The World's Hottest Winter Destination Offers A Tropical Escape From The Cold

There's nothing like a dose of sunshine to crush the winter blues. While some of the most idyllic tropical islands make for a perfect winter getaway, a new rising star for winter travel has been crowned as the season's hottest destination (and for Europeans, it involves very little jet lag, being just an hour behind GMT). It's also visa-free for many Western visitors coming for short stays.

According to EasyJet, Sal, a small island in Cabo Verde (also known as Cape Verde), a small archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean 385 miles west of Senegal, was crowned as the "hottest winter escape," claiming the top spot on the airline's Winter Sun index. Sal beat out other traditional winter hot spots, including Morocco, Egypt, and both Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura, the oldest of the Canary Islands, by topping EasyJet's "hotlist" with the highest number of hours of sunlight, warm winter temperatures, ease of access from the U.K., and low average rainfall during the winter months. As you're enjoying the eight to 10 hours of daily sunshine, expect it to be dry and a comfy 75 to 81 degrees Fahrenheit, making it perfect weather to dive into the warm, turquoise waters or relax poolside with a book.

The minute you walk off the plane, you'll say goodbye to gray. Sal bursts with color, from green Cape Verdean date palms towering above powdery, white-sand beaches, and sapphire waters. Sandals and shorts are always in season, and the winter months are a perfect time for trying windsurfing, wing foiling, and kitesurfing. With its long, sandy beaches and gentle breezes, you'll have the wind back in your sails in no time, pun intended, once you're in Sal. 

Sal's tourist hub and one of its largest cities, Santa Maria, is nestled around a nearly perfect half-moon-shaped sandy bay at the south end of the island. Santa Maria's tourist infrastructure along the beach has been built to European standards over the past decades, with major hotel resorts, including the Hotel Riu Palace Santa Maria, Hilton Cabo Verde Sal Resort, and Hotel Odjo d'agua, perched along the crystal-clear waters. The city's namesake beach is well maintained with no jagged rocks, and is surely a place you'll forget how cold it is back home when you're scrunching sand between your toes without a care in the world. Once you're ready to hop out of the water, grab a drink and a snack at one of the many beachside cafes or bars nearby. According to EasyJet's hotlist, you'll find a cold beer for less than $3.

Seafood lovers will delight in the varieties of fish available and shouldn't miss visiting the O Pontão, Santa Maria's wooden pier, where fisherman bring in their morning catch at about 10:00 each morning. If your mouth is watering, head to Restaurante Sol Doce, a Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice award winner for 2025, for a flavorful lunch or early dinner.

While you won't need shoes or sturdy sandals for the beaches in town, grab them if you're heading to Shell Cemetery Beach, a natural wonder sculpted by tides. This unique beach formed after ocean currents brought back piles of discarded shells of mollusks after they were consumed at local restaurants and dumped into the ocean. From Santa Maria beach, it's approximately a 30-minute walk. 

Long before tourism, Santa Maria was founded for salt production ("sal" means "salt" in Portuguese). In the past, the islands were a meeting ground for Portuguese, Brazilian, and African cultures, and this fusion remains strong today. Locals have a true zest for life that shines through the local and diverse music scene. Feel the upbeat rhythm of life in Cape Verde at night as you walk along the Rua 1 de Junho.

Due to the growth of the tourism industry on Sal, you'll find euros and cards are widely accepted (along with European prices) and plenty of English speakers in tourist areas. That being said, locals will genuinely appreciate visitors who go the extra mile to learn a few greetings in Portuguese and aim to connect with the local culture through music or food, among other things.  

Amílcar Cabral International Airport (SID) is Sal's and Cabo Verde's largest international gateway, having flights across Europe mainly on low-cost and leisure carriers. From the United States, it may be significantly cheaper to purchase a ticket to a major European gateway city and then buy a second ticket from there to paradise, or opt for a full package with flights and a hotel. While tickets to Sal may be inexpensive on the surface, be careful to avoid the extra fees that these budget airlines are notorious for charging. Moreover, even though Cabo Verde is visa-free for many tourists, don't forget to pre-register your arrival with the National Police and pay your airport tax a week before you arrive. You can do so on this official website.