If you’re already dreaming of a sunny dose of vitamin D, we have good news: some of your favourite seaside destinations are cheap to visit for some winter sun.
We’ve crunched December flight and hotel data for the top-rated Mediterranean and Portuguese seaside towns and resorts to find the cheapest European winter sun holidays in the best destinations.
Our top three picks – Valencia, Porto and Tavira – were all awarded five stars for value for money by visitors. All three also have an average hotel price of £75 or less.
Get expert, independent recommendations of the best holiday companies to book with and the best places to go with Which? Travel
Valencia
December daily highs: 16°C
Return flights: £91
Hotel price: £75
Spain’s third-largest city is consistently near the top of the table in our survey of the best city breaks in Europe, and for good reason. The hotels are cheap, the flights a bargain, and the city one of the best you will ever visit.
There’s the beauty of its honey-stoned old town, the sci-fi intrigue of its futuristic City of Arts and Sciences and the peaceful ambience of Jardín del Turia – a former riverbed turned city park, ideal for walking and cycling.
Sample everything from paella (Valencia is its birthplace) to horchata – a sweet, milky drink made from tiger nuts – at the grand Art Nouveau Mercado Central. Make sure to join the scrum for the central bar while you’re there.
All of this is just a short hop from Valencia’s three golden beaches, with seafood restaurants dotting the palm-lined promenades.
Find holidays to Valencia with Which? Recommended Providers Saga and Trailfinders.
Porto
December daily highs: 14°C
Return flights: £135
Hotel price: £75
Portugal’s second city has the food and drink scene and the culture of Lisbon, minus the crowds – especially during the winter months. The Gothic São Francisco church and the azulejo tiles of São Bento railway station are not to be missed. Then there’s the charming neo-Gothic bookshop Lello – said to have inspired JK Rowling’s Hogwarts library.
You’ll also find plenty of good-value restaurants and bars – even in the picture-perfect Ribeira district, where colourful balconied houses line the Douro River.
From there, you can cross the double-decker arched Ponte Luis bridge to the Vila Nova de Gaia district for tours and tastings in old port houses, including Graham’s and Cockburn’s.
To top it off, fantastic beaches set around traditional fishing villages are less than an hour away by bus, tram or metro. December is a bit chilly for sunbathing, but there are plenty of scenic walks to enjoy.
Find holidays to Porto with Which? Recommended Providers Kuoni, Exodus and Hays Travel.
Tavira
December daily highs: 16°C
Return flights: £132
Hotel price: £74
Many overlook visiting this historic fishing town in the Algarve, but the happy few that make it will be rewarded: Tavira was one of the few destinations rated that got the full five stars for peace and quiet in our survey.
Hop between affordable seafood restaurants and boutique stores on cobbled lanes and admire Tavira’s many churches – there are 37 in total. The Renaissance Igreja da Misericórdia, and its wall-spanning gallery of tiles, is a must-see.
The boat to Ilha Tavira – a Treasure Island Portuguese-style – sails year-round, and you may spot flamingos at this time of year (autumn to spring). The semi-wild island is fringed on its Atlantic side by seven miles of sand, which gets emptier the further you go. No wonder it’s where the Portuguese take their beach holidays.
The winter months bring a few rain showers, but you can expect plenty of sunshine too.
Find holidays to Tavira with Which? Recommended Providers Jet2Holidays and Hays Travel.
Cádiz
December daily highs: 16°C
Return flights: £121
Hotel price: £74
The skyline of this ancient Spanish port town is studded with more than 100 watchtower-like minarets, and Cádiz has its fair share of heavyweight culture, too. There are museums (if you only visit one, make it the Museo De Cadiz), a Roman theatre, a trio of Goyas in an oratory and an El Greco in the cathedral.
But the town’s real magic is found in its labyrinth of narrow alleyways, crammed with Baroque-style merchant houses – a nod to its prosperous trading past. In La Viña district you’ll discover traditional fish restaurants and brilliant, simple tapas joints such as Taberna Casa Manteca (Rick Stein is a fan). Or enjoy a cheap lunch at the Mercado Central de Abastos, which serves up the freshest bluefin tuna and shrimp fritters.
The golden cove of Playa de La Caletais – which is flanked by two ancient fortresses and backed by a mock-Moorish boathouse – is virtually empty at this time of year.
Find a Cádiz holiday with Which? Recommended Providers Sunvil or Hays Travel.
Lagos
December daily highs: 16°C
Return flights: £132
Hotel price: £75
Lagos has everything a typical Algarve resort should: affordable tourist restaurants, a modest bar district and beaches.
There is plenty of historic beauty too. Tiled houses ring its squares, mosaics line its streets and a medieval castle guards the seafront. Sections of the 16th-century Moorish old town walls, which once protected the city from pirates, still encircle the old town..
You won’t spend a cent exploring the region’s natural beauty: discover coves tucked within cliffs at either side of the harbour plus a vast sweep of sand. The turquoise sea at Ponta da Piedade – a craggy, windswept headland – will take your breath away.
Find a Lagos holiday with Which? Recommended Providers Jet2Holidays and Hays Travel.
Our research
We used Skyscanner average return economy fares from all UK airports for December 2025. Hotel prices are the average nightly rate from Kayak.co.uk for December 2024 and 2025.
