Ruffians Top 5: Winter Getaways 2019
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It’s that time of year where you just want to escape and get away on holiday! The evenings are drawing in, clocks have gone back and winter seems to be setting in far too quickly. Fear not, we’ve put together a Ruffians Top 5: Winter Getaways 2019 that will surely help fend off the worst cases of Seasonal Affective Disorder!
Whether you’re looking for a cheap weekend break, winter sunshine or great piste for winter sports, we have you covered!
Winter Sun
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
For around £400, a 10 hour Tui flight will get you to one of Mexico’s special gems, Cabo San Lucas, this December.
A resort city on the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, known for its beaches, water-based activities and nightlife.
The 20 mile stretch between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo is oozing in luxurious hotels that have entertained the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz, and George Clooney.
If lounging on the beach isn’t your thing, Wild Canyon quad biking is certain to get your blood pumping. With a personal guide and your own quad, you’ll follow routes that take you between barren desert vistas and beaches stretched along the Sea of Cortez.
Peckish of an evening, grab dinner at Los Tres Gallos, an authentic Mexican spot off the beaten path of Cabo’s strip that serves killer pozole, mole enchiladas and tamarind margaritas.
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (TripAdvisor)
Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Beach bums listen up, Tenerife is the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands and has 42 glorious miles of supreme sandy beaches.
RedLevel at Gran Melia Palacio de Isora, an adult only boutique hotel, puts you right near two of the island’s best beaches, Alcala and Los Gigantes. It also makes a great basecamp for day trip to the volcano crater and petrified lava-filled landscape of Teide National Park.
Between refreshing dips in the North Atlantic and driving through the snow-capped peaks of Mount Teide, sneak in a meal at Restaurante Haydée, where you’ll be served up unique dishes like beet creamy rice, olive octopus risotto or spicy tuna tartare with cherry sorbet.
With return Wizz Air Uk flights from as little as £44 this December, you could have a bit of summer sun and still have cash left for the Christmas shopping!
Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain (TripAdvisor)
Winter Sports
St. Anton, Austria
St. Anton is rated among the top five resorts in the Alps for very good reasons. Return EasyJet flights for as little as £41 this winter, make this affordable and fun!
Located in Austria’s Arlberg region, it is the biggest connected ski area in Austria. It is also one of Europe’s snowiest areas and boasts 340km of slopes and plenty of challenging off-piste terrain. In addition, it has a highly efficient lift system and an attractive town bursting with stylish hotels, chalets and restaurants.
With a railway station at its heart and located within two to three hours drive of three international airports, the resort is easy to reach and small enough to navigate on foot or by the free public buses.
If history is your thing, St. Anton packs some serious heritage. It’s the birthplace of the father of modern skiing, Hannes Schneider and is the spiritual home of après-ski, thanks to the infamous bars Krazy Kanguruh and Mooserwirt.
St. Anton am Alberg, Austria (TripAdvisor)
Whistler, Canada
Whistler’s two linked mountains, Whistler and Blackcomb, together form the biggest ski area in North America, with over 200 trails. This automatically puts it on the shortlist of most transatlantic visitors, particularly satisfiying those who like to rack up the miles without repeating the same slopes.
For those new to the slopes, there are top-to-bottom green runs, a learning area with covered magic carpet lifts and plenty of snowmaking, perfect for snow angels and snowmen alike.
For experts, the numerous high open bowls offer a wide range of possibilities, complemented by regular dumps of powder streaming in from the nearby Pacific. World-class terrain parks are also a plus, if you’re a bit of an off-piste junky!
If you fancy spoiling yourself with some guaranteed snow this Christmas (23rd-30th Dec), return flights will come in around the £1000 mark.
Whistler, Canada (TripAdvisor)
Christmas Festivities
Berlin/ Munich, Germany
For a truly festive getaway, German Christmas markets are a great place to visit during winter.
Just a short hop from the UK, Berlin is a city rife with culture, history and festivity.
The weather will be cool and crisp, so you can wrap up warm and enjoy exploring this wonderful capital with some of the free walking tours on offer. You’ll get to cover everything from the Berlin Wall which divided the city during the Cold War, to significant landmarks such as the Brandenburg Gate and the Holocaust Memorial.
If you’ve already ticked Berlin off your bucket list, you could spend an entire winter vacation eating and shopping your way through Munich’s various Christmas markets and warming yourself up in one of the city’s classic beer halls.