What are the best warm places to visit in December in Europe?? From parts of Spain to the islands of Malta and Greece, there are some good pockets of warm weather in Europe in December. Whether you want a warm and sunny Christmas and New Year, or you want to get away in early December before the kids break up for school, here are the warmest places to visit in December in Europe based on the highest average daytime temperature in December.
Before we get into this list, please remember that you will not get hot days in December in Europe and the weather can really vary with grey and rainy days in these destinations in December too! However, if you are travelling from the UK or Northern Europe with close to freezing temperatures in December, these destinations will be warm in comparison, but a light jacket for the daytime and perhaps a thicker jacket for the evening will be needed!
For example, I went to Antalya in December the other year. We had 2 warm and sunny days and 2 with rain, however we had a hotel with a heated outdoor swimming pool so we still got to enjoy being outside in a pool (even if it was cold getting out!) and even on the wet days, it was still relatively warm.
If you want guaranteed hot weather, see my list of the best places to travel in December for hot weather!
1. CANARY ISLANDS, SPAIN – 19°C
Of all the warmest places to visit in Europe in December, the Canary Islands top the list, with daytime temperatures reaching a balmy 19°C, nights rarely dropping below 13°C, and around 6 hours of sunshine a day, more than almost anywhere else on this list. Best of all, flights from the UK are extremely cheap to the Canary Islands right now as long as you avoid the school holidays. £40.00 return flights for some winter sun, yes please!
If you want a ‘holiday’ feel, book a hotel or apartment with a heated outdoor swimming pool and enjoy the activities and hiking on offer in the Canary Islands in December. Many people head to the Canary Islands for Christmas and December in Santa Cruz de Tenerife brings elaborate Christmas lights strung across the main squares, along with nativity scenes known locally as belenes displayed throughout the old town, a lively lead up to the island’s famous Carnival so you won’t feel like you’re missing out.
Related posts: Tenerife Road Trip Guide! Itinerary, Places To Visit, Car Hire! / 14 BEST Places to Visit in Tenerife! Off-The-Beaten-Path!
2. LARNACA & AYIA NAPA, CYPRUS – 18°C
Cyprus is consistently one of the warmest places to visit in December, and Larnaca and Ayia Napa keep the streak going with daytime highs around 18°C, nights settling at a mild 9°C, and roughly 6 hours of sunshine most days.
You might know Ayia Napa as the party place in summer but come December the marina transforms into a Christmas Village, complete with an ice rink, market stalls and twinkling lights along the harbour, but if you want a holiday away from Christmas you can enjoy Ayia Napa beach walks, the old towns and hiking routes around Larnaca.
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Alicante is a great spot to visit in Spain because the temperature stays mild along Spain’s Costa Blanca, with daytime temperatures around 17°C, nights cooling to 7°C, and about 5 hours of sunshine a day, enough for lingering lunches on a terrace.
December’s quieter pace makes it a good time to climb up to Santa Barbara Castle above Alicante old town, and the Explanada promenade is just as pleasant for a midwinter stroll as it is in summer. You can also get out of Alicante and visit nearby Benidorm without the summer crowds, do a road trip to find quiet old towns and castles up on the hills like we did the other winter in Alicante.
Related post: Visiting Alicante With a Baby – Why it’s a GOOD idea!
4. AZORES, PORTUGAL – 17°C
The Azores sit further out in the Atlantic so it’s not as easy to get to as mainland Portugal however for some winter sun adventure, the Azores is the place to go! While daytime highs still reach a pleasant 17°C and nights stay around a mild 12°C, this is one for those chasing gentle temperatures and a unique destination over guaranteed sunshine.
The natural thermal pools at Furnas on São Miguel are especially inviting this time of year, a warm, steamy contrast to the cooler, cloudier weather outside and there are plenty of hiking opportunities in comfortable weather.
5. MALTA — 17°C
Malta holds onto its reputation as one of the warmest places to visit in winter in Europe, with daytime temperatures around 17°C, nights around 11°C, and close to 5 hours of sunshine most days, plenty for exploring the capital of Valletta’s old streets and eateries in a comfortable way.
Visiting Malta in December is more about exploring the old forts, castles and old towns dotted around the island instead of sunbathing and beaches. Also, Christmas is a genuinely big deal here: Malta has a long standing tradition of elaborate handmade nativity cribs, known as presepju, that fill churches and shop windows across the capital, alongside Valletta’s Christmas Village market on Republic Street so it’s a great way to mix a Christmas trip with some sunshine!
Related post: 10 FUN Things To Do In Mellieha, Malta!
6. CRETE, GREECE — 17°C
Crete is one of the more reliably warm places to visit in Greece in December. Is it known to have some rainy day but this is not the majority and with daytime highs of 17°C, nights dropping to a cooler 9°C, and around 4 hours of sunshine a day it’s a great pick. With that being said, like many places in Greece in the winter months, many shops, restaurants and hotels are closed on the island so you are better off basing yourself in the main towns where people live like Chania.
For things to do in December in Crete, December falls in the middle of the olive harvest, when groves across the island are picked and pressed, giving visitors a chance to see fresh olive oil production up close. You can even join tours and activities like a cooking class with a local, and hiking is another great thing to do!
7. SANTORINI, GREECE — 16°C
Santorini cools slightly compared to Crete, with daytime temperatures around 16°C, nights around 11°C, and roughly 4 hours of sunshine a day. The biggest draw to visiting Santorini in December though is that you can actually enjoy the island without the huge summer crowds. Like a lot of Greece, tourist shops will be closed and many hotels and restaurants too but the main towns of Fira and Oia will have enough places open to enjoy for a few days.
December’s quiet season makes it a good time for the caldera walk between Fira and Oia at a relaxed pace, the streets of the old town and the stunning views over the island, as well as getting some good deals on those iconic cave hotels! I love this post on why someone thinks December is the best time of year to visit Santorini!
Related post: Tips for Quad Biking Around Santorini & Places To Go in Santorini on a Quad!
8. FUNCHAL, MADEIRA, PORTUGAL – 16°C
Madeira stays one of the warmest places to visit in Portugal in December, with Funchal reaching around 16°C in the day, 11°C overnight, and about 5 hours of sunshine, the gentle climate the island is known for year round.
Funchal’s New Year’s Eve fireworks are the real draw, once recognised as the largest display in the world by Guinness World Records, with the whole bay lighting up as boats gather offshore to watch. This is a great destination for families to visit during the Christmas school holidays with plenty of walks, parks and activities on offer in December and some winter warm sunshine.
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🛫 Get Set Up With Airalo9. THE ALGARVE, PORTUGAL — 16°C
Faro and the wider Algarve see daytime temperatures around 16°C in December, nights closer to 8°C so layers are needed, and about 5 hours of sunshine a day, a welcome contrast to the grey, wet winters much of northern Europe gets.
December also means the Algarve’s summer crowds have disappeared, so beaches, golf courses and coastal towns feel far more relaxed. It is peak season for birdwatching in the Ria Formosa lagoon too, when flocks of flamingos and other wading birds gather along the coast for winter.
10. RHODES, GREECE — 16°C
Rhodes rounds out the warmest places to visit in Greece in December, with daytime highs of 16°C, nights around 9°C, and close to 5 hours of sunshine most days, mild enough to explore comfortably without the summer’s intense heat.
With cruise ships and package tourists gone for the season, December lets you walk the medieval Old Town and the Palace of the Grand Master at your own pace. Like all places in Greece in December, you visit for a local look because winter in Rhodes means many tourist shops and restaurants are closed but local ones are open and locals will be celebrating Christmas here too!
11. ANTALYA, TURKIYE — 16°C
Antalya and the Turkish Riviera stay on this list of warm places to visit in December because with daytime temperatures around 16°C and about 5 hours of sunshine a day, it’s a great part of the country to visit in winter.
I went to Antalya in December just after Christmas Day the other year, we were able to visit Land of Legends theme park without the crowds, enjoy a bike ride along the beach and we booked a hotel with a heated outdoor pool so we spent days and evenings in the pool, and enjoyed the all-inclusive food! We did have some rain and like all places on this list, sunshine is not guaranteed but it was still warm and the kids were in shorts!
12. IBIZA, SPAIN — 16°C
Ibiza trades its summer party reputation for a quieter, milder side in December, with daytime highs around 16°C, nights around 9°C, and roughly 5 hours of sunshine a day, ideal for the kind of hiking that would be uncomfortable in the summer heat.
December is when Ibiza reveals the island most visitors never see: empty coastal paths, local restaurants without a wait, and prices well below what you would pay in high season. Ibiza is high on my list to visit in December for some winter sun for this reason!
13. SEVILLE, SPAIN – 16°C
Inland Seville still counts among the warmest places to visit in Spain in December, with daytime temperatures around 16°C, though nights are noticeably cooler here at 6°C, and around 5 hours of sunshine a day.
Seville’s summers regularly climb past 35°C, making the city uncomfortable to explore on foot for much of the year, so December’s mild, walkable weather is arguably the best time to see it properly. The city also goes all in on Christmas, with a large market and ice rink set up around Plaza Nueva and Plaza San Francisco, alongside a citywide lights switch on that draws crowds each year. Locals will be in coats but I went to Seville in November the other year and was just in a long sleeved top!
Related post: Southern Spain Itinerary COMPLETE GUIDE – Short or Long Trip!
14. COSTA DE LA LUZ, SPAIN — 16°C
Cadiz and the Costa de la Luz stay mild through December, with daytime temperatures around 16°C, nights around 9°C, and about 5 hours of sunshine a day, ideal for wandering the old town’s narrow streets without the heat that builds up here in summer.
The Atlantic coastline here gets far less overseas attention than the Costa del Sol or Costa Blanca, so December offers near empty beaches and a genuinely local pace of life. Just inland, nearby Jerez de la Frontera hosts its famous zambombas, informal flamenco Christmas carol parties that fill the streets and courtyards with music, one of Andalusia’s most distinctive festive traditions so this is a destination for some warm weather and unique, local experiences.
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Where is the warmest place in Europe in December?
The Canary Islands are rated as the warmest place in Europe in December, with Tenerife reaching daytime highs of around 19°C even in the depths of winter. That is thanks to their position off the coast of North Africa, which keeps them mild year round rather than just in summer.
What is the hottest part of Spain in December?
The Canary Islands are the clear winner at around 19°C, but mainland Spain still holds up well through winter. The Costa Blanca with Alicante reaches around 17°C, while Ibiza, Seville and Cadiz all sit around 16°C, noticeably milder than northern Spain at this time of year.
How hot is Greece in December?
Greece cools down considerably from summer, but its southern islands stay pleasant. Crete is the warmest of the bunch at around 17°C, with Rhodes and Santorini close behind at around 16°C, still mild enough for daytime sightseeing and coastal walks. The biggest thing to note when visiting Greece in December is that many tourist shops, hotels and restaurants close but local places are still open where locals live.
Is Portugal hot in December?
Portugal is not hot in December, but its islands and southern coast stay noticeably mild. The islands of Azores and Madeira both sit around 16 to 17°C, and the Algarve in mainland Portugal reaches around 16°C too, making the country a solid pick for winter sun without the extreme heat of the tropics and a great place for hiking and exploring towns in a local way.
Is December warmer than January in Europe?
Yes, although most of the warm destinations in Europe in winter will remain warm in January, the month of December does bring slightly warmer days than January and January is known to be the coldest month of the year.
I hope this has helped you plan a trip and find warm places to go in Europe in December!