Where to go for winter sun - and why

Shopping and sand dunes

Morocco

Unbearable in the summer but a pleasant 15-22°C  in winter, Morocco is an exotic short-haul option, and now offers direct flights to the desert city of Marrakesh. Enter an Arabian Nights world by staying in a traditional guesthouse there (try Riad Kaiss - www.riadkaiss.com), shop for home items in the souks of Fez, visit the Saharan sand dunes of Erg Chebbi, dip in the pools of the Cascades d'Ouzoud, hit the coast at hippie hangout, Essaouira, or check out the après surf culture of Taghazout (near Agadir). You can even ski in the Atlas Mountains.

Getting there: EasyJet (www.easyjet.com) flights from Gatwick to Marrakesh cost from £65.99 one way in January. First Choice (www.firstchoice.co.uk) has seven-night B&B packages in a three-star hotel in coastal Agadir from £293. For ski and surf, try Acacia Adventure Holidays' (www.acacia-africa.com) eight-day Ski & Surf trip combining the Atlas Mountains, Agadir and Marrakesh. From £625pp, excluding flights/transfers to Marrakesh.