Photo by Sarah Ackerman

For those people who find it hard to get through an entire winter without some sunshine, then a heading off for little winter sun break is always a good idea.

You don’t necessarily need a hot holiday, but just to be able to stroll around in a t-shirt and shorts for a week in flip flops instead of being bundled up in winter clothing and boots can give you a real lift.

For Northern Europeans, though, the problem is that the sunshine is always quite a distance away in the winter – so unless you feel like a long-haul flight your options can be a little limited. Except that is, for the Canary Islands which are located just off north-west Africa.

These Spanish islands have been attracting winter sun seekers for many years now, and their appeal is obvious. The climate is warm and sunny year round, and as they’re only a few hours’ flights from most European capitals, it’s no wonder that millions of tourists flock to the islands every year.

Tenerife is the largest and most popular island. And it’s not just about the beach. There are lots of things to do away from the beach, including hiking, horse riding and other sports. The lush interior of the island makes for great hiking territory, but there are plenty of water sports you can do by the shore too.

Los Cristianos is a resort that is on the south west coast of Tenerife, a few kilometres south of the island’s most lively and most visited resort Playa de las Americas. In a way, it’s a perfect place to stay as you can go into Playa de las Americas when you feel like it, but then retreat to the quieter resort you’re staying in when you wish. Agua Mar apartments are one of many apartment complexes in the Los Cristianos resort where you can choose from self-catering, half-board or bed and breakfast accommodation.

Before you decide where to stay, check out all the different activities and sights of interest on the island and then pick the resort that is best located for what you want to see and do.

A week in Tenerife could be just the tonic for wintertime blues!

Guest post by Emma Carey