Comparisons
Winter Sun in Europe: Canary Islands vs Madeira vs Algarve vs Morocco
October 12, 2026 · 8 min read
The warmest winter sun within a few hours of northern Europe is in the Canary Islands. In January the coast of Tenerife and Lanzarote averages about 21 °C by day and 14–15 °C at night, and the sea stays near 20 °C, warm enough to swim. Madeira is a degree or two cooler and noticeably greener and wetter, a walking island rather than a beach one. The Algarve is the coolest of the four, around 16 °C in the afternoon and 8 °C at dawn, but it is the closest to northern Europe. Morocco splits in two: Marrakech has 19–21 °C days under clear skies and nights that drop to 6–8 °C, while Agadir on the Atlantic coast stays mild day and night.
Two geography questions come up every winter. The Canaries are Spanish: an autonomous community of Spain about 100 km off the north-west coast of Africa, inside the European Union and the eurozone. Madeira is Portuguese and is not one of the Canary Islands; Funchal lies roughly 450–500 km north of La Palma and Tenerife. Morocco is in Africa and outside the EU, so it means a passport check and a different currency, the dirham.
The four compared in January
Each row comes from the climate tables in our winter guides to the Canary Islands (opens in a new tab), Madeira (opens in a new tab), the Algarve (opens in a new tab) and Morocco (opens in a new tab), which go month by month from November to March.
| Place | January high / low | Sea in January | Rainy days in January | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenerife (Santa Cruz) | 21 / 15.5 °C | about 20 °C | about 3 | Beach days, swimming, Teide |
| Madeira (Funchal) | 20 / 14 °C | about 18–19 °C | 6 | Levada walks, Christmas and New Year |
| Algarve (Faro) | 16 / 8 °C | about 16–17 °C | 6 | Walking, golf, a quiet short break |
| Marrakech | 19 / 6 °C | inland | 3 | Medinas, the Sahara, the Atlas |
| Agadir | 21 / 8 °C | — | about 3 | Morocco's beach coast, surfing nearby |
Air temperatures are 1991–2020 averages from each country's weather service (AEMET for the Canaries, IPMA for Madeira and Faro) and NOAA climate normals for Marrakech and Agadir, as used in our guides. Sea temperatures are long-term averages for Tenerife, Madeira and the Faro coast.
The table hides one thing that matters as much as the numbers: sunshine. Marrakech gets well over 200 hours of sun a month even in midwinter, and the Canaries run at roughly 180–200. Madeira manages around 150–165, because cloud builds over the mountains most afternoons. Faro gets about 160–180 in December and January.
The Canary Islands: the only one where the sea is warm
The Canary Islands (opens in a new tab) sit in the north-east trade winds, and that shapes every winter day. The winds pile cloud against the northern slopes, so La Orotava on Tenerife or the north of Gran Canaria can be grey while the south coast is in full sun. The rule for a winter trip is simple: book the sunny side.
- Tenerife (opens in a new tab) has the most variety: warm beaches in the south-west, the old towns of La Orotava and La Laguna, and Teide, Spain's highest mountain, which regularly turns white in winter.
- Gran Canaria (opens in a new tab) pairs the dunes and resorts of the south with Las Palmas, a real city in the north.
- Lanzarote (opens in a new tab) is the driest of the main islands, with about three rainy days a month in winter, and the volcanic landscape of Timanfaya.
- Fuerteventura (opens in a new tab) is the beach island, with the longest white-sand beaches in the archipelago, and the windiest one.
Winter here feels like a good spring day further north rather than the tropics. Evenings need a light jacket, Teide needs a warm layer, and Atlantic swells arrive in winter, so red flags on the beaches mean what they say. One practical point for anyone flying home to mainland Spain or another EU country: the islands are outside the EU VAT area, so duty-free allowances apply.
Madeira: mild, green and made for walking
Madeira in winter (opens in a new tab) is mild rather than hot. In Funchal (opens in a new tab), on the sheltered south coast, January days average about 20 °C and nights 14 °C. December is the wettest month, with rain on about nine days; February and March are the driest. The sea is around 18–19 °C, and Madeira has very little sand, so it suits a swim from a lido or a rock platform more than a week on the beach.
What Madeira does better than anywhere else in this comparison is walking. The levadas, the old irrigation channels that contour around the island, are at their best below the high peaks in winter. The official routes now need an advance booking for a time slot, and non-residents pay a small per-route fee, so plan the walks before you arrive.
It is also the most festive of the four. The Christmas lights in Funchal go on on 1 December, the night before Christmas Eve turns the Mercado dos Lavradores into a street party, and the New Year's Eve fireworks over Funchal Bay are among the best known in the world. Book Christmas and New Year months ahead; hotels fill early and prices rise. Base yourself in Funchal for the festivities and the buses, or in Calheta and the south-west for more sunshine.
The Algarve: sunny, quiet and closest
The Algarve in winter (opens in a new tab) is sunny and quiet rather than warm. In Faro (opens in a new tab), January afternoons average 16 °C and nights 8 °C, and the sea drops to about 16–17 °C, too cold for most swimmers. Rain comes in short spells when an Atlantic front passes, followed by clear, fresh weather.
What you get instead is light and space: empty beaches under the golden cliffs, the Seven Hanging Valleys clifftop walk near Carvoeiro in comfortable temperatures, golf in its main season, birdwatching in the Ria Formosa lagoon, and almond trees in flower from late January. It is the easiest of the four to reach from most of western Europe, and winter is its low season.
The one mistake to avoid is a resort that empties out in winter. Choose a town that lives all year: Tavira (opens in a new tab) is the prettiest, Faro has the most restaurants open, and Lagos at the western end has the best access to the cliff coast. Check that rented accommodation has heating.
Morocco: hot sun, cold nights, two climates
Morocco in winter (opens in a new tab) is two trips. Inland, Marrakech (opens in a new tab) has clear, warm afternoons of 19–21 °C from December to February, but after sunset the temperature falls to 6–8 °C, and riads are not always well heated. The High Atlas, an hour or so south, is under snow, and in the Sahara around Merzouga (opens in a new tab) the nights fall close to freezing. That is the price of the best season for camel treks and desert camps: in summer the heat is brutal.
On the Atlantic coast, Agadir (opens in a new tab) is the mildest place in the country, with highs of about 21–22 °C from December to February and only around three rainy days a month. Just north, Taghazout (opens in a new tab) is Morocco's surf village, and Essaouira (opens in a new tab) is a walled port town that is often windy. Agadir has an international airport, so you can fly into Marrakech and out of Agadir and get both climates in one trip.
Morocco also asks for a little more planning than the other three: modest dress away from the beach resorts, cash in dirhams for the souks, and slack in the schedule if snow closes the Tizi n'Tichka pass over the Atlas.
Which one fits your trip
- Want to swim in the sea in January? The Canary Islands; nowhere else here has a 20 °C sea.
- Want guaranteed dry weather? Lanzarote or Fuerteventura, or Marrakech for sun, if you can live with cold nights.
- Travelling with children? The south of Tenerife or Gran Canaria, or Fuerteventura for the beaches.
- Here to walk? Madeira for the levadas, Tenerife for Teide and the volcanic trails, the Algarve for clifftop and lagoon walks in mild weather.
- Christmas or New Year? Madeira, for Funchal's lights and fireworks.
- A long weekend? The Algarve: short flights from most of western Europe and towns that stay open all winter.
- Culture as much as sun? Morocco: Marrakech's medina, the road to the desert, then the coast.
If you are still choosing between the two Atlantic islands, our Canary Islands vs Madeira comparison goes island by island, and Andalusia vs the Algarve covers Spain and Portugal's southern coasts. The Atlantic coasts of Morocco and Portugal are compared side by side as well.