A historic port town situated between desert and coast with crystal beaches, coral reefs, and 26C temperatures has topped easyJet’s Holiday Hotlist with optimum conditions to beat the winter blues

  • A sun-soaked Red Sea resort with crystal-clear waters, bright coral reefs, and off-season temperatures reaching 26C has topped a new holiday hotlist charting the best winter sun destinations.

  • Hurghada on Egypt’s Red Sea coastline has placed second, followed by familiar sun-seeker favourites Gran Canaria and Lanzarote

  • The holiday ‘hotlist’ ranks destinations based on accessibility from multiple UK airports, winter temperatures, monthly rainfall, time difference with UK and hospitality costs

  • easyJet flights from £20.99

  • easyJet Holidays beach packages start from £255

LONDON, UK: With no sun in sight and freezing conditions set to sweep across the UK this week, families are chasing affordable sunshine abroad this winter for some much-needed vitamin D.

A new ‘Holiday Hotlist’ index has been published that factors in criteria such as typical winter temperature, hours of sunshine per day, time difference with UK and average price of a meal out for four to pinpoint the best spots for winter sun.

Top of the pile, a Red Sea resort known for its crystal-clear waters, pristine sand beaches, and vivid coral reefs primed for scuba-diving. Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt sits perfectly between the Sinai desert and the Red Sea coast, offering a peaceful sun trap this half term. With reliable hot temperatures averaging between 24C and 26C and less than 1mm of precipitation during the off-season months, this resort poses the ideal choice for a mid-term recharge.

Offering 10 hours of sunlight, travellers can explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Saint Catherine’s Monastery or book a guided camel trek across the Sinai desert.

Reachable directly from nine UK airports via easyJet routes Egypt could double up as an unlikely WFH (Work from Holiday) destination, just two hours ahead of the UK – perfect for those who feel tied to the school holiday schedule but are looking to get away this winter.

A close runner up, also known for its Red Sea coastline and crystal-clear waters, is Hurghada. Located on the east coast of Egypt, this resort destination has earned a well-deserved second place spot on the hotlist, thanks to its year-round sunshine, vibrant coral reefs and Saharan landscapes primed for family friendly excursions such as quad biking or Jeep safari.

With typical winter temperatures that range between 21C and 25C, this gilded retreat offers up everything that can be expected when desert meets sea. A necessary respite from the humble grey tones of the UK at this time of year.

The Canary Islands remain steadfast in their reliability in delivering winter warmth, picking up third and fourth place for Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. Both spots offer volcanic vistas and lively resort activity – the former replete with golden beaches, the latter etched with unique black sands- as well as unbelievable value hospitality, where you’re able to find a pint for just £3.

The winter sun holiday hotlist

Rank

Destination

Typical winter temperature

Hours of sunshine per day

Winter precipitation

Time difference with UK

Average pint

Average price of a meal out for 4

Flights

Holidays*

1

Sharm El Sheikh

24-26C

9-10

<1mm

+2hr

£2.50

£65

£97.99

£660

2

Hurghada – Egypt

21-25C

9-10

~1mm

+2hr

£1.75

£48

£100.99

£650

3

Gran Canaria – Canary Islands, Spain

20-22C

7-8

15-20mm

0hr

£1.75

£68

£29.99

£560

4

Lanzarote – Canary Islands, Spain

21-22C

7-8

10-20mm

0hr

£2.20

£65

£23.99

£600

5

Agadir – Morocco

19-23C

7.5-8.5

28-40mm

0hr

£1.75

£34

£20.99

£560

6

Fuerteventura – Canary Islands, Spain

20-22C

6-7

10-15mm

0hr

£2.20

£50

£30.99

£500

7

Tenerife South – Canary Islands, Spain

18-22C

7-8

15-30mm

0hr

£2.20

£43

£23.99

£530

8

Djerba – Tunisia

16-18C

7-8

18-25mm

+1hr

£1.30

£36

£25.13

£440

9

Seville – Spain

16-22C

6-8

30-45mm

0hr

£2.20

£45

£34.99

£255

10

Paphos – Cyprus

17-19C

7-8

40-60mm

+2hr

£2.65

£48

£37.99

£450

Djerba, which sits just off Tunisia’s southern coast, also ranks well in the hotlist for a winter getaway thanks to its white sandy beaches and towering palm trees. The island blends Mediterranean coastline and Saharan influences, rich cultural heritage and a maze of artisanal market stalls. With winter highs of 16-18C, this island is perfect for those looking for culture as well as warm climes.

For those seeking more city and less sea this February, Seville – the warmest city in continental Europe all year round – also scores highly. Renowned for its elegant Moorish architecture, this charming southern Spanish city will bowl you over offering the chance to explore its regal quarters and flamenco recitals. With generous temperatures of 22C, being followed around the plazas by the sun’s golden glow is practically guaranteed, inviting you to eventually settle for a family meal for four at £45 .

Kevin Doyle, easyJet’s UK country manager, said:

“With many of us ready for a break from grey skies, damp days and chilly temperatures, now is the perfect time to book an escape to warmer climes. easyJet’s unrivalled network for flights and package holidays, offers a fantastic range of family-friendly winter sun destinations across Europe and beyond, from Sub-Saharan islands to Spanish peninsula cities that are all easily accessible and affordable, for those looking to chase the sun on a budget and with ease during the long winter months.”

As the largest UK airline flying 50 million passengers to and from the UK a year on over 640 routes to more than 140 destinations across 35 countries, easyJet is making it even easier for travellers to discover some of the best winter sun resorts this year.

easyJet Holidays has a huge range of beach packages to Europe’s most loved destinations, with packages including flights, hotel, with 23kg luggage and transfers on beach holidays, all covered by its Ultimate Flexibility, offering freedom to change a booking, a refund guarantee, and best price guarantee.

Notes to editors

* Prices pp based on 2 sharing for 7 nights - except for Seville which is based on 3 nights (city destination)

Methodology:

The Holiday Hotlist takes live and publicly available data to rank holiday destinations optimum for travel during the UK winter months. Compiling research on average temperatures, hours of sunlight per day, monthly precipitation levels, time difference from the UK, the average cost of a beer and a meal for two and accessibility from a range of UK airports, the analysis focused on the core winter travel period between January and March.

Data for temperatures, hours of sunshine, and precipitation levels was sourced from a range of publicly available and reputable meteorological databases for a wider selection of averages. The cost for the price of a pint and a meal out for two was developed by reference to consumer-facing cost comparison platforms and localised hospitality reports, converted into GBP. All shortlisted destinations were verified as being served by direct easyJet routes from UK airports, based on easyJet’s published schedules and route maps current at the time of compilation.

About easyJet

easyJet is one of Europe’s largest airlines offering a unique and winning combination of the best route network connecting Europe's primary airports with great value fares and friendly service.

easyJet flies on more of Europe’s most popular routes than any other airline and carried 100 million passengers in 2025. The airline has over 350 aircraft flying on over 1,200 routes to more than 160 airports across 35 countries. Over 300 million Europeans live within one hour's drive of an easyJet airport.

easyJet aims to be a good corporate citizen, employing people on local contracts in nine countries across Europe in full compliance with national laws and recognising their trade unions. The airline supports several local charities and has a corporate partnership with UNICEF which has raised over £17m for the most vulnerable children since it was established in 2012.

In 2022, easyJet published its roadmap to net zero by 2050. The roadmap, which also features a combination of fleet renewal, operational efficiencies, airspace modernisation, Sustainable Aviation Fuel and carbon removal technology, has set an ambitious interim carbon emissions intensity reduction target of 35% by 2035, validated by the Science-based targets initiative (SBTi). The airline’s ultimate aim is to fully transition its fleet to zero carbon emission technology, which it will achieve through a number of strategic partnerships including with Airbus, Rolls-Royce and GKN Aerospace Solutions. Since 2000, the airline has successfully reduced its carbon emissions per passenger, per kilometre by one-third and is the number 1 ESG rated airline in Europe by Sustainalytics, MSCI and CDP.

Innovation is in easyJet’s DNA – since launching over 30 years ago, easyJet changed the way people fly to the present day where the airline leads the industry in digital and operational innovations to make travel more easy and affordable for its passengers.

In 2023 easyJet was named by TIME as one of the World’s Best Companies and a Leader in Diversity 2024 by The Financial Times.

About easyJet holidays:

easyJet holidays, launched in 2019, is a leading package holiday provider operating from the UK, Switzerland, Germany, and France. In 2024, it took over 2.5 million customers on holiday. Named UK & Ireland Travel Company of the Year 2024, it offers great value beach and city breaks to more than 8,000 hotels across 100+ destinations in Europe and North Africa. Holidays can be booked via its website or 7,000+ travel agents. ATOL-protected packages start from a £60 deposit per person and include flights, accommodation, 23kg luggage, and transfers on beach breaks. easyJet holidays is ABTA member and offers Ultimate Flexibility with booking changes, a refund guarantee, and Best Price Guarantee.

Winner of the Sustainable Future Award, easyJet holidays’ ‘Holiday Better’ strategy focuses on making more sustainable holidays mainstream, minimising tourism impacts, and embedding sustainability in its business. It partners with UN Tourism to develop an ESG framework for tourism, creating tools to measure industry impact on people, planet, and prosperity.

easyJet holidays was also named one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work in 2023, 2024, and 2025.