Warm Weather Winter Vacation Ideas

Are you bummed because you don’t want winter to end, but it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere? We’ve got the list of warm weather winter vacation ideas you need.

Do you want inspiration for your upcoming warm weather winter vacation? If so, you’ve come to the right place. Here we discuss what makes a great winter vacation and provide tips for avoiding costly holiday travel mistakes.

It’s the middle of the winter and there’s snow on the ground and the temperature is below freezing. If your like me you want to pack up and take a tropical vacation. I’ve thought about booking a trip to Puerto Vallarta or even Hawaii, but then I remembered I cannot go because of work. So instead I decided to look into warm weather places within driving distance that cost less than $200 per night.

There is something about the Winter season that leads me to wanderlust. Perhaps it’s the cold temperatures, or the fact that most people are hibernating, but whatever it is I find myself yearning for something more than what the cold days and nights offer. This desire has lead me on many travels across numerous continents, often times ending up in a country with warm weather. My truly memorable vacation last winter was a trip to Gran Canaria – a large island off the coast of Western Africa.

Temperatures are rising in the southern hemisphere as we talk. Schools are going on vacation and especially Australians are planning to escape their harsh winters by traveling to tropical destinations. The author will share some warm weather holiday ideas.

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Just a 2.5-hour flight from Los Angeles, Cabo San Lucas rocks an easy commute and exotic appeal during America’s winter months. While the 20-mile stretch between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo is dripping in luxurious hotels that have entertained the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz, and George Clooney, our favorite sleep is the ultra-romantic Esperanza Resort. Set between bluffs on the Baja peninsula, the secluded casitas, suites, and villas are done up in airy, traditional Baja-style decor with handcrafted Mexican furniture and beds draped with soft linen canopies. If you’re in need of a break from lounging on the beach, Wild Canyon ATVing is certain to get your blood pumping. With a personal guide and your own ATV, you’ll follow routes that whip you between barren desert vistas and beaches stretched along the Sea of Cortez. In town, grab dinner at Los Tres Gallos, an authentic Mexican spot off the beaten path of Cabo’s strip that serves killer pozole, mole enchiladas, and tamarind margaritas in an outdoor courtyard.

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Warm Weather Winter Vacation Ideas

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Key West, Florida

Florida as a destination is one of the best winter vacations in America for a reason; with both Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastlines, the state is all about the beaches. Skip over Fort Lauderdale and South Beach, however, and hole up at the Ocean Key Resort & Spa, where tasteful island-themed decor and a convenient locale—near Old Town, Mallory Square, and Key West Harbor—set you up for an exceedingly relaxed stay. Right out the hotel’s front door, you’ll want to hit Duval Street, a 1.25-mile stretch through downtown Key West that serves as the epicenter for all things eating, shopping, and drinking. When hunger hits, head for Louie’s Backyard, a cafe-style Caribbean-American restaurant that resides in a Victorian home right on the ocean. No surprise, all of their top-billed plates are seafood, including cracked conch with mango chutney and sautéed gulf shrimp.

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Havana, Cuba

Once you arrive in Cuba, you’ll be in need of a welcome drink. Do so like Hemingway, and head for his favorite bar, Floridita, on the corner of Obispo and Monserrate, and order a daiquiri. For dinner, there’s La Cocina de Lilliam, a lush family-run patio restaurant that has served Cuban favorites—like arroz con pollo, fried green plantains, and tres leches cake—to guests as distinguished as President Jimmy Carter. Not far from Plaza de Armas, Havana’s oldest square, check into the Hotel Florida, an impressive Colonial boutique with 25 rooms surrounding an airy ground-floor courtyard with a retractable glass roof.

RELATED: 18 Essentials You Should Never Forget to Pack

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Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

Beach bums listen up; Tenerife, the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands, has 42 miles of supreme sand (in black pebble and blonde varieties). RedLevel at Gran Melia Palacio de Isora – Tenerife puts you right near two of the island’s best: Alcala and Los Gigantes Beaches. It also makes a great basecamp for day trips to the crater-, volcano- and petrified lava-filled landscape of Teide National Park. Between refreshing dips in the North Atlantic and driving through the snow-capped peaks of Mount Teide, sneak in a meal at Haydée, where you’ll be served up unique dishes like beet creamy rice, olive octopus risotto, or spicy tuna tartare with cherry sorbet.

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Martinique

If your idea of an amazing warm weather holiday includes fantastic eats and white sand beaches, set your sights on the French Caribbean isle of Martinique. The enchanting island combines the food, customs, and flair of the French with the Caribbean’s abundance of beautiful landscapes. Explore Martinique’s bustling, postcard-perfect capital, Fort-de-France, stopping to snap photos of its palm-fringed pathways, seafront restaurants, and multicolored homes with balconies overflowing with flowers. After browsing the stalls of fruit and homemade rum at Chez Carole, the cavernous covered market, bring your appetite to the market’s eponymous eatery, where you can dig into the country’s signature codfish fritters, coconut chicken, and succulent stewed octopus. Your digs are the ultra-luxe villas at Le Cap Est Lagoon Resort & Spa, Martinique’s most exclusive resort with a serene oceanfront setting and a extensive roster of water activities (think snorkeling, scuba diving, private boat rides, windsurfing, and paddle boarding).

Explore More: See hotel details | See all Le Francois, Martinique hotels

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Kauai, Hawaii

A warm-weather escape doesn’t necessarily imply lazing on the beach or vegging out around the pool. If you’d rather take to the outdoors and get moving, consider Kauai. The greenest and oldest of the islands, Kauai has towering cliffs, plunging valleys, gushing waterfalls, and verdant hills, making it a destination ripe for outdoor enthusiasts. Start your adventures with a bird’s-eye view of the gorgeous island on a Blue Hawaiian helicopter tour of the Waimea Canyon, then, for an up-close perspective, hike the rugged cliff tops of the 11-mile Kalalau Trail. Want to feel the wind in your hair instead? Opt for a thrilling sailboat ride around the Na Pali Coastline—a majestic series of valleys, fluted walls, and sheer ridges rising thousands of feet from the Pacific. Lay your head at the Lodge at Kukui’ula, a collection of two- and three-bedroom cottages on a 1,000-acre South Shore resort community.