The Costa Blanca is the Dutch cyclist’s second home in the winter. Logical: sunshine, climbing, and airports close by. But in Calpe and Altea, you’ll also see the professional teams and the groups from Utrecht and Antwerp in January. Want to experience winter sunshine too, but with empty roads and a bit of adventure? These seven regions are spread from Morocco to Turkey, and there are only two on the Spanish mainland.
The temperatures below are the average maximum temperatures in December, based on climate averages from the national weather services. In the mountains it is always colder, so bring layers.
The seven regions on the map
1. Morocco: gravel in the Anti-Atlas around Tafraoute
The most adventurous of the bunch. You fly to Agadir, where it is an average of 22.1 degrees in December and the sun shines for almost 3,000 hours a year. A few hours inland is Tafraoute, at an altitude of about 1,000 meters between pink granite cliffs. There are trails and narrow mountain paths around the town through the valley of the Ameln, past palm groves and mud villages. During the day it is great cycling weather there, but at night it can get quite chilly.
Want to go further? The bikepacking route Route of Caravans It starts in Tiznit and goes through Tafraoute. It is 1,236 kilometers long and 70 percent unpaved. The creator suggests spring or autumn, and in some places there is little water and food. For a winter week, day trips from Tafraoute are therefore the best choice.
2. Turkey: Antalya, Kemer and the Taurus Mountains
Antalya averages 16.7 degrees in December, with more than 2,800 hours of sunshine per year. The professional teams mostly stay in the Belek sports hotels. Therefore, head west: from Kemer, you climb up to the plateau of Ovacık, about 1,300 meters above sea level. Even quieter is Çıralı, a village on a long beach near the ruins of Olympos, with the climb to Beycik right behind the door. On the plateau, there are gravel roads for those who want to dig.
Everything about climbing, routes and base camps is on our page Antalya and the Turkish Riviera. For example, start with the Round trip from Kemer via Ovacık (51.7 km, 1,486 altitude meters).
3. West Cyprus: Paphos and the Troodos Mountains
Paphos averages 19.3 degrees in December and over 3,300 hours of sunshine per year. From the coast, climb into the Troodos Mountains to Olympos at 1,952 meters, where in winter there is sometimes snow. The Akamas Peninsula in the northwest is rugged and quiet. Note: In Cyprus, drive on the left.
4. South Crete: Ierapetra
Ierapetra calls itself the southernmost city in Europe, and you can see that: in December, an average of 17.8 degrees and more than 3,100 sunshine hours per year. Along the southern coast, you drive along quiet roads along the Libyan Sea; inland, you climb the Dikti Mountains towards the Lasithi Plateau. In winter, it can be cold and wet above. More on destination page Crete.
5. The coast of the Alentejo
A bit cooler (Sines averages 15.8 degrees in December), but with almost 3,000 hours of sunshine a year and a coast that is completely empty in the winter. Drive from Sines via Vila Nova de Milfontes to Zambujeira do Mar, with cliffs, beaches and quiet country roads through the interior. Read more on the destination page Alentejo.
6. Almería: Cabo de Gata and the Tabernas Desert
The sunniest corner of mainland Spain: The airport of Almería receives over 3,000 hours of sunshine per year and in December an average of 17.9 degrees. East of the city lies the Cabo de Gata-Níjar nature reserve, a volcanic coast with white villages and coastal paths where in winter hardly anyone drives. In the interior you cycle through the desert of Tabernas, where spaghetti westerns were once filmed. Fancy a real climb? The road to the observatory of Calar Alto in the Sierra de los Filabres goes up to over 2,100 meters. Check the snow and weather above in winter.
7. The Costa Tropical and the Sierra Nevada
Between Málaga and Almería lies the Costa Tropical, with Motril and Almuñécar. In December, the sea temperature averages 18.6 degrees Celsius. The beauty is that you climb the slopes of the Sierra Nevada from the coast, towards Lanjarón and the white villages of the Alpujarras. Above 1,500 meters, it gets chilly in winter, and the roads to the top of the Sierra Nevada are impassable. More on our page Granada and the Sierra Nevada.
At a glance
- Agadir (Morocco): 22.1 degrees in December
- Paphos (Cyprus): 19.3 degrees
- Motril (Costa Tropical): 18.6 degrees
- Almería: 17.9 degrees
- Ierapetra (Crete): 17.8 degrees
- Antalya (Turkey): 16.7 degrees
- Sines (Alentejo): 15.8 degrees
Sources: climate averages from AEMET (Spain), IPMA (Portugal), the Turkish weather service MGM, the Greek and Cypriot weather services and NOAA (Agadir). Looking for more winter destinations? Check out our destinations or use the tripfinder.
Questions & tips
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