Balmy and beautiful
When you think about perfect vacation weather, what comes to mind? How about 70 to 80 degrees and sunny? If that prospect makes you go aaahhhhh, check out our roundup of 10 places that are blessed to have this kind of climate year-round, give or take a few degrees. (Text: Josh Lew)
1. San Diego, USA
San Diego's Convention and Visitors Bureau likes to brag about its climate. But this is more than PR - the weather in San Diego is worth boasting about. Summer-time highs rarely top 80 degrees, while winter highs generally fall somewhere between 65 and 70. Overall, San Diego has about 300 sunny days per year. California’s other cities also enjoy mild weather, but none of its peers can quite match San Diego's cocktail of 70s and sunshine day in and day out. With its action-packed Gaslamp Quarter, miles of beaches and surfable waves, and natural landscapes inland and on the shore, San Diego arguably has the most attractions of any city on our list.
2. Santa Barbara, California, USA
The other West Coast destination that is known for its year-round weather is Santa Barbara. This pleasant and historic town is a sort of gateway to California's scenic Central Coast. Winter-time highs are only about 10 degrees lower than the pleasant summer-time 70s, and even a light jacket will suffice for an evening of outdoor strolling in December or January. Santa Barbara does get a little more rainfall than San Diego, but that only serves to enhance its lush, flower-filled landscapes. A historic city with well-kept Spanish-era missions and charming red-brick pedestrian streets, Santa Barbara would probably be a popular destination even if its summers got sweatier and winters chillier.
Related Link: 15 U.S. cities for outdoor enthusiasts
3. Canary Islands, Spain
This popular Spanish island group sits off the coast of West Africa. Because of its many high mountains, the climate of the Canaries varies. However, the weather is pleasant year-round in many of the coastal areas that face the Atlantic side of the archipelago. Summer highs rarely top 80 degrees, while winter-time visitors will still enjoy day-time temps that approach 70. With a few exceptions (namely the northern portions of the island of Tenerife), the climate is quite arid and sunny, earning the islands the nickname “Land of Eternal Spring.” The Portuguese archipelago of Madeira, also in the Atlantic off the coast of Africa, enjoys similar temperature patterns, but is much rainier (albeit greener) than the Canaries.
4. Malaga, Spain
This city in the autonomous Spanish province of Andalusia enjoys lots of sunshine, even averaging at least six hours of sun daily during the wetter winter months. Temperatures regularly top 85 degrees on July and August afternoons, but summer is the driest season, so these highs are accompanied by very little humidity. Winter lows can drop below 50 at night, but the mercury rebounds into the low 60s during the day-time. People can take advantage of the climate at many pedestrian-friendly outdoor shopping streets and markets around the city. Malaga also has a rich history, with the remnants of the Roman and Moorish empires sitting alongside more-modern architecture. There is also a rich artistic tradition: Malaga has produced famous poets, actors and artists, including the master Pablo Picasso.
5. Sao Paulo, Brazil
Sao Paulo might not be Brazil's most famous city, but it is its largest. And, thanks to its inland location and higher elevation, this massive metropolis has some of the most pleasant weather of any city in the country. The average temperature changes little during the year, topping out at just over 80 degrees in January and February and only dropping into the low 70s in July and August. This is quite a contrast to Rio and its coastal kin, which swelter during the Southern Hemisphere’s summer months. Sao Paulo is certainly not the driest city on our list, but much of its rain falls during the warmer months and violent storms hardly ever affect the city.
Related Link: Colourful tarantulas discovered in Brazil
6. Sydney, Australia
Australia is known as a land of extremes, but away from the tropical north and rugged interior deserts, the weather is quite pleasant. Winters are cool, but never cold, and summers along the southern and southeastern coasts are rarely overly hot. Australia's largest city, Sydney, boasts average summer-time highs in the mid-70s, with winter lows dropping into the high 40s and rising to into the 60s during the day-time. While rainfall can happen at any time of year and recent, rare heat waves saw daily highs rise above 100 degrees, odds are very good that you will encounter pleasant conditions no matter what time of year you arrive in Sydney.
7. Kunming, China
China is a diverse and exciting travel destination, but its weather is less than ideal for much of the year. Tourists have sweated through summers in Beijing and had to pack parkas for a wintertime vacation in many Middle Kingdom cities. Kunming is an exception. This metropolis in Yunnan Province benefits from its high altitude (just over 6,000 feet) and the surrounding geography. Most “heat waves” top out in the mid-80s, but averages sit in the 70s during the summer-time. Because of the altitude, the mercury can drop below freezing on winter nights, but even in December and January, the day-time highs reach back up to near 60 degrees. Due to its pleasant weather, Kunming has been given the same nickname as some of the other destinations on this list: “City of Eternal Spring.”
Related Link: Kunming, China: Where it's always springtime
8. Lihue, Hawaii
Hawaii's weather does not change much throughout the entire year. While it is undeniably the warmest state in terms of year-round temps, it is never extremely hot. In cities like Honolulu, the high 80s are the norm during the summer-time, but smaller cities like Hilo on the Big Island and Lihue on Kauai max out at about 80 degrees on average. In Lihue, the highest ever-recorded temperature was only 90. As anyone who has spent an extended amount of time on the islands can tell you, it rains frequently, but a majority of the precipitation is in the form of light, passing showers. Major storms do occasionally occur, with most cities hit several times per year mainly during the winter months. Nonetheless, a Hawaiian vacation will seldom be a complete washout and the temperatures are guaranteed to fall in that sweet spot between “too hot” and “too cool.”
9. Medellin, Colombia
Sitting at nearly 5,000 feet above sea level in tropical latitudes, Medellin, Colombia enjoys almost perfect temperatures year-round. The average highs fluctuate only about 4 degrees, hovering around the 80-degree mark throughout the year. No matter when you visit, temperatures will drop to around 60 at night. Because of its location, it rains often and means that umbrellas are a necessary piece of equipment. But your Colombian vacation won't be a total washout either. Medellin was once the most notorious city on Earth because it was controlled by powerful drug cartels and violent street gangs. However, it has accomplished an almost unbelievable turnaround over the past 15 years, and now tourists can safely visit the city and lush mountain landscapes that surround it.
10. Durban, South Africa
Durban, a growing city on South Africa's East Coast, is a popular vacation destination because of its extensive beaches and its pleasant temperatures. Temps reach into the 80s during the Southern Hemisphere summer-time, and it rains often. However, storms usually take place in the afternoons or evenings, meaning that all-day washouts are rare. The winter months are still warm and sunny, with temperatures rising to the low 70s during the day-time and very little chance of rainfall. The moderate climate means that any time of year is a good time to visit, though the winter months, June through August, are especially pleasant in Durban.
Related Link: Eco-photos: Durban surfers
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