Where to party in winter with sun: the destinations that keep going

The six destinations in winter

Temperatures are long-term averages from each official weather service: AEMET at Tenerife South airport (1981–2010), the Malta Meteorological Office at Luqa and ONAMET at Punta Cana (both 1961–1990, published by the World Meteorological Organization). We only list the three destinations with winter nights.

Tenerife: the most to do

AEMET's averages for Tenerife South airport give highs of 22.8°C in December, 21.7°C in January and 22.0°C in February, with about 195 hours of sunshine in each of those months.

The nights match the weather. As of 12 October 2026, eleven weekly series are on sale along the south coast. Papagayo has a night every day from Wednesday through Sunday; Mala Mía takes Tuesday, Friday and Saturday; El Nido has Glow Night on Sundays; Monkey Beach Club hosts the Thursday White Party; WILD, over in Los Cristianos, does reggaeton on Wednesdays. Musically it ranges from house, tech house and afro house over to reggaeton, dembow and open format. Most series end in Christmas week; three finish in late November.

For a month-by-month comparison with Malta, read Malta or Tenerife in winter.

Malta: mild, and Saturdays in Paceville

Malta is not beach weather in January: the long-term average high at Luqa is 15.2°C, and December is the wettest month, with 112 mm of rain on average. October is different, at 24.2°C.

The winter calendar is short and indoor. As of 12 October 2026, Toy Room in Paceville has winter editions of Bad Bunnies, Glow Night and Love Night every Saturday through October and November, and Malta's Halloween night (31 October) and New Year's Eve (31 December) are announced. Last season the calendar also had dates from February to April, so it is worth checking again in the new year.

Punta Cana: the Caribbean alternative

Punta Cana is the far eastern end of the Dominican Republic. The country's official tourism site describes it as warm all year, between 25 and 32°C, and gives December to April as the driest months; ONAMET's averages put the January high at 27.7°C. The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from 1 June to 30 November, so the winter months fall outside it.

For nights out, the official guide to Bávaro lists Imagine, a disco built inside an underground cave, and Coco Bongo, a show and nightclub, along with beach bars on Los Corales and Cortecito and Dominican clubs in Friusa for bachata and merengue. Party Island Punta Cana is being prepared, with no dates yet: send us a WhatsApp and we'll let you know when it opens.

The summer three: Zante, Mykonos and Albania

These are summer destinations, and the data shows it. The group's 2026 dates in Zante all fell between 8 July and 8 September, and in Albania between 11 August and 15 September. Mykonos has no Party Island dates yet, but its airport tells the story: flights from within Greece carried 6,701 passengers in January 2025 and 86,165 in August. If you are planning for next summer, start with the comparison of all six destinations.

Planning a winter party trip: four things to check

1. The weekday. Tenerife has nothing on Mondays; Malta's winter nights are Saturdays. Plan the days around the nights you want.
2. One ticket per date. Tickets are sold date by date on GetYourTickets, so buy for the night you will actually be there.
3. The door. Some doors shut early. El Nido: no entry after 00:30. Papagayo: last entry 01:00. Mala Mía: last entry 01:30.
4. Christmas and New Year's Eve. In Tenerife most series run until Christmas week and Papagayo has Follow on 31 December; Malta's New Year's Eve night is announced.