Winter sun with no jet lag: warm places on UK time (or close to it)

Why the time difference matters

Jet lag isn't just tiredness. Crossing several time zones throws out your sleep, appetite and energy for days, and it usually hits hardest after flying east. On a short break, or with anyone who struggles with early starts, that can cost a big chunk of the trip.

In winter, the UK is on GMT. All of the places below are on the same time or within an hour of it, and most are a flight of under five hours. You'll still be tired after an early flight, but your body clock won't need resetting.

The quick list

Average daytime highs in January, from our guides:

That's the daytime high, in the sun. Evenings everywhere on this list are cooler, so pack a jumper.

Same time as the UK: the Canaries

The Canary Islands are the obvious answer, and for good reason. They're on the same time as the UK all year, clocks change on the same days, and flights take around four to four and a half hours from most UK airports. In January, the warmest resorts reach the low 20s most days.

If you can't decide between the Canaries and Madeira, our Madeira or Tenerife comparison goes into more detail.

Same time as the UK: Madeira and Portugal

Madeira is also on UK time, and it's a little cooler than the Canaries, at around 19°C in January. It's greener and more dramatic, better for walking the levadas and exploring than for lying on a beach, as natural sandy beaches are rare.

Mainland Portugal is on UK time too. The Algarve isn't beach weather in midwinter, at around 16°C, but it's often sunny, quiet and good value, and great for coastal walks and golf. Lisbon makes a mild winter city break at around 15°C.

One hour behind: Cape Verde

Cape Verde is the warmest place on this list, at around 25°C in January, and it's one hour behind the UK in winter. Because it's west of the UK, the small time shift is the easy direction: you'll find it simple to wake up early.

The main resort islands, Sal and Boa Vista, have long white beaches and very little rain in winter. Flights take around six hours, longer than the Canaries, but it feels properly tropical. The trade winds can be strong, so pick a sheltered beach on breezy days.

One hour ahead: Morocco and southern Spain

Morocco is usually one hour ahead of the UK in winter, though the clocks change during Ramadan, so check the current time difference for your dates. Marrakech is around 18°C in January with sunny days and cold nights, better for exploring than sunbathing. Essaouira, on the coast, is milder and often windy. Agadir, further south, is Morocco's main winter beach resort.

Southern Spain is one hour ahead. Málaga and the Costa del Sol are among the warmest places on the European mainland in winter, at around 17°C in January, with a short flight of under three hours. Seville is a similar temperature and wonderful for a winter city break.

An hour's difference is easy to adjust to, and coming home you gain the hour back.

What about the Caribbean or Dubai?

Places like Barbados and Dubai are much hotter in winter, but they come with a bigger time change: the Caribbean is four or five hours behind the UK, and Dubai is four hours ahead. For a two-week trip that's fine. For a week or less, many people find the first and last days are lost to tiredness, which is exactly what this list avoids.

If you do go further, west is easier than east. Flying to the Caribbean, you can usually stay up a bit later on the first night and wake early, while flying east to Dubai or Asia means trying to sleep when your body thinks it's the afternoon.

How to choose

For more ideas by month, see where to go in January and where to go in February. If you're travelling as a group and everyone has a different favourite, add them to a somewhere.party list and let the points decide.