15 Best Winter Sun Honeymoon Destinations

An empty tropical beach on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica

Traditional wooden longtail boats on a sunny beach in Thailand

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Looking for the best winter sun honeymoon destinations? If you’re having a winter wedding but don’t want a cold-weather honeymoon – you’re in the right place!

Assuming you live in the northern hemisphere, there are tons of incredible places you can go during winter for some much-needed sun. Plus, there are options to suit all kinds of honeymoon styles and budgets.

Whether you want a classic destination like the Maldives or a more adventurous option, I’ve got you… The following destinations are all great from December to March and are perfect for a dream, sun-filled honeymoon.

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Best warm honeymoon destinations in winter

1 Maldives

An aerial view of a luxury island resort in the Maldives

First on the list of best winter sun honeymoon destinations had to be the Maldives. If you’re dreaming of tropical beaches, private island resorts and the bluest of skies – you can’t go wrong here!

The best time to visit the Maldives is between December and April. This is when it’s the country’s dry season so there’s little rain, lower humidity and hot sunny weather. It’s the best time for making the most of the Indian Ocean paradise scenery.

🏡 Where to stay: One&Only Reethi Rah

2 South Africa

An elephant walking in the road in front of a safari jeep in a national park in South Africa

If you want a bucket list destination, South Africa has to be on your list. It’s one of my all-time fav winter sun destinations and has something for everyone to love!

The months of December to March are summer in South Africa so it’s a great time to visit many parts of the country. Cape Town, Cape Winelands and the Garden Route are best at this time of year with temperatures around 25-30ºC.

It’s also a brilliant time for a safari in the Eastern Cape – it’s when I visited and I can highly recommend it for warmer weather.

🏡 Where to stay: Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel

3 Thailand

If you’re dreaming of a destination with white-sand beaches, amazing culture and the most heavenly food, you’ll fall in love with Thailand. This is one of the best honeymoon destinations in Southeast Asia and is perfect for a sunny winter getaway.

Between November and March, most of Thailand is in its dry season so it’s great for the islands. If you’re honeymooning in early winter, I recommend the west coast regions like Phuket and Krabi where you’ll get temperatures around 30ºC.

Koh Samui is also incredible for newlyweds but it has its own rainy season. Because of this, it’s best to visit from January for a better chance of great weather.

🏡 Where to stay: Six Senses Yao Noi

4 Canary Islands, Spain

A view across a misty mountain landscape towards a volcano in Teide National Park in Tenerife

If you want a winter sun honeymoon in Europe, Spain’s Canary Islands are one of your best choices. Thanks to their location (closer to Africa than Spain), the Canary Islands have mild temperatures year-round – even in the depths of winter you can expect temperatures around 20ºC.

You can choose to visit any of the islands but Tenerife has to be my favourite. It’s the largest of the Canary Islands and has loads to explore. It also has the most breathtaking scenery and a great choice of romantic hotels.

🏡 Where to stay: Royal Garden Villas

5 United Arab Emirates

A view across water towards a sweeping white-sand beach, backed by skyscrapers in Dubai

The UAE is an amazing choice for a luxury winter sun honeymoon. With a desert climate, it’s warm year-round, but the winter months are best before it gets too hot.

There are several places you could visit during your honeymoon but my top choice is Dubai. It’s great as a stopover on a multi-destination honeymoon, but equally as a choice in its own right.

During winter, you can expect temperatures around 25ºC and sometimes warmer – it’s perfect for relaxing on the beach, sightseeing and heading into the desert.

🏡 Where to stay: One&Only Royal Mirage

6 Mexico

Hannah looking towards a Mayan ruin on the tropical coast of Tulum in Mexico

There’s so much to love about Mexico. It has beautiful beaches, incredible food, rich culture and plenty of sunshine. There are lots of destinations you could visit across the country but the coast is perfect at this time of year.

During the winter months, you can expect the best hot weather for visiting popular spots on the Caribbean Coast. Places like Cancun and Tulum are dry and bright between December to April with glorious temperatures of 28-30ºC.

🏡 Where to stay: Fairmont Mayakoba

7 Costa Rica

A pristine, empty beach fringed with palm trees and clear waters in Costa Rica

With so many beautiful settings to take in, Costa Rica is a brilliant tropical winter destination. December to March is part of the country’s dry and sunny season, so it’s the perfect time to visit.

For beachgoers, the Pacific coast regions like Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula are lovely at this time of year with temperatures hitting the 30ºCs.

It’s also a great time to head inland when it’s a little less rainy. I highly recommend staying at a rainforest retreat for a bucket list escape.

🏡 Where to stay: Hacienda AltaGracia

8 Philippines

A cluster of rocky limestone cliffs in a secluded bay in Palawan, Philippines

The Philippines is one of my favourite warm winter honeymoon destinations – it’s full of natural beauty and has the most breathtaking beaches. Palawan in particular is my top spot in the Philippines and December to April is the best time to visit.

Falling in the country’s dry season this is when you can expect the sunniest days with temperatures hovering around 30ºC. It’s perfect for beach hopping, diving and making the most of the paradise scenery!

🏡 Where to stay: Cauayan Island Resort and Spa

9 Morocco

A view across the historic village of Aït Benhaddou in desert scenery in Morocco

Despite having its coldest month in January, Morocco is still one of my top winter sun honeymoon destinations. The days in winter are warm by a lot of people’s standards and it’s a great time to visit before the heat gets too much.

There’s loads you can explore across the country. Marrakech only drops to around 19ºC in the day in the middle of winter so it’s a great time for sightseeing. You could also choose to stay in a coastal area like Agadir or Taghazout which are fab for a winter beach honeymoon.

🏡 Where to stay: La Sultana Marrakech

10 Australia

An aerial view of a straight road alongside the beach in a remote part of Australia

Australia is an epic honeymoon destination and another amazing choice for a winter sun escape. Admittedly, it’s one that gets scorching during its summer months (December to February) but it’s still worth considering.

I recommend sticking to the southern regions to avoid wet weather in the tropical north. However, you still have loads of choice for some dream winter sun!

Places like Sydney and the beaches of New South Wales are perfect in the summer. If you have time for a 2+ week honeymoon, I also love the idea of a road trip along the Great Ocean Road or a honeymoon in the gorgeous Barossa Valley or Adelaide Hills.

🏡 Where to stay: Sequoia Lodge

11 Sri Lanka

An aerial view of a villa set amongst dense tropical jungle by the sea in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka might be a small island, but it packs a punch with what it has to offer. It’s a brilliant place to explore and it’s wonderful for catching some winter sun.

If you’re dreaming of the beach, the southern and western coasts are perfect from December to March with hot, dry and sunny weather. From January, it’s also a fab time to visit the Cultural Triangle as well as Sri Lanka’s tea country.

Yala National Park is also an amazing, bucket list visit and is ideal from January/February as it transitions into its drier months.

🏡 Where to stay: Cape Weligama

12 Caribbean

A tropical bay in St Lucia with sailing boats and lush jungle scenery

There’s a reason why the Caribbean is one of the absolute best honeymoon destinations in winter… It’s a sunny paradise with luxury resorts and islands to suit every couple.

December to April is an ideal time to visit when it’s the peak, dry season. Even in January (when it’s the coolest month of the year), you can expect temperatures to reach a sunny 29ºC in southern spots like Barbados.

There are so many islands to choose from across the Caribbean. Two of the most romantic are St Lucia and Jamaica where you’ll find heavenly honeymoon resorts. You could also go sailing or island hopping if you want to see more than one place.

🏡 Where to stay: Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort

13 Vietnam

A cable car above a tropical island in Vietnam

Want a winter sun honeymoon destination that’s a little bit different? Vietnam could tick the right boxes! This country is diverse and beautiful with settings for every honeymooner to fall in love with.

For the warmest weather, I recommend sticking to southern Vietnam during the winter months. From December (when it’s the dry season), the Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City are lovely to explore.

It’s also a good time for hitting the beaches in Vietnam – Phu Quoc island is particularly great with temperatures that can reach 30ºC.

🏡 Where to stay: La Festa Phu Quoc

14 Malaysia

A mountain viewpoint looking out over cable cars in Langkawi, Malaysia, towards little tropical islands in turquoise sea

Depending on where you visit in the country, Malaysia can be a brilliant option for getting some winter sun. I feel like it’s a destination that’s a little underrated but there are so many gorgeous spots to take in.

On the west coast, island destinations like Langkawi and Penang are fab for honeymooners and it’s the peak season from December to March. This is when you’ll get sunny and warm weather with temperatures that are perfect for the beach.

🏡 Where to stay: Four Seasons Resort Langkawi

15 Brazil

A sweeping stretch of sandy beach backed by city and mountains in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

If you’re dreaming of a lively, hot-weather honeymoon, Brazil is an incredible choice. During the northern hemisphere’s winter months, Brazil’s summer is in full swing and with it comes a lot of festivities.

Rio de Janeiro is the obvious choice for a dream honeymoon in Brazil. It’s a gorgeous city with rich culture, sun-drenched beaches and breathtaking scenery.

During the country’s summer months, you can expect scorching temperatures (30ºC+), as well as the chance to experience carnival if you honeymoon in February / March. It’s the perfect time for a one-of-a-kind celebration!

🏡 Where to stay: Emiliano Rio

Winter sun honeymoon destinations – Wrap up

You’re definitely not short of choice if you want to escape the northern hemisphere’s cold winter days. Across the globe, there are so many gorgeous honeymoon destinations where you’ll find balmy weather with sun-soaked beaches.

There are also winter sun honeymoon destinations that are perfect if you want a little more to see and do. Whether it’s a road trip in Australia or South Africa, carnival in Brazil or an adventure in Sri Lanka, there’s somewhere I know you’ll love!

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