Top 8 Warmest Winter Places In or Near Europe for Digital Nomads Travel!
December 12, 2023
What are the best warm winter destinations if you are in Europe & doing the Schengen Shuffle? Nomad list says there are 429 winter warm places for digital nomads, so the possibilities are endless, but we narrow it down to ones that work best in or near Europe that intrigue us, based on low prices, comfort, safety & exciting environment. Also flights to and from one location to the next, figures into the travel budget and choice. Warm winter is also a relative term as the British, Germans, Dutch, & Scandinavian snow birds here at our Barcelona beach resort & Sitges find it warm, soaking up winter sun, but some people may want tropical hot winter or sultry summer weather.
Warm Europe Destinations For Digital Nomads
Turkey, Morocco, Barcelona, Valencia, Malta, Sicily, Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores, Nice & French Riviera, Montenegro, Egypt, Dubai and Croatia are all possibilities. But remember that no where in Europe will you have tropical winter temperatures. Just like winter California or Florida is not the same as summer weather there.
The warmest winter place in Europe are the Canary Islands with a January average temperature of about 12-18 C (55-65 F). War or terrorist areas, flight costs, safety, living costs also factor in warm winter choices. There is ONE tropical, cheap destination just a 4 hour flight away from Europe on my top warm Europe winter list below!
These Are The BEST 8 Warm Destinations For Digital Nomads or Travelers This Winter in or near Europe!!
I grew up in Michigan and then spent my early adult years in Boston and New York City, so this California girl and native Californian husband prefer endless summer digital nomad travel in our couples travel, retirement years now. If I want cold and snow, I go to the mountains for a short stay.
1. FRIGILIANA
Frigiliana was voted one of the most beautiful villages in Spain! We did 5 digital nomad, warm winters in this gorgeous ancient white village in Andalusia starting in 2006, where our daughter Heavenly ie Mozart had gone to school from first grade to fourth grade for winter months. I wrote about how to winter in Spain in our popular classic post "How to do Extended Travel & Mini-retirements" that is filled with links. I think Andalusia in the small villages, is the perfect combination of exotic and modern with wonderfully accepting people and fascinating culture with a rich history. Foreign local schools are a fantastic way to become multi-literate and multilingual while deeply immersing in a culture. So that language immersion and friends while traveling, were keys for us as a world schooling family.
There are simply TONS of places available in Spain, many new with every convenience & owned by Brits or English speaking northern Europeans who rent them out for the week in the very hot, summer high season, but super cheap for monthly winter rental rates. The sun shines almost every day in this micro climate near the beach with high winter day time temperatures around 17-20 C (63-68 F) so we usually wore T shirts outdoor during the day. On our Mother -daughter trip when Heavenly was 16, we returned to our village & now we're excited to do a road trip there soon this winter!
2. CAPE VERDE
Cape Verde is the ONLY location near Europe with truly summer-like, tropical & sub tropical winter weather! The period between September and March are some of the warmest months in Cape Verde with very little rain and low humidity. The average daytime winter temperature is 27C & 80F degrees and the sun shines more than eight hours a day. It is perfect beach weather, steady pleasant breeze and even the water temperature in winter has an average of about 26C/78F degrees. The conditions are ideal for a beach or winter vacation holidays & long stays are possible and cheap for digital nomads from Europe and USA. We will write much more soon as we are wintering this year in Cape Verde from January to April. This is a popular yachting location as there is an annual crossing pattern from the Canary Islands, to Cape Verde to the Caribbean Islands every winter.
It is only a 4 hour flight from Lisbon and a 6 hour flight from London. Many call it "Africa Light" as it is safe, exotic, with friendly people and great internet connection. National Geographic magazine named Cape Verde as one of its “Best Trips” and most “authentic, culturally rich, sustainable and, of course, superlative in the current world of travel.” Cape Verde music is everywhere, thanks to famous Cape Verdean singer Cesária Évora. There are 10 very diverse islands in Cape Verde, so something for every one. As one of the safest countries to visit in Africa, Cape Verde (Cabo Verde) enjoys a historically low crime rate, maintaining a great reputation as a safe destination to visit, explore, and relax!
3. CYPRUS
Cyprus is a very popular beach destination in Europe and one of the warmest winter destinations! Looking for the best places to visit in Larnaca Cyprus for travelers & digital nomads? As world traveling digital nomads, we wanted a warm winter, slow travel location nearby, but outside of Schengen area. So last winter we picked Larnaca. Cyprus is a very popular holiday/vacation destination, with 300 days of sunshine, but primarily in summer and winter is "off season" although temps are usually in the seventies and it is a mostly sunny beach location. The winters are similar to Spain and California, so mostly short, sweet and early spring & warmer temperatures arrive in March. All 3 are near beaches yet also have mountains for snow skiing if one likes that.
One of the things I love about our slow travel doing the Schengen Shuffle, low cost, digital nomad style of mostly 3 months stays in and out of Schengen, is the amazing countries we would have likely missed. Cyprus, Bansko Bulgaria and Albania Riviera were never on my bucket list, but I am glad we visited them now! Most Americans have never heard of or visited these places. There is no heating or insulation inside the homes in Cyprus, so be aware that nights can be cold in January and February inside, so make sure you have heat.
4. MARBELLA
Mostly we have stayed at Marbella Playa campsite when we stay in Marbella, so know it mostly as a cheap, but great van life destination. We were going to stay there again this year and rent a bungalow, but they are closed for this season doing some remodeling. We've also stayed there with family members who had a time share with the Marriot in Marbella and that was lovely for a shorter stay. Both were perfect for our needs and and nice and quiet in the off season. The campsite was a great place to ride bikes and about a block away from the same beach as the Marriot. So I am sure we will be back another time. We will visit Marbella soon on our road trip and write more about it.
5. SEVILLE
Looking for a beautiful city warm winter destination? We adore sublime Seville, so looking forward to staying there again this winter. I just totally fell in love with Sevilla as it was one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. It really caught me by surprise. I expected it to be nice, but it was so enchanting, sophisticated, alive and original that I was just in awe! I particularly love the picturesque, ancient Santa Cruz section of Seville as it is the most charming section of this charming small city within close walking distance to all the major sights. There are lots of airbnb places available at good price in and near Seville. We've stayed in our vintage van at a camping site nearby as well one year for Semana Santa and enjoyed that. They likely have bungalows and cheap long stay options. This would be a perfect city to do a long stay. This is also one of the best places in Spain to experience Flamenco.
6. NERJA
We love the East of Malaga area near Frigiliana! This area is called the Axarquia ( it means east in Arabic) and it's sub-tropical temperatures are known for the best climate in Europe. It is bordered by the Mediterranean to the south and mountains, which shelter this area. Nerja was once a small fishing village, but is now a popular tourist destination with a population of over 12,000 and a large mostly British expat community. ( Yet, much less expats than other parts of Andalucia). Nerja is lovely in the winter and we visited it often when we wintered in nearby Frigiliana. They are very close to one another, but quite different, so good to check out both and see which one appeals to you. Nerja is bigger and right on the beach.
Nerja has beautiful prehistoric caves and the Balcon de Europa/Balcony of Europe which is a spectacular viewing point.The caves are Spain’s third most visited tourist site after the Prado in Madrid and the Alhambra Palace in Granada. It is quite full of tourists in the summer, but fairly quiet in winter and lots of lodging options to choose for a cheap long stay. There are two stunning beaches on either side of the “Balcony of Europe” and innumerable good restaurant & shopping. The Axarquia is one of the few areas to still feature beaches that have managed to escape the all-consuming urban development that has invaded other parts of the Mediterranean coast. We are looking forward to seeing it again real soon this month!
7. MALAGA
If you are looking for a bigger city and hub, then Malaga might work for you. We've always enjoyed it and the last time I was there with Heavenly, we had so much fun in the old town area.They say the hottest place in Andalusia tends to be Malaga, as it is a port city on the Mediterranean Sea. Temperatures range from a low of 7-10 C (44-50 F) to a high of 17-20 C (63-68 F) and the sun shines almost every day.
Filled with a history that goes back thousands of years, a gorgeous coastline & beaches, Picasso museum and some of the best restaurants and stores – Malaga is a treasure to winter in. Don't miss the Arab baths!! You can find good lodging in Malaga or nearby areas. Andalucia is the warmest part of mainland Spain, so also lots of picturesque towns nearby filled with flamenco, orange & avocado trees, and whitewashed buildings. Getting around by walking, biking, bus or train is easy. We are looking forward to visiting Malaga soon on our road trip!
8. ALGARVE
Last but not least is the Algarve area of Portugal. We've camped here before with our vintage van and this time we will rent a bungalow in a campsite we love. The warmest places in mainland Europe is the Costa del Sol in Spain and Algarve in Portugal. Can you camp in Europe in the winter time? Absolutely! Just as there are "snowbirds" who head south to winter in the USA, one finds the same thing in Europe. LOTS of bargains available as well for long term campers who settle in when there are no crowds. Of course you can also find lots of other lodging options like airbnb.
There are places where you can camp and snow ski in Europe and many colder area campsites are open all year round like Paris or London, but most folks who want to spend the winter camping Europe, head south to Spain on the Costa del Sol or Portugal Algarve as these are the warmest areas of Europe in the winter.
We're headed to Camping Olhao which would be our first stop in the Algarve and it is one of the most popular winter homes for Northern European "snowbirds". ( Look how little our daughter Heavenly was the last time we visited!!).It has lots of amenities like a large pool that is open all year, great kid's playground, restaurant and tennis courts plus it is super cheap off season! We thought about doing Christmas month in the Canary Islands with Heavenly this year, but she is too busy & wants to visit in summer, so this seemed like a perfect spot to relax and check out the Algarve beaches again and Christmas markets before we head to Lisbon and fly off to Cape Verde in January! Where is your favorite warm winter getaway in Europe?
What are the best warm winter destinations if you are in Europe & doing the Schengen Shuffle? Nomad list says there are 429 winter warm places for digital nomads, so the possibilities are endless, but we narrow it down to ones that work best in or near Europe that intrigue us, based on low prices, comfort, safety & exciting environment. Also flights to and from one location to the next, figures into the travel budget and choice. Warm winter is also a relative term as the British, Germans, Dutch, & Scandinavian snow birds here at our Barcelona beach resort & Sitges find it warm, soaking up winter sun, but some people may want tropical hot winter or sultry summer weather.
Warm Europe Destinations For Digital Nomads
Turkey, Morocco, Barcelona, Valencia, Malta, Sicily, Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores, Nice & French Riviera, Montenegro, Egypt, Dubai and Croatia are all possibilities. But remember that no where in Europe will you have tropical winter temperatures. Just like winter California or Florida is not the same as summer weather there.
The warmest winter place in Europe are the Canary Islands with a January average temperature of about 12-18 C (55-65 F). War or terrorist areas, flight costs, safety, living costs also factor in warm winter choices. There is ONE tropical, cheap destination just a 4 hour flight away from Europe on my top warm Europe winter list below!
These Are The BEST 8 Warm Destinations For Digital Nomads or Travelers This Winter in or near Europe!!
I grew up in Michigan and then spent my early adult years in Boston and New York City, so this California girl and native Californian husband prefer endless summer digital nomad travel in our couples travel, retirement years now. If I want cold and snow, I go to the mountains for a short stay.
1. FRIGILIANA
Frigiliana was voted one of the most beautiful villages in Spain! We did 5 digital nomad, warm winters in this gorgeous ancient white village in Andalusia starting in 2006, where our daughter Heavenly ie Mozart had gone to school from first grade to fourth grade for winter months. I wrote about how to winter in Spain in our popular classic post "How to do Extended Travel & Mini-retirements" that is filled with links. I think Andalusia in the small villages, is the perfect combination of exotic and modern with wonderfully accepting people and fascinating culture with a rich history. Foreign local schools are a fantastic way to become multi-literate and multilingual while deeply immersing in a culture. So that language immersion and friends while traveling, were keys for us as a world schooling family.
There are simply TONS of places available in Spain, many new with every convenience & owned by Brits or English speaking northern Europeans who rent them out for the week in the very hot, summer high season, but super cheap for monthly winter rental rates. The sun shines almost every day in this micro climate near the beach with high winter day time temperatures around 17-20 C (63-68 F) so we usually wore T shirts outdoor during the day. On our Mother -daughter trip when Heavenly was 16, we returned to our village & now we're excited to do a road trip there soon this winter!
2. CAPE VERDE
Cape Verde is the ONLY location near Europe with truly summer-like, tropical & sub tropical winter weather! The period between September and March are some of the warmest months in Cape Verde with very little rain and low humidity. The average daytime winter temperature is 27C & 80F degrees and the sun shines more than eight hours a day. It is perfect beach weather, steady pleasant breeze and even the water temperature in winter has an average of about 26C/78F degrees. The conditions are ideal for a beach or winter vacation holidays & long stays are possible and cheap for digital nomads from Europe and USA. We will write much more soon as we are wintering this year in Cape Verde from January to April. This is a popular yachting location as there is an annual crossing pattern from the Canary Islands, to Cape Verde to the Caribbean Islands every winter.
It is only a 4 hour flight from Lisbon and a 6 hour flight from London. Many call it "Africa Light" as it is safe, exotic, with friendly people and great internet connection. National Geographic magazine named Cape Verde as one of its “Best Trips” and most “authentic, culturally rich, sustainable and, of course, superlative in the current world of travel.” Cape Verde music is everywhere, thanks to famous Cape Verdean singer Cesária Évora. There are 10 very diverse islands in Cape Verde, so something for every one. As one of the safest countries to visit in Africa, Cape Verde (Cabo Verde) enjoys a historically low crime rate, maintaining a great reputation as a safe destination to visit, explore, and relax!
3. CYPRUS
Cyprus is a very popular beach destination in Europe and one of the warmest winter destinations! Looking for the best places to visit in Larnaca Cyprus for travelers & digital nomads? As world traveling digital nomads, we wanted a warm winter, slow travel location nearby, but outside of Schengen area. So last winter we picked Larnaca. Cyprus is a very popular holiday/vacation destination, with 300 days of sunshine, but primarily in summer and winter is "off season" although temps are usually in the seventies and it is a mostly sunny beach location. The winters are similar to Spain and California, so mostly short, sweet and early spring & warmer temperatures arrive in March. All 3 are near beaches yet also have mountains for snow skiing if one likes that.
One of the things I love about our slow travel doing the Schengen Shuffle, low cost, digital nomad style of mostly 3 months stays in and out of Schengen, is the amazing countries we would have likely missed. Cyprus, Bansko Bulgaria and Albania Riviera were never on my bucket list, but I am glad we visited them now! Most Americans have never heard of or visited these places. There is no heating or insulation inside the homes in Cyprus, so be aware that nights can be cold in January and February inside, so make sure you have heat.
4. MARBELLA
Mostly we have stayed at Marbella Playa campsite when we stay in Marbella, so know it mostly as a cheap, but great van life destination. We were going to stay there again this year and rent a bungalow, but they are closed for this season doing some remodeling. We've also stayed there with family members who had a time share with the Marriot in Marbella and that was lovely for a shorter stay. Both were perfect for our needs and and nice and quiet in the off season. The campsite was a great place to ride bikes and about a block away from the same beach as the Marriot. So I am sure we will be back another time. We will visit Marbella soon on our road trip and write more about it.
5. SEVILLE
Looking for a beautiful city warm winter destination? We adore sublime Seville, so looking forward to staying there again this winter. I just totally fell in love with Sevilla as it was one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. It really caught me by surprise. I expected it to be nice, but it was so enchanting, sophisticated, alive and original that I was just in awe! I particularly love the picturesque, ancient Santa Cruz section of Seville as it is the most charming section of this charming small city within close walking distance to all the major sights. There are lots of airbnb places available at good price in and near Seville. We've stayed in our vintage van at a camping site nearby as well one year for Semana Santa and enjoyed that. They likely have bungalows and cheap long stay options. This would be a perfect city to do a long stay. This is also one of the best places in Spain to experience Flamenco.
6. NERJA
We love the East of Malaga area near Frigiliana! This area is called the Axarquia ( it means east in Arabic) and it's sub-tropical temperatures are known for the best climate in Europe. It is bordered by the Mediterranean to the south and mountains, which shelter this area. Nerja was once a small fishing village, but is now a popular tourist destination with a population of over 12,000 and a large mostly British expat community. ( Yet, much less expats than other parts of Andalucia). Nerja is lovely in the winter and we visited it often when we wintered in nearby Frigiliana. They are very close to one another, but quite different, so good to check out both and see which one appeals to you. Nerja is bigger and right on the beach.
Nerja has beautiful prehistoric caves and the Balcon de Europa/Balcony of Europe which is a spectacular viewing point.The caves are Spain’s third most visited tourist site after the Prado in Madrid and the Alhambra Palace in Granada. It is quite full of tourists in the summer, but fairly quiet in winter and lots of lodging options to choose for a cheap long stay. There are two stunning beaches on either side of the “Balcony of Europe” and innumerable good restaurant & shopping. The Axarquia is one of the few areas to still feature beaches that have managed to escape the all-consuming urban development that has invaded other parts of the Mediterranean coast. We are looking forward to seeing it again real soon this month!
7. MALAGA
If you are looking for a bigger city and hub, then Malaga might work for you. We've always enjoyed it and the last time I was there with Heavenly, we had so much fun in the old town area.They say the hottest place in Andalusia tends to be Malaga, as it is a port city on the Mediterranean Sea. Temperatures range from a low of 7-10 C (44-50 F) to a high of 17-20 C (63-68 F) and the sun shines almost every day.
Filled with a history that goes back thousands of years, a gorgeous coastline & beaches, Picasso museum and some of the best restaurants and stores – Malaga is a treasure to winter in. Don't miss the Arab baths!! You can find good lodging in Malaga or nearby areas. Andalucia is the warmest part of mainland Spain, so also lots of picturesque towns nearby filled with flamenco, orange & avocado trees, and whitewashed buildings. Getting around by walking, biking, bus or train is easy. We are looking forward to visiting Malaga soon on our road trip!
8. ALGARVE
Last but not least is the Algarve area of Portugal. We've camped here before with our vintage van and this time we will rent a bungalow in a campsite we love. The warmest places in mainland Europe is the Costa del Sol in Spain and Algarve in Portugal. Can you camp in Europe in the winter time? Absolutely! Just as there are "snowbirds" who head south to winter in the USA, one finds the same thing in Europe. LOTS of bargains available as well for long term campers who settle in when there are no crowds. Of course you can also find lots of other lodging options like airbnb.
There are places where you can camp and snow ski in Europe and many colder area campsites are open all year round like Paris or London, but most folks who want to spend the winter camping Europe, head south to Spain on the Costa del Sol or Portugal Algarve as these are the warmest areas of Europe in the winter.
We're headed to Camping Olhao which would be our first stop in the Algarve and it is one of the most popular winter homes for Northern European "snowbirds". ( Look how little our daughter Heavenly was the last time we visited!!).It has lots of amenities like a large pool that is open all year, great kid's playground, restaurant and tennis courts plus it is super cheap off season! We thought about doing Christmas month in the Canary Islands with Heavenly this year, but she is too busy & wants to visit in summer, so this seemed like a perfect spot to relax and check out the Algarve beaches again and Christmas markets before we head to Lisbon and fly off to Cape Verde in January! Where is your favorite warm winter getaway in Europe?
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Lovely! I am embarrassed I have not heard of many of these spots, but saving this post for future inspiration..great photos, too!
Posted by: Jennifer Record | December 13, 2023 at 11:30 AM
Thanks Jennifer! No worries, likely most Americans have not heard of many of these and why I posted, so more would get to know these gems! Marbella, Seville and Marbella are pretty famous, but the rest are much less known. We are monolinguals but raised our daughter as a trilingual in Spanish & Mandarin, partly through a decade of world travel, so we spent lots of winters in southern Spain so know it well.
Posted by: jeanne dee | December 13, 2023 at 12:01 PM
Oh these destinations sound like a dream! I'm from the UK so any destination with temperatures in double digits (Celsius) sounds tropical to me! I'd never considered Seville for a winter getaway for some reason but I'm adding it to the list - thanks for the great guide!
Posted by: Hannah | December 13, 2023 at 10:38 PM
Thanks Hannah, they really are great and nothing like sun and warm winter weather to make one smile! :) I love Seville in the sunny winter and the average winter temp is 18C and no crowds!
Posted by: jeanne dee | December 14, 2023 at 12:00 AM
I can’t wait to be a digital nomad to be able to explore all these places, what a great guide!
Posted by: Aimee | December 15, 2023 at 02:05 AM
Thanks bunches, Aimee! We love the digital nomad life and if you travel slow it is a lot cheaper & more fun than when we were living at home.
Posted by: jeanne dee | December 15, 2023 at 03:37 AM