When the UK flips to grey skies and 4pm sunsets, a decent chunk of the world is enjoying summer — or at least a very civilised spring. A new round-up of December winter-sun destinations makes the case for eight places where you can swap the thermals for swimwear, ranging from short-haul Canary Island hops to full-on Southern Hemisphere summer.
The usual European suspects deliver. The Canary Islands stay reliably mild: Gran Canaria averages around 20C with six hours of daily sunshine, and pairs beach time with real substance — the historic Vegueta quarter of Las Palmas, the Museo Canario's pre-colonial collection, and hiking among the ravines and the 80-metre volcanic Roque Nublo. Lanzarote (average 19C, highs nearer 22C) trades beaches for moonscapes: over 300 volcanic cones, guided walks in Timanfaya National Park, and the cave-and-tunnel arts space Jameos del Agua. Tenerife, the largest of the islands, tops out around 21C and offers Spain's highest mountain for a day's hiking — 3,715m Mount Teide — plus the cliffs of Los Gigantes and family-friendly resorts in the southwest. Further east, Cyprus is Europe's other winter outlier; Limassol averages 16C and brings a marina, Limassol Castle, the 2,000-year-old ruins at Amathus and swimmable beaches like Governor's Beach.
If you want actual heat, look further afield. Cancun comes out of its rainy season in December with highs around 30C, white-sand beaches on the Riviera Maya and diving on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef — plus Mayan ruins at El Rey, and day trips to Tulum and Chichen Itza. Bangkok averages 27C with nine hours of sun, and December falls in Thailand's dry, cooler season: ideal for temple-hopping between the Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew and the 20-acre Wat Pho complex, then diving into the street food chaos of Yaowarat Road and Chatuchak's markets.
Muscat in Oman is another sweet spot, hitting 23C with nine sunshine hours as the Gulf cools. The coastal capital mixes Old Muscat's low-rise charm with the two-mile Muttrah Corniche, one of the Arab world's oldest souks, and the Grand Mosque — with the Hajar Mountains and desert wadis within reach. Madeira sits at the cooler end of the list (17C, highs around 20C) but compensates with dramatic cliff walks and its famous levada hiking trails through mountain forest. And for those after a proper summer, December is peak season in Cape Town (23C, 11 hours of sun) and Sydney (21C, eight hours), where it's beach weather, harbour ferries and long evenings.
Who's it for? Anyone with December annual leave and a low tolerance for drizzle. Canary-hoppers get the cheapest, quickest fix with no time-zone jump; Cancun, Bangkok, Muscat, Cape Town and Sydney reward a longer trip with genuine heat and summer energy. Book the long-haul options early — December is their high season, not their quiet one.
