Christmas takes months of build-up, planning and preparation, and is then over in a flash. With the odd, quiet few days between Boxing Day and the New Year, it’s easy to feel a little deflated. The celebrations are over and winter still stretches ahead, with good weather not to be expected till April or May and this is Seasonal Affective Disorder really starts to bite.

One of the things you can do with those quiet days after Christmas is look at where you can book a holiday in January or February. Knowing you have only a month or so to wait before you escape the post-Christmas malaise for sun kissed beaches, cocktail bars and lounging by the pool in your Slydes makes the cold, grey weather easier to bear.

Today we’re taking a look at some of the best destinations for when you’re chasing a dose of winter sun.

Puerto Rico

A Caribbean island with a rich history of art and science, this tropical getaway is also well stocked with luxurious hotels. If you’re looking for a beach lounging break (perhaps with a brief excursion to one of the most striking real world locations the James Bond movies ever filmed at – the Arecibo Telescope is a cut above Jodrell Bank) Puerto Rico is a good bet for you.

Jetting out there in the winter is actually is a better bet than a summer break – the climate is warm and summery all year round, but it’s May-September tends toward the humid. Avoiding that gets you the best experience.

Cape Verde

Still relatively undiscovered and unspoiled, this small group of volcanic islands off the coast of North West Africa makes a great holiday destination, especially if you want to be the first in your group of friends to ‘discover’ somewhere.

With January weather in the mid-20s, friendly locals and nothing to distract you from the serious business of working on your tan, it’s well worth checking out these islands.

Cyprus

This is less of a tropical escape but still worth your consideration: February is the coldest month on the island but you can still expect the temperature to creep into the low 20s, which is plenty to give you some respite from the British winter. It’s also the time when spring is beginning to kick off so you can enjoy the blooming flowers and tree blossoms that are still weeks away back home.

With snow in the Troodos Mountains and sun at the beach, you could ski and swim in the same day before settling back to enjoy some retsina.

IMG Description: Aerial view of Santa Maria beach in Sal Cape Verde – Cabo Verde