Winter sun: These are some of the cheapest destinations to fly to from Newcastle airport in January

The North East is well known for its cold winters, but it doesn’t need to be like that for everyone.

With Newcastle Airport so close and easily accessible, we’ve put together a list of the top destinations you can travel to and still soak up the sun while the weather across Tyne and Wear remains gloomy.

Canary Islands

These Spanish islands offer an ideal option for many holidaymakers looking to stay in the sun during the winter. Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Tenerife all make up the batch of islands and temperatures remain at around 18°C throughout the winter.

Jet2, Ryanair and TUI all offer flights throughout the year with Skyscanner able to find return flights to Fuerteventura from £26.

Spain

Sun seekers can fly to both Alicante and Malaga throughout the year from Newcastle airport with TUI, Ryanair and Jet2.

Temperatures depend on the destination, but warmer weather is almost guaranteed alongside some lovely coastal cities to explore with flights to Barcelona and Malaga available for £36 according to Skyscanner with trips to Alicante and Santander available from £43.

Portugal

Back in Europe, Ryanair offers two flights per week out of the North East to Faro, a hugely popular tourism spot at the southern tip of Portugal.

The coastal city has an average daily high in January of 16°C, which is more than enough to feel comfortable soaking in the Mediterranean culture. Flights to Faro start from £38 on Skyscanner with Madeira also available from £66.

Malta

Malta is a stunning Mediterranean island with good weather for most of the year and it is also home to Valletta, the European Union’s smallest city. With average high temperatures in the capital hitting 17°C it is another great option with Ryanair offering regular flights. Return tickets start from £65 from Newcastle Airport.

Morocco

Heading away from Europe, Morocco is in the north west of Africa and enjoys a mild climate for the majority of the year in cities and coastal regions. Marrakech is the cheapest destination from Newcastle according to Skyscanner, which has found flights from £67 to the major city which regularly sees highs of 18°C in January.