The best destinations to visit in January

Here’s where to grab some much-needed winter sun or a cosy wintery break

Las Teresitas beach in Tenerife

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Start 2022 with a change of scenery – whether you’re pining for somewhere hot and sunny, fancy a holiday in the snowy mountains or just want to snuggle somewhere cosy in the countryside. Here a few ideas of where to have a holiday in January.

Azores

The vivid and wild beauty of the Azores is enough to brighten anyone’s January. Go hiking on the largest island in the Atlantic archipelago, Sao Miguel, where you can follow the trail to the extinct volcano crater of Sete Cidades by way of two gorgeous lakes. Sunvil has a week’s holiday at the Talisman Hotel in the historic centre of the island’s capital, Ponta Delgada. Prices start at £677pp and include flights, transfers and breakfast.

The Azores provide vivid beauty and winter sun

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St Lucia

While St Lucia has more than its fair share of palm-fringed bays of white sandy beaches, there’s more to do on this Caribbean island than fly and flop. Go on a rainforest adventure and swim in jungle waterfalls before hiking on the Gros Piton Nature Trail to see St Lucia’s volcanic emblems. Tropical Sky has a week’s all-inclusive holiday at adults-only Bel Jou on a hilltop overlooking the island’s capital Castries and its beaches. Prices in January start at £1,079, a saving of £400pp, and include flights and transfers.

Switzerland

You don’t have to be a skier to want to immerse yourself in a winter wonderland in the shadow of the Swiss Alps. And the Bernese Oberland village of Kandersteg offers just that – plus 52km of cross-country skiing, 55km of winter walking trails, snowshoeing and tobogganing. If you do want to add downhill skiing to the mix, you can try the small local ski areas or take the train and bus to the larger ski resorts of Adelboden and Interlaken. Inntravel has a week’s holiday at the Belle Epoque Hotel Victoria in Kandersteg, with prices starting at £1,175pp, including flights, rail transfers and half-board accommodation. The rail option starts at £1,290pp.

Adelboden in Switzerland

Tenerife

For a blast of winter sun, head to Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, for a stay at the upmarket resort of Costa Adeje. Once you’ve checked out its sandy beaches spread out along the western coast, head inland for a hike (or cable car ride) up to Mount Teide, Spain’s highest point. Mercury Holidays has a week’s self-catering in one of the low-rise, whitewashed apartments at Flamingo Beach Mate, which is just a few minutes’ walk to Playa de la Pinta and has an outdoor pool and a choice of restaurants. Prices start at £510pp and include flights, departing 14 January.

Scotland

Wee Bothy in the grounds of Drummond Castle is an excellent candidate for a romantic bolthole. This stylish one-bedroom cottage near Crieff has a wood-burning stove and wonderful views of the estate’s lake and surrounding countryside – and guests are invited to explore the landscaped grounds of the castle during their stay. Available through Cottages & Castles, the cottage costs ££590 for a seven-night stay throughout January. Shorter breaks can be booked, and dogs are welcome for an extra £20.

Drummond Castle, near Crieff

(Getty Images)

Dorset

If there are still any cobwebs in the brain that need blowing out, then long walks along Dorset’s Jurassic Coast should do the trick. Stay at cute Jasmine Cottage, a Grade II-listed thatched cottage in the village of Burton Bradstock, and you’ll be about a 10-minute walk from Hive Beach as well as staggering distance from decent pubs. Booked through Bridport Cottages, the pet-friendly cottage sleeps up to four and has a cosy inglenook fireplace and an enclosed garden. Weekly prices start at £495, and short breaks in the winter can be arranged.

Mary Novakovich is editor at large at 101holidays.co.uk