Looking for affordable winter sun? Head to Spain

Costa del Sol resorts such as Torremolinos offer winter sun and low prices.

Spain’s Costa del Sol is the best value winter sun destination, according to the Post Office’s latest Winter Sunshine Report.

The southern Spanish region offers guaranteed warm weather and sunshine heading into winter, and with the pound sterling at a six-year high against the euro, the Costa del Sol will tan your face without denting your wallet…

According to the report, holidaymakers to the Costa del Sol need spend only £44.03 per day to enjoy a typical ‘Holiday Basket’ – a selection of items and goods (such as coffee, beer, wine, suncream) and a three-course evening meal for two including a bottle of wine.

In comparing the cost of eight leading resorts, the Costa del Sol trumped all others, edging out Bali in Indonesia, where a day’s treats costs £47.21. Portugal’s Algarve was third (£47.87), followed by Sri Lanka (£55.26) and then the Spanish Canary Island of Tenerife (£58).

The Post Office report also found that most resorts are cheaper this year than they were in 2013 as prices have been slashed in order to attract more custom. The Costa del Sol is, on average, seven per cent cheaper in 2014 than it was a year ago.

At this time of year, Costa del Sol resorts are quieter but still warm and sunny.

“It is fantastic news that the cost of holidaying to many popular destinations is going down just as we head into winter and the colder months of the year,” said TravelSupermarket’s travel expert Bob Atkinson.

“It is a combination of the strength of the pound against many currencies we like to take our winter breaks in, coupled with local hoteliers and tourist businesses fighting for our holiday spending money by slashing prices in resorts for everything from eating out to entrances to popular attractions.”

Atkinson added that ‘getting a slice of winter sun’ need not cost you the earth. The report is good news for British families who may be hoping to catch some rays during the forthcoming half-term. Málaga airport isn’t much more than a two-hour flight from most airports in the UK, and with temperatures still likely to be in the mid-20s throughout the remainder of October and into early November, the Costa del Sol is a fine choice for a winter sun getaway.

The trend for cheaper destinations is near-universal, except in Dubai and Orlando, Florida, where prices have actually risen since last year. Andrew Brown of Post Office Travel Money suggested that families hoping to enjoy a winter break need only do a little bit of research in order to discover which resort will best suit their needs.

The beaches of Southern Spain are inviting at this time of year.

“Families can look forward to seeing their holiday money stretch further in winter sun Eurozone resorts,” Brown said. “The trick is to do some advance holiday homework and pick a destination where resort prices are low and where the pound still packs a powerful punch.

“That’s certainly true of resorts in Spain, Portugal and Cyprus, thanks to the strength of sterling, and people planning trips farther afield can benefit from low resort charges in Sri Lankan resorts and the perennial favourite, Phuket.”

But if these exotic resorts feel a little too far away for a week in the sun, then it is reassuring to know that the fantastic resorts of Benalmádena, Torremolinos, Fuengirola, Marbella and Estepona are just a short flight away.