Pick a winter hotspot in the time zone that’s right for you GMT GMT+1

Your best options for jet lag-free winter sun

Madeira

Increasingly hot weather makes it impossible to enjoy Madeira’s many hiking routes in summer – but as temperatures dip from boiling to breezy, coastal paths and mountain trails are more pleasurable to tackle. Volcanic landscapes and ancient mist-wrapped forests provide a scenic platform for admiring the ever-changing sea views on this Portuguese island, which sits much closer to Africa than Europe. Walk along the levadas, a 15th-century network of stone channels engineered to collect mountain water and irrigate crop fields now functioning as a 1,300mile network of sun-dappled forest walks. For a more strenuous workout, climb a steep, jagged staircase to one of the island’s tallest peaks, Pico do Arieiro, where views are glorious. A gentler alternative is the glass-bottomed Cabo Girão Skywalk in the south of the island, stretching across jagged cliffs with the roaring Atlantic Ocean below.

A six-day trip costs from £679 per person, excluding flights. Departs Nov 12 (020 7313 6953; gadventures.com).

Sao Tome and Principe

One to brag about for passport stamp collectors, this tiny twin island nation off the coast of Gabon, Africa, is one of the 10 least-visited countries in the world. Hovering right above the equator, its palm-fringed pearlescent beaches and emerald jungle slopes are as Arcadian and exotic as body-clock battering islands in the South Pacific. A short 35-minute flight connects the sister islands, where stays range from rustic cabins to luxury ocean-side lodges. Learn about the island’s turbulent chocolate history at restored plantation Roça Sundy on Principe, where a new sustainable community project is thriving. A breeding ground for more species than the Galapagos, around 28 per cent of the country is wrapped in rainforest – mostly focused on the Unesco Biosphere Reserve of Principe. Phonolite towers soar from the forest at the Bay of Needles, while other beaches provide a nesting ground for turtles between November and March.

A nine-night trip costs from £2,650pp, excluding international flights (020 3808 3860; timbuktutravel.com)

Senegal

Expensive, indirect flights and limited tour operator engagement have left West Africa largely out in the cold, even though its glistening sandy beaches promise warm winter sun. All that’s going to change in November, however, when package holiday giants Tui launch a direct flight to Senegal, a country favoured by French holidaymakers for decades. Get to grips with the realities of the colonial slave trade on the Unescolisted island of Ile Gorée and dip into the burgeoning African art scene at the Ifan Museum of African Arts in Dakar. Waves roll right up to the Senegalese capital, making it a great spot for surfing, and

h ‘Glistening beaches’: Tui is launching direct flights to Senegal in November

beaches stretch along the coast. Sleepy fishing village Pointe Saréne has been transformed into a resort with several hotel developments, although there are still plenty of quieter patches along the Petite Côte. Slip in a safari with a trip to the Saloum Delta National Park and cruise saltwater canals in the company of flamingos and spoonbills.

A seven-night trip costs from £880pp, including flights. Departs Nov 21

(020 3451 2688; tui.co.uk)

Tenerife

There is no bad time to visit the Canary Islands, where the annual average temperature hits 23C. But in winter, the

Atlantic-washed archipelago is one of the few places in Europe promising comfortable sea swims and respectable sun tans. Tenerife tops the lot, with some of the best beaches, four Michelinstarred restaurants, historic architecture and hiking trails. Cooler weather is ideal for climbing the island’s showpiece Mount Teide, part of Spain’s most visited national park. Or try scrambling through the Cueva del Viento, the longest lava tunnel outside Hawaii, formed 27,000 years ago. Continuing the sci-fi theme, Bahia del Duque resort in Costa Adeje offers guided astronomical tours of the night sky, highlighting winter constellations through telescopes. And once the trip is over, the 4½-hour flight is fairly painless to navigate home.

A seven-night B&B stay at Bahia del Duque costs from £1,535pp, including flights. Valid Nov 2022 to April 2023. Book by Sept 30 (01244 897271; elegantresorts.co.uk)