Winter travel
In short
A beach holiday needs more than warm air: a daily high of about 24 °C (75 °F) and the sea at 22 °C (72 °F) or more. In November and March the Red Sea (Hurghada, Marsa Alam, Sharm el-Sheikh) and the Gulf states still manage that. From December to February it gets tight: then the nearest reliable options from Europe are Cape Verde, Oman and, farther out, Goa, the Caribbean and Southeast Asia. The Canary Islands and Madeira are mild in winter, around 20 °C (68 °F), but the sea is usually below 22 °C.
Climate tables often show the mean of day and night. For a vacation, what counts is the daily high and, at the coast, the sea temperature: 25 °C air with an 18 °C sea doesn't feel like a beach holiday. The table below uses the same rule the Wettergram app applies to beach destinations:
For each month, the five closest destinations that meet the rule. Distance is as the crow flies from Frankfurt, a rough guide to flight time from Central Europe. In November 14 of the 211 destinations in the Wettergram database qualify, in January only 9.
| Month | Destination | Distance | Air (high) | Sea | Rain days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November | Aqaba Jordan | 3,200 km | 27 °C | 25 °C | 1 |
| Hurghada Egypt | 3,300 km | 26 °C | 26 °C | 0 | |
| Sharm el-Sheikh Egypt | 3,300 km | 28 °C | 27 °C | 1 | |
| Marsa Alam Egypt | 3,600 km | 28 °C | 26 °C | 1 | |
| Dakar Senegal | 4,600 km | 30 °C | 28 °C | 0 | |
| December | Sharm el-Sheikh Egypt | 3,300 km | 24 °C | 25 °C | 0 |
| Marsa Alam Egypt | 3,600 km | 24 °C | 24 °C | 0 | |
| Dakar Senegal | 4,600 km | 29 °C | 25 °C | 0 | |
| Doha Qatar | 4,600 km | 25 °C | 23 °C | 1 | |
| Dubai UAE | 4,800 km | 26 °C | 25 °C | 1 | |
| January | Cape Verde (Sal) Cape Verde | 4,900 km | 25 °C | 24 °C | 0 |
| Muscat Oman | 5,200 km | 24 °C | 24 °C | 3 | |
| Salalah Oman | 5,500 km | 26 °C | 25 °C | 1 | |
| Goa India | 6,900 km | 31 °C | 27 °C | 1 | |
| Cartagena Colombia | 8,700 km | 31 °C | 28 °C | 4 | |
| February | Cape Verde (Sal) Cape Verde | 4,900 km | 25 °C | 23 °C | 1 |
| Muscat Oman | 5,200 km | 26 °C | 24 °C | 1 | |
| Salalah Oman | 5,500 km | 27 °C | 25 °C | 0 | |
| Goa India | 6,900 km | 32 °C | 28 °C | 0 | |
| Maldives Maldives | 7,900 km | 28 °C | 28 °C | 8 | |
| March | Hurghada Egypt | 3,300 km | 24 °C | 22 °C | 0 |
| Sharm el-Sheikh Egypt | 3,300 km | 27 °C | 23 °C | 1 | |
| Marsa Alam Egypt | 3,600 km | 26 °C | 23 °C | 0 | |
| Doha Qatar | 4,600 km | 27 °C | 23 °C | 2 | |
| Dubai UAE | 4,800 km | 29 °C | 24 °C | 2 |
Climate data: Open-Meteo long-term averages, as used by the Wettergram app. Not a forecast for any particular day. One destination is left out for safety reasons, as in the app.
The most popular short-haul winter destinations usually don't meet the beach rule. They're pleasantly mild instead, ideal for hiking, day trips and sun on the terrace. Plenty of people still swim; it's just refreshing.
| Destination | Nov | Dec | Jan | Feb | Mar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuerteventura 3,100 km | 23° / 23° | 21° / 21° | 20° / 20° | 20° / 19° | 22° / 19° |
| Lanzarote 3,000 km | 22° / 22° | 20° / 21° | 19° / 20° | 19° / 18° | 20° / 19° |
| Tenerife 3,200 km | 23° / 23° | 21° / 22° | 20° / 21° | 20° / 20° | 20° / 20° |
| Gran Canaria 3,200 km | 23° / 23° | 21° / 22° | 19° / 21° | 20° / 20° | 20° / 20° |
| Madeira 2,800 km | 21° / 23° | 20° / 21° | 18° / 20° | 18° / 19° | 19° / 19° |
| Agadir 2,700 km | 23° / 20° | 22° / 18° | 20° / 18° | 21° / 16° | 22° / 18° |
| Cyprus 2,600 km | 22° / 23° | 18° / 21° | 16° / 19° | 16° / 17° | 18° / 18° |
| Málaga 1,800 km | 20° / 16° | 17° / 16° | 16° / 16° | 17° / 15° | 19° / 15° |
Daily high / sea temperature, monthly average in °C. Distance as the crow flies from Frankfurt. On the islands, the south is usually warmer and sunnier than the north.
All values are long-term averages. They tell you what a month is normally like, not what your week will be like. A place with two rain days a month can still have three during your stay. For the days just before you leave, use the regular forecast.
As of October 23, 2026.
The matching app
Wettergram searches 211 destinations by your travel month and what you're after, such as beach and swimming or just warm, and ranks them by match. Plus local weather with a 14-day forecast. Completely free, for iPhone and iPad.
With at least 24 °C (75 °F) by day and a 22 °C (72 °F) sea, for example Cape Verde, Oman (Muscat, Salalah), Goa, Cartagena (Colombia) and Hawaii. The Red Sea and the Canary Islands are usually a little too cool for that in January.
Many people do, but from December to March the sea is usually only 18 to 21 °C and the air around 20 °C. The Canaries are mild and sunny in winter; swimming is on the refreshing side.
In Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Sharm el-Sheikh the sea is around 26 °C in November and still 24 to 25 °C in December. January and February are cooler; from March it's back around 22 to 23 °C.
As a rule of thumb, a daily high of about 24 °C (75 °F) or more and the sea at 22 °C (72 °F) or more, with few rain days. Air temperature alone is misleading: with an 18 °C sea, even a warm day doesn't feel like a beach holiday.
They show what a month is like on long-term average and are good for choosing where and when to go. They aren't a forecast for your week; that's what the weather report just before departure is for.