December temperature range: 15 - 20°C

Madeira is no longer a place for sedate retirees. It has transformed itself, taking advantage of its rugged outdoors to offer great mountain experiences, hiking or casual walks. You can explore beautiful black sand beaches, majestic canyons and the Levadas (water-irrigation channels carved into the volcanic island). And after all that, there are indeed lovely hotels for a quiet G + T and magnificent views.

December temperature range: 9-15°C 

Athens is much warmer than many places in Greece once winter appears. This capital city is a classic city-break destination, full of quirky neighbourhoods and authentic restaurants as well as the must see classic sites. Spend days exploring the many museums, libraries and galleries and evenings enjoying the food!

December temperature range: 10–19°C

Cyprus' winter temperatures are more like Lebanon's than the rest of Europe as the Levant is only 130 miles away. Winter is also a great time to go hiking in Cyprus’s dense forests, where you can stumble across fascinating Byzantine monasteries.

December temperature range: depending on which island you're on, temperatures range from 12–17°C

The beautiful Aegean is one of Europe’s most visited seas for good reason. The water off many of the Cyclades islands, such as Paros, Santorini and Milos is still warm enough to swim in winter, so for swimmers it is a year long perfect destination.  Pretty much all of this part of Greece has clear blue skies and warm temperatures well into winter.