When the North Sea is at 6°C, a week of warm-water kiting is the best kind of escape. But "winter sun" destinations are not all windy in winter. Some of the best-known names are actually summer spots that happen to be warm in December.
I compared December, January and February for the popular winter destinations within a few hours' flight of Europe, using five years of data (2022–2026): the number of windy days a month (at least two daytime hours of 15+ knots), water and air temperature, and rainy days.
The short version
| Destination | Windy days a month (Dec–Feb) | Water | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sal, Cape Verde | about 20 | 23–25°C | 26°C | almost none |
| Soma Bay / Safaga, Egypt | about 14 | 23–25°C | 23°C | almost none |
| El Médano, Tenerife | about 13 | 20–22°C | 22°C | 1–3 days |
| Hurghada, Egypt | about 12 | 22–24°C | 22°C | almost none |
| Dakhla, Morocco | about 12 (rising to 17 in February) | 18°C | 24°C | almost none |
| El Gouna, Egypt | about 11 | 19–21°C | 22°C | almost none |
| Preá, Brazil | 23 in December, then fading | 29°C | 31°C | rainy from January |
For a reliable winter trip, Sal is the clear winner in our data: the most wind, the warmest water and almost no rain.
Cape Verde: Sal
Sal's trade-wind season is the European winter. Kite Beach near Santa Maria averages around 17 windy days in December, 20 in January and 21 in February, and the season runs on until about May. The water stays at 23–25°C, so a shorty or a thin 3/2 is enough, and the air is in the mid-20s.
For wave riders, Ponta Preta a little to the west is a world-class right-hander that works best in the same months, when the North Atlantic swells arrive.
Red Sea, Egypt: Soma Bay, Safaga, Hurghada, El Gouna
The Red Sea's windiest months are spring and summer, but its southern spots still have decent winter wind with very warm, flat water. In our data Soma Bay and Safaga do best, with around 12 windy days in December, 13 in January and 18 in February, and water at 23–25°C. Hurghada and El Gouna further north are a little lighter and cooler (El Gouna drops to about 19°C in February), but they're very easy trips with lagoons that are perfect for learning.
Canary Islands: El Médano
The Canaries are famous for wind, but mostly in summer, when the trade winds are at their strongest. In winter they're much more hit-and-miss: Sotavento on Fuerteventura averages only 6–7 windy days a month from December to February, and Pozo on Gran Canaria 4–8. El Médano on Tenerife is the exception in our data, with about 13 windy days a month in winter and water at 20–22°C. Pack a 3/2 or 4/3: the water is cooler than in Egypt or Cape Verde.
Morocco: Dakhla
Dakhla's lagoon is one of the best flat-water spots in the world, and it's often sold as a winter destination. The air is warm (around 24°C in the daytime), but the water is the coolest in this comparison at about 18°C, so bring a 4/3. The wind picks up through the winter: about 8 windy days in December, 11 in January and 17 in February, and then 20 or more a month from March. If you can go late in winter, the odds get much better.
Brazil: only for December
North-east Brazil is perfect in the autumn, but its season ends just as the European winter begins. Preá still has around 23 windy days in December, but only about 13 in January and 4 in February, and from January the rainy season starts. If your winter trip is over Christmas, Brazil works, especially Preá and Atins. In January and February, look elsewhere. (More in our Brazil season guide.)
And the far-away options
Mauritius (Le Morne) and Zanzibar are warm in winter but it's their rainy season, and Le Morne's best months are May to November. Zanzibar's kaskazi wind blows from about December to February, but it's a local wind the weather models don't capture well, so we show the season from local knowledge rather than model numbers.
What to pack
With water at 23–25°C (Sal, southern Red Sea) a shorty is enough. At 19–22°C (Canaries, northern Red Sea) take a 3/2. At 18°C (Dakhla), a 4/3. More in our wetsuit guide.
Every spot above has its own page with all twelve months, so you can check the exact week you have in mind.
