Eight of the 10 sunniest cities in Europe are all in one country, according to research.
Using data from World Weather Online, vacation rental platform Holidu calculated the average number of sun hours per month from 2009 to 2025 for all European cities with populations of more than 200,000.
It should probably come as no huge surprise that destinations in Spain dominated the results, including the entire top 5.
The sunniest spot of all, with an average of 283 hours of sunshine per month, is the southeastern port city of Cartagena (pictured above), according to the research. The historic locale, known for its ancient Roman ruins and scenic harbor, has pleasant average temps of 19.1 degrees Celsius (about 66 Fahrenheit) and smaller crowds of tourists than the country's most popular destinations. Cartagena's prices are reportedly low for expenses such as food and drink as well.
Two other places in southern Spain came in second and third on Holidu's list: Alicante (279.6 average hours of sunshine per month), where the Old Town's whitewashed houses overlook sandy beaches on the Costa Blanca; and Pablo Picasso's hometown of Málaga (279.3 average hours of sunshine per month), a mix of seaside beauty and cultural attractions on the aptly named Costa del Sol.
Only two European cities outside of Spain were found to be sufficiently sun-kissed to make the top 10: Catania, on the Italian island of Sicily, in sixth place and southern France's Marseille in ninth.
The 10 Sunniest Cities in Europe
- Cartagena, Spain: 283 average sun hours per month
- Alicante, Spain: 279.6
- Málaga, Spain: 279.3
- Murcia, Spain: 277
- Granada, Spain: 274.4
- Catania, Italy: 273.7
- Sevilla, Spain: 273.4
- Córdoba, Spain: 268.2
- Marseille, France: 266.1
- Madrid: 265.4
No wonder Spain has an overtourism problem. Who wouldn't want to go where the weather is that nice?
If, however, you'd like to help ease the burden on the country's most crowded places, see our roundup of less touristed though still worthy alternative destinations in Spain.
And for the complete list of Europe's sunniest cities, go to Holidu.co.uk.
Frommer's Spain
Frommer’s books aren’t “written" by A.I., like so many others, or by travel writers who simply pop in briefly to a destination and then consider the job done. We use seasoned, locally-based journalists like Peter Barron (formerly of the BBC), along with writers who live part-time in Spain, like Patr...
Get the bookFrommer's Spain
Frommer’s books aren’t “written" by A.I., like so many others, or by travel writers who simply pop in briefly to a destination and then consider the job done. We use seasoned, locally-based journalists like Peter Barron (formerly of the BBC), along with writers who live part-time in Spain, like Patr...