It’s not often I cry in the street. But one day last February, standing beneath a blazing Portuguese sun, listening to a cellist busking on Lisbon’s glorious Rua Augusta, I ended up with tears running down my face. It was due to many things – the location, the elegance of the music, the bright sunlight after weeks of gloom and greyness – all coalescing into one of those intensely beautiful moments that travel occasionally bestows, one you’ll always remember and which, for me, happen more on winter trips than at any other time.
Summer holidays are a wonderful thing, of course, but there’s something almost sinfully pleasurable about a winter sun break. Skipping off to the airport under grey skies, secure in the knowledge that when you disembark there’ll be sunshine and cocktails waiting, is the ultimate tonic, plus there is the wicked dose of enjoyment that comes from indulging yourself with an extra off-season treat. What’s more, it can be a more affordable, less crowded and arguably more enjoyable time to go on your main holiday. That doesn’t have to mean a budget-busting week in the Caribbean, or even a long-haul flight: the Canaries, the Cape Verde archipelago and the Portuguese isle of Madeira all offer warm sunshine and spectacular landscapes perfect for punctuating time by the pool with a spot of hiking or birdwatching.
For me the best winter sun escapes are those that offer total change in terms of food, culture and atmosphere, as well as weather. I’d go back to Oman every winter if I could, to the capital, Muscat, with its slow-paced, low-rise charm, and the Hajar Mountains, which loom on the horizon offering road-trip adventures and extraordinary scenery. For a hit of glitz and glamour there are few places more flash than Dubai or Abu Dhabi, but for somewhere less OTT but that still provides a quick fix of winter blues-busting, I’ll always take Morocco. Sitting on a sun-drenched rooftop, with fresh orange juice and crispy msemen pancakes, while the call to prayer echoes across the city and the great white wave of the Atlas Mountains rises in the distance, is about as different from a British winter morning as it’s possible to be: a hit of glorious colour after weeks of black and white, and true succour for the soul. All these breaks aim to emulate that spirit . . .
It’s possible to get to exotic Mauritius for a three-figure price. An excellent choice is the Casuarina Resort & Spa, where classic thatched buildings contain three restaurants and a cute spa with a hammam and several treatment cabins. You can borrow bikes to explore, and diving trips are available along with kayaking and snorkelling on the nearby lagoon (with a coral reef). Not only that, the white-sand Trou aux Biches beach, a stone’s throw from the hotel, is one of the most beautiful on the Indian Ocean island.Details Six nights’ half-board from £939pp, including flights and transfers (mercuryholidays.co.uk)
Lushly beautiful, Madeira has sharpened up its act in recent years, with stylish country house hotels cropping up across the Portuguese island and a new focus on adventure travel, including spectacular trekking through towering mountains and a burgeoning surf culture on Atlantic beaches. Temperatures stay in the low to mid-20s throughout winter, and although rain clouds do roll in (hence the island’s lushness), they usually disappear just as fast. The elegant Quinta Jardins do Lago occupies a restored 18th-century mansion above Funchal, the capital, surrounded by glorious botanic gardens.Details Seven nights’ B&B from £847pp, including flights (baholidays.com)