Alicante or Canaries for 3 night sun break

[Needthesunnow]

Hi, I’m hoping someone can help me make this decision!

I’m a teacher and have a half term week off next week. I’ll be flying from Scotland. Alicante or the Canaries is pretty much my choice for some warmth. Tenerife looks to be 3 or 4° warmer than Alicante, but it’s a two hours longer flight and also likes to be a lot more built up and touristy.

What I’m looking for is a nice hotel or an apartment with a balcony where I can sit out and have coffee in the morning. An interesting place to wander around and go for some decent walks. See the sea.I definitely don’t want to be surrounded by screaming children! Busman’s holiday.

Malaga is off the list as I’ve been there twice already.

Any inspiration would be great. I’m not on a budget as such, but don’t want to be spending a ridiculous amount. Thanks.

Have a look at Playa Blanca in Lanzarote and consider an adults only hotel.

Check the weather but the Canary Islands tend to have a much more settled weather pattern in the winter. Have worked in Spain and there were some cold, wet winter weeks.

When calculating the flight time also factor in the airport and transfers. On mainland Spain some of the budget airlines go to airports well away from the areas with holiday accommodation. In the Canary Islands there tends to be one main airport on each with better connections. For example, on Gran Canaria you can take a local bus to Las Palmas. If I wanted to avoid the resorts would probably head for a nice boutique hotel or pension close to the beach with a sea view in the main city.

Historic sites, good local food, plenty of places to walk and transport to get out to other places.

Have a great time!

Thanks everyone. To be honest there’s not a lot in it weather wise between Alicante and Gran Canaria next week. I think Alicante is chillier at night but both both around 20C maximum and sunny during the day. Tenerife looks warmer. Not that keen on Lanzarote as find it treeless and bleak and we got robbed there!

If the weather is equal, I'd think Alicante out of season is more likely to deliver what you want than the Canaries.

it is freezing, flooding and there are red weather wind alerts.

If you're not fussed about swimming in the sea/pool then I'd go for Alicante. Shorter flight, lots to see for a few days.

We were in Malaga recently and were in shorts and t-shirts some days, rain jackets others, but still lovely cafes/bars to escape to, and museums/galleries.

Where?!

Alicante forecast next week

the whole coast. i am nearer valencia.

it is brutal.

Sorry to hear about this. Hopefully it will pass soon for you. Forecast looks much better next week. Here in Scotland we’re having a nightmare weather wise and it really is freezing!

I'm in Spain, and whilst it isn't cold, it's blowing a howling gale and has been for about a week. We've had a ton of rain in the last few months too.

Currently I'm tired of chasing my garden furniture around the garden and retrieving my rubbish bin from the other end of the street...!!

I don't think you can compare weather in the canaries with mainland Spain in February whatever the weather app tells you.
Otoh it's virtually a day's travel each way to the canaries.

I’m currently near Malaga and whilst today has been a bit grey with some rain, yesterday was absolutely gorgeous. I was keeping an eye on the forecast before I came and Alicante seems to have had better weather than Andalusia this winter (assuming the BBC forecast is accurate). Nevertheless I would have thought the canaries are likely to be warmer, depending on what you plan to do.

If you do go to Alicante and want a nice sea view, there is a Melia hotel near the marina which seems to go right out to sea. I haven’t stayed there but think how nice it would be.

Funnily enough Alicante vs Lanzarote are my choices for next winter, so I would be interested in how you get on, whatever you choose.

Picking up on the comment about transfer times from airports - Alicante is around 20 mins in a taxi to the town centre near to where the castle/ marina are.

I’m in Lanzarote just now - I love it here! It’s very green at the moment with wild flowers everywhere as they had a usually wet winter. This week it’s been in the mid twenties and high teens at night.

I'm going in a couple of weeks, sounds great. Reading horror stories of airport arrivals in arracife.

I’ve never had any problems going through the airport but it does seem to be pretty bad sometimes when several flights arrive within a short timeframe. Apparently Thursdays the worst.

Sundays are the worst for sure! Multiple flights arrive at arrecife at the same time. Total nightmare to get through and then add the new EU entry/ exit system with fingerprint/ facial recognition scanners.....