Winter holidays on a budget

Autumn has definitely arrived with the wind picking up and the temperatures dropping. If you fancy getting away for a bit before Christmas without spending a fortune, check out these ideas

Benidorm

Benidorm temperatures still reach up to 29° in September and even between December and February can reach 18°. Benidorm definitely has a reputation for cheap and cheerful and might not be somewhere you would consider for a family holiday but it looks like there are some beautiful and calmer areas. Tammy Mum’s experience was anything but that of the TV reputation…We have visited Benidorm twice as a family, with two young ones in tow. The first time we stayed in the old town in Villa Del Mar. It is right on the beachfront. You cross the road onto the beach. We stayed in an absolutely huge two bedroom family suite with a massive bath overlooking the sea. I couldn’t fault it. We visited in February so it was quiet but warm. I say quiet, there were still a lot of people about from tourists to locals. The beach was incredibly child friendly, lovely soft sand with a few parks dotted along it. In our proximity was also some wonderful old Spanish tapas restaurants and old cobbled streets with quirky shops. Not the Benidorm we all picture.
The second time we visited Benidorm we were just a little bit out of the main towns but still a ten minute drive away. You could see Benidorm’s skyline from your window. We stayed in both the Melia Villaitana and the Grand Luxor hotel. Both hotels are exquisite 5 star family luxury hotels, with great facilities. You could be staying anywhere in the world. What is more with a stay at the Grand Luxor you get park tickets to Terra Mitica theme included in your price.

Algarve

Not as warm as Benidorm but still milder than the UK. The Algarve is still reaching 23° in September and up to 16° November to February. The milder weather in the Algarve over the Autumn, Winter period is the perfect time to explore the beautiful villages without too many tourists around, go on long hikes, get a boat trip around the caves and watch a sunset on a jeep safari. It’s not going to be sunbathing weather but should be mild enough for a Tshirt during the day and will get chillier in the evening so make sure you take a jacket.

Cyprus

Cyprus temperatures reach up to 24° in September and over November to Feb still get up to 17°. Again, it may not be warm enough to sunbathe, but like the Algarve, Autumn and Winter is the perfect time to explore with the masses of tourists. Cyprus has incredible archeological ruins and beautiful mountain villages and scenery to hike through.

Fuerteventura

You can’t really go wrong with any of the Canary Islands for a bit of Winter Sun, with temperatures reaching up to 25° in September and up to 22° between November and February. We went a couple of years ago to Fuerteventura in January and could sunbathe and swim in the pool and sea very comfortably. There are also some lovely hidden gems in Gran Canaria. Most of the resorts are fully open too as the Canaries are very popular for Winter Sun, being around 4 hours from the UK. If you fancy a relaxing holiday or an active holiday, the Canaries will have something for you