mild weather all year round, it’s a place to escape the bitter British winter, without wilting in too-high temperatures.
Madeira is made for outdoor explorers. The mountains are lush and thick with beautiful forests, the coastlines are dramatic, ranging from golden strands to volcanic outcrops, and the Atlantic waters are crystal clear and filled with marine life. The islands are dotted with beautiful villages too. Hikers will particularly love the tranquillity, charm, and history of the system of 15th-century Levadas (irrigation channels) that can be walked for hundreds of kilometres.
Flights to Madeira from the UK are fairly inexpensive, especially in the winter off-season, with budget airlines running direct flights from various UK airports. Once you get there, you’ll find that some things are as expensive as they are in the UK or mainland Europe, because they’re imported.
The trick is to eat, stay, and buy local, where you’ll find inexpensive, welcoming, accommodation, delicious local produce, and affordable, reliable public transport and taxi services throughout the islands (right down to the famous local Madeira wine).
3. Agadir, Morocco
A bustling coastal city and busy fishing port stretched along Morocco’s Atlantic coast, right down in the south, Agadir is renowned for its nearly year-round sunshine but where it really starts to shine is its incredible value for money.
With low-cost flight operators flying to Agadir from airports all over the UK throughout winter, you can easily find yourself on the soft sands of southern Morocco for under £100. Once you get there, you’ll find lots of high-quality accommodation stretched along the beautiful coast, offering famous Moroccan hospitality at incredible rates.
There’s plenty to see and do here if you feel like rousing yourself from a sunbed during your stay, too. Agadir is snuggled right in the foothills of the Anti-Atlas Mountains where you can enjoy some fantastic walks and hikes, and visit some Berber villages to learn about the traditional way of life for Morocco’s indigenous people. Winter is also the perfect time to visit Paradise Valley, with warm mild weather and dry days showing this stunning Atlas oasis off at its best.
4. Costa Rica
It’s farther flung than many on our list, but tropical, beautiful Costa Rica offers an incredible bang for your buck and a tropical experience like no other. Costa Rica is astoundingly beautiful, with the most quintessentially tropical topography imaginable. Think Jurassic Park, but without those pesky dinosaurs – just thriving and rugged rainforests, verdant plant life, beautiful mountains, sloths and toucans, thundering waterfalls and azure pools, white sand beaches… a truly tropical paradise.
It may be a little more expensive to visit than many on our list, but what you get in Costa Rica is special, and worth every penny. If you eschew the package deals here and decide to get a bit intrepid, you can find some incredible accommodation. Here, away from the major resort areas, you’ll find smaller guesthouses that are comfortable, clean, and relatively inexpensive.
January is the dry season here, so you can be sure of long, hot, dry sunny days that will make you forget all about the biting British winter air, for a couple of weeks at least.
5. Bali, Indonesia
Beloved Bali is exotic, tropical, and beautiful, and during UK winter, it’s at its cheapest for you to enjoy (albeit not during the two weeks around Christmas, when it gets quite busy). You’ll enjoy temperatures up to 30°C, return flights from the UK for about £600, and an Indonesian experience you won’t forget.
Accommodation standards are great here and even the more luxurious resorts can be surprisingly affordable. You’ll find lots of wellness and yoga retreats, delicious food, phenomenal beaches, stunning landscapes, and luscious rainforests.
Don’t miss Ubud inland, where you can see Bali’s beautiful rice terraces and experience a little more of the ‘authentic’ Bali away from the most densely visited beach resorts. In fact, the more north you go in Bali, the more laid-back and ‘authentic’ an experience you’ll have. There are some wild, breathtaking, and very reasonably priced resorts along the northern coast, with fantastic snorkelling, diving, dining and hiking year-round.
6. Hurghada, Egypt
Hurghada is a real jewel on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, and an ideal budget-friendly tropical destination for UK travellers looking to feel a little warm sun on their skin during the cold months. Hurghada’s temperatures rarely drop below 20°C during the day so it’s pretty much guaranteed winter sun, though you may want to take a jumper or jacket for the evenings in January and February!
Hurghada is right up there with Sharm El Sheikh and Luxor as a prime winter escape. Even its more luxurious resorts with all-inclusive rates will probably surprise you with their reasonable prices. However, there are plenty of more budget-friendly options at a fraction of the cost of its fancier spots, which are still great quality.
You’ll be spoiled for things to do. The Red Sea is world-famous for its incredible coral reefs and colourful marine life, and many resorts offer private beach access where you can enjoy snorkelling, swimming, and lounging.
The Valley of the Kings and Luxor are magnificent ancient sights, too, and you can enjoy a day tour from Hurghada to witness them in all their glory for as little as £40. The pyramids are a little further afield, but you can fly there and back for a day trip from Hurghada for about £150, depending on the times and tour you choose.
7. Hanoi, Vietnam
A little further afield than some of our other cheap winter choices, Vietnam may cost more to fly to but, once you get there, you’ll eat, sleep, and travel like royalty, and it won’t cost the earth and moon. And what you get for your money is exceptional.
From the world-famous cuisine and welcoming people to a rich history and fascinating culture, Vietnam is a captivating experience for the senses, and there’s no better base from which to discover it than the vibrant and buzzing capital of Hanoi.
Take a trip to Ha Long Bay and cruise between the beautiful islands, go trekking through the rainforests and paddy fields of Pu Luong, witness the majesty of Ha Giang, and take food tours to discover some of Hanoi’s incredible eateries. Tours and experiences tend to be impeccably run and surprisingly cheap, and if you want to get even more tropical with a beach break, you can fly from Hanoi to Phu Quoc in the south for about £70!
Final thoughts…
If, like us, you dream of a little sunshine and warmth during the winter months, or you simply want to go somewhere to top up your Vitamin D when the sun disappears here, a tropical winter holiday is just the ticket.
And if you don’t want to splash out thousands upon thousands for the pleasure, it can take a little extra thought. Booking early is usually a good idea, with rates often rising as you get closer to your desired departure date when everyone else has had enough of the dark and cold, too, and the bookings start to increase.
Fare comparison websites will help you ensure you’re getting the best deal and are particularly good if you’re flexible with your dates and happy to avoid the peak Christmas weeks. Depending on the destination, you may find that a package deal is cheaper, or it might make more sense to choose your flights, transport, and accommodation.
And, of course, you can make sure you choose the right destination, which we hope you may have had some help in finding thanks to our list of the cheapest tropical destinations to visit this winter.
Will you be jetting off to any of the destinations listed above this winter? Or do you have other suggestions for cheap tropical destinations to visit? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.