Brits looking for hot and sunny holidays in November don’t need to venture too far – there’s one beautiful European city where you can still pretend it’s summer
If you’re the type of person who dreads autumn, hates having to wear loads of layers just to venture outside, and genuinely envy animals that can hibernate for the winter, the good news is that there are plenty of sunny escapes for autumn and winter, and you don’t need to travel to far-flung tropical islands. In fact, one of Europe’s sunniest destinations is around three hours from the UK, and it has balmy weather well into November.
Boasting an average of 266 hours of sunshine every month, the Spanish city of Cordoba has been crowned of Europe’s sunniest spots by the travel pros at Holidu, for the second year in row. The underrated city is tucked away in southern Spain and is just an hour’s train journey from popular spots like Malaga or Seville, so it’s fairly easy to reach within a few hours of the UK.
In November it enjoys average daily temperatures of 19C, and up to six hours of daily sunshine too. At night temperatures drop to around 8C so while you will need some layers if you’re out and about, it’s still typically warmer than what you can expect in the UK.
Because of its proximity to major holiday hotspots, the Andalusian city isn’t overrun with tourists, and yet it boasts heaps of brilliant places to visit, from the impressive Roman Bridge, to the Instagram-worthy the Calleja de las Flores (Alley of the Flowers), a street of whitewashed buildings adorned with colourful flower pots. Cordoba’s vibe is more laidback too; it’s one where you can wander the streets, take a long lunch and just enjoy a slower paced city break, rather than having to rush around trying to cram 100 different landmarks into the itinerary.
Its buildings are also the stuff of storybooks. Once the capital of the Moorish Empire during the 10th century, the city is full of beautiful buildings, including the Mezquita, its Mosque-Cathedral with intact mosaics and historic features. For history buffs, head to Torre de la Calahorra, a medieval gate tower that has been transformed into a ‘living museum’ and is packed with artefacts offering a glimpse of the city’s varied history. For those who can face it, climb to the top of the tower for uninterrupted views of the old town.
One of the easiest ways to get to Cordoba from the UK is to fly into Seville, and then get a direct train which takes just under an hour. Ryanair, easyJet, British Airways, Vueling and Wizz Air all offer direct flights to Seville. Skyscanner shows fares from £26 each way in November, although it’s worth noting this won’t include extra hand luggage. As for cheap hotels, Kayak has a number of Cordoba hotels from £33 a night, while TripAdvisor has a handy round-up of Cordoba’s best cheap hotels based on travellers’ reviews.
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