20C

SOMETIMES all you want is an affordable holiday, with a bit of warm weather, without having to hop on a long-haul flight.

And if you don’t want to venture too much further than Spain, we’ve found the island which is hottest in the cold winter months.

When it comes to the highest temperatures, Tenerife comes out on top.

This is because of its proximity to Morocco, with flights around 4hr30 from the UK.

Temperatures can be as high as 22C in winter, while the UK is shivering in highs of 7C.

Flights are super cheap – easyJet has routes to Tenerife from Manchester from £20.49 or London Southend from £29.

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Ryanair has bargains from London Luton for £18 each way.

Or you can find seven-night holidays for under £200 each – loveholidays has breaks from £189pp and £199pp in December which includes your hotel and flights.

Even if you want a treat, you can stay in a five-star hotel for just £359pp which includes seven nights at Best Semiramis.

But what can you do on the island?

We’ve spoken to experts and travel writers on the best ways to spend a week in Tenerife.

The hidden gems

Rick Cosgrove, a professional compere at many of the island’s bars, said: “Rincon del Pollo restaurant on the second floor of a little shopping centre, at the entrance to the massive Los Cristianos market.”

He continued: “It serves amazing Canarian-style chicken, home-cooked chips and great salads, for around €30, with drinks.

“El Cini in Los Cristianos is a little fish restaurant hidden up an alleyway where you will find the locals queuing too, with swordfish steaks from €11.”

When it comes to the best, local-loved beaches, he said: “La Tejita, near the airport in the south of the island, is the largest sandy beach in Tenerife and used mainly by locals due to being so windy.

“Two of the black sand beaches loved by locals are Playa san Juan, up the coast from Costa Adeje, and Las Galletas beach, not far from Los Cristianos.”

The beaches

Rick added: “I love both Puerto Colon and Fanabe beaches. These two coves are next to each other in Costa Adeje in the south of the island, and are ideal for beach lovers.

“Puerto Colon has a lot more going on, as it’s next to the marina and all sea excursions in the south tend to depart from here, so there is a plethora of bars, cafes and restaurants to serve your needs.”

Meanwhile, Kitty de Graaf, a travel consultant and blogger on the island, said: “Tenerife South is perfect for a beach holiday with more hours of sunshine and stunning beaches like Playa de las Vistas in Los Cristianos, and Playa del Duque in Costa Adeje.”

The food

Rick recommended any of the restaurants from the Venture Group if you’re looking for “posh nosh”.

He revealed: “It has around 12 restaurants in the south of the island including Empire Steak House and Mrs Miyagi’s – a Thai fusion spot in Playa de Las Americas.

“The Sea Horse in Fanabe is another favourite of ours, offering oversized tapas, with all dishes between €7-12 and probably the best sunset in Europe overlooking the island of Gomera.”

Katie Honcu, a freelance photographer, said: “Restaurante Roque Las Ánimas in Taganana, north Tenerife, is my top place for delicious local food at great prices. (A rustic restaurant with mountain views, selling Canarian food, dishes from €4).”

Other recommendations included Mesón Era Las Mozas for meat eaters, Restaurante Salitre for fish lovers, and Meson Castellano for an upscale experience.

The local spots

Katie said: “Roque Bermejo and Roque de Taborno, on the northern tip of the island, are excellent hiking spots away from the crowds that offer unique Canarian landscapes with stunning views.”

Tara Scarlata, who works for a local chain of bars, said: “Roca Negra Sunset Club in Playa Paraiso is a perfect place for sitting on the rocks at sunset with a cocktail (cocktails from €9), or El Puertito beach.”

The budget attractions

Rick revealed: “The Wally Trolly is a train that drives on the roads and takes families and small children all over the south of Tenerife.

“It gives you a great perspective in seeing actually how large an area the south is, and is very popular with families. (adult tickets €9 and kids tickets €5)”.

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Kitty said you can get tickets to the Pyramids of Güímar on the east coast that features six stepped pyramids and a poison garden, with more than 70 toxic plants from across the world, and to see it it just €10pp.

The must-do activities

Rick said: “This has to be Siam Park – the world’s number one water park – I love the incredible waterslides, but my partner Shelley is more into sunbathing, which she can do with the hundreds of sunbeds surrounding the huge wave pool.”

Meet the experts…

Our panel of Tenerife experts all live, own businesses or work in the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands…

Rick Cosgrove, 52, (pictured above) is a compere, working numerous bars between Los Cristianos and Adeje. Him and his partner Shelley (also pictured above), who is an award winning singer on the island, have a YouTube channel together, Rick and Shelley.

Kitty de Graaf, 53, draws on her passion for travel and writing and her experience in the tourism industry with her website Tenerife Insider Tips, where she serves as a travel consultant. She’s lived in Tenerife nearly 30 years.

Katie Honcu, 28, is a freelance photographer specialising in real estate. She’s lived in Tenerife for six years.

Tara Scarlata, 39, is administrator at TRISK Group – Beer Garden, San Eugenio and Mustang Sally’s, Fanabe Beach. She’s lived in Tenerife 10 years

WINTER sun can be hard to come by in the Mediterranean, but Sun Travel has found some very popular destinations that are still hot in November.

With travel time less than five hours, highs over 20C and flights for £19.99 or less – here are the places you should look to book for winter getaway.

Marrakech, Morocco

A flight to Marrakech takes up to four hours and is well worth it thanks to the November temperatures of 22C.

The city is known for its souks, historic palaces and bustling medina – so there’s plenty to do on your break even if its not by the beach.

Lisa Minot, Head of Sun Travel, filled us in on her recent trip to the Moroccan city. She said: “I’ve just returned from a wonderful long weekend in Marrakech and the city is as exciting as ever.

“We were sunbathing on the roof of our riad in the Medina in glorious 22 degree temperatures – and I loved the amazing desert landscapes just 40 minutes from the hustle and bustle of the souks.

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“Tourism is booming in the city and while the streets are as colourful and chaotic as ever, the influx of visitors has brought some gorgeous new bars, restaurants and stunning hotels.”

Lisa explored the cuisine of Morocco three-hour food tour of the Medina with Get Your Guide for just £35 per person.

Just an hour outside of the city is the Agafay Desert where you can zoom over sand dunes in buggies and see camels.

Not only are temperatures mild, but Marrakech gets around seven hours of sunshine per day and little rainfall.

In November you can fly from Birmingham, Manchester and London Stansted with Ryanair for £14.99.

Valletta, Malta

The capital of Malta, Valletta, is three and a half hours away; it’s known for its pretty Baroque architecture and the Grand Harbour.

While Valletta doesn’t have beaches per se, it does have great waterfront views, and you can enjoy them in weather that reaches highs of 21C in November.

SEO Editor Nuria Cremer-Vazquez revealed more about the island on her recent trip to Malta, she said: “This tiny Mediterranean country is smaller than the Isle of Wight, which goes some way in explaining why its food goes under many people’s radars; the limited land area means Maltese produce is barely exported, so you have to try it at source.

“One dinner, we could taste the different cultures that have called Malta home over the centuries — Italian in the ricotta parcels and focaccia, Arabian in the date-based sweets and bigilla (a hummus-like dip made from beans), Spanish in the bread rubbed with tomato and drizzled in olive oil.“

Nuria also enjoyed €4 Aperol spritzes and explore the city’s hidden underground tunnels.

Flights from Birmingham start from £14.99 during November with Ryanair.

Brits can also fly directly from Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Norwich, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Bournemouth, Nottingham, Bristol and Leeds.

Paphos, Cyprus

While it might not technically be the hottest place in Cyprus during November, it’s much cheaper to get to Paphos than its neighbours Larnaca and Limassol.

Paphos is on the southwest coast of the island of Cyprus and throughout the year has plenty of sunshine – even in November.

It sees around seven hours of sunshine per day with daytime temperatures averaging around 22C, so it’s even warm enough to go sea swimming.

One writer who visited Paphos revealed that the city will really appeal to Brits, he said: “Here, everyone drives on the left and even the cabbies obey the speed limit.

“It’s things like that, along with 300 days of glorious sunshine a year and no real language barrier (and even the fact Cyprus uses the UK three-pin plug!), that make the island so popular with us Brits.

“Paphos’s bars and boutiques are worth checking out but make sure you eat at the fantastic Agora Tavern, a family-owned place on a hill overlooking the sea.

“There are just two things on the menu, the small meze and the large one. Choose your size and enjoy this fabulous array of local delicacies all chosen for you.”

Flights to Paphos start from £14.99 if travelling from Manchester and London Stansted in November and takes around four hours 30 minutes.

Seville, Spain

Seville is the capital and largest city of Andalusia and known for its historic buildings, busy streets full of cafes and ice cream parlours.

There are thousands of street-planted bitter orange trees and you don’t have to walk far to see some authentic flamenco dancing and great tapas.

In November, Seville has average high temperatures of 20C and averages out at having just five days of rainfall.

Deputy Travel Editor, Kara Godfrey who recently went to the city, revealed how to get free tickets to attractions around the city. She said: “The Royal Alcázar of Seville, a palace dating back 1,000 years, offers limited free tickets on Mondays between 6pm and 7pm.

“Or for Seville Cathedral, there are 100 free tickets a day between 2pm and 3pm.”

Flights from Edinburgh to Seville with Ryanair start from £16 in November – and it’s just a two hour 45 minutes journey.

Palermo, Italy

In just over three hours, you can ditch the dingy UK for the beautiful island of Sicily which has highs of 20C in November.

Palermo is the capital of the Italian island of Sicily and thanks to its seaside location, has the best of both worlds – city and beach break.

One woman who lives in Palermo described the city as the “beating heart of Sicily” and revealed more spots to explore.

She told us: “The capital city still remains authentically Sicilian – only 30 per cent of people there speak English.

“Head to the Via Maqueda where new and exciting cocktail bars sprout up on a daily basis.

“Walk along Via Vittorio Emanuele (the main pedestrian street) until you’ve reached the beautiful Cathedral.

“The entire street has some of the coziest aperitivo spots in the city – whether you like seafood, pizza, or pasta, there’s a bit of something for everyone.”

If you’re after a beach holiday, then head to the village of Mondello or the town of San Vito Lo Capo.

Flights from London Stansted to Palermo in Italy start from £19.99 with Ryanair and takes around three hours.

Funchal, Madeira

Described as the “Hawaii of Europe”, Madeira is a must-visit. It has incredible views, fab beaches and it’s under four hours away from the UK.

The capital of the archipelago is Funchal which is on the main island’s south coast – and where you can fly directly to from the UK.

In November, Funchal has high temperatures of 23C, so it’s pleasant for walking or exploring the beaches.

You won’t get any soft golden sands here though, it’ll be black thanks to its volcanic surroundings – Funchal has a few small beaches, including Praia Formosa and Praia de São Tiago.

For fun, tourists can hike up to the village of Monte, and then take a toboggan down to the city centre.

If you don’t fancy the walk or the toboggan, take the cable car where you’ll get incredible views over Funchal.

When you get into the city, make sure to explore the old town and busy Lavradores market.

Flights from London Stansted to Funchal in November start from £14.99 with Ryanair.

Tenerife, Canary Islands

Heading to Tenerife may take a little longer on the plane, around four and a half hours, but you’re likely to get warm weather and plenty of sun.

Temperatures in Tenerife can be as high as 24C in November.

The Canary Islands are generally hot year-round because of their location – it’s on the same latitude as the Sahara Desert.

The most popular places in Tenerife its beaches, when Sun Travel chatted to some locals, they revealed the spot where the locals hang out.

Rick Cosgrove who lives and works on the island said: “La Tejita, near the airport in the south of the island, is the largest sandy beach in Tenerife and used mainly by locals (also one of the island’s windiest, it is popular with windsurfers).

“Two of the favourite black sand beaches among locals are Playa san Juan, up the coast from Costa Adeje, and Las Galletas beach, not far from Los Cristianos.”

Here are lots more ways to enjoy the island from cheap bars serving €2 pints to the ultimate hidden gems.

Flights starts from £14.99 from Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol, Bournemouth and Manchester.

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For more inspiration, check out this hidden winter sun island that feels like stepping back to the 1990s – with £1 beers and free moped rides.

Plus, this is one of the hottest islands in Europe with highs of 27C this month… and flights from £25.