It can be difficult, on these dreary mid-winter days, to drag yourself out of bed and into the office. But, don’t despair just yet. If you didn’t use all of your holiday days before Christmas, and have enough time and money to jet off for a hit of January sun, we’ve rounded up the best places where you can soak up the rays, beat any encroaching S.A.D, and come back full of energy, positivity and Vitamin D…
Costa Rica
Rugged, rainforested and with coastlines on both the Caribbean and the Pacific, could there be a better place to jet off to than Costa Rica this January? San Jose, the country’s capital, is soaked in culture – and rum – and the temperature is currently in the balmy mid to high twenties.
Costa Rica’s beaches are surrounded by forests, and have great natural diversity. Many contain beautiful coral reefs, perfect for diving and exploring – and most have warm water throughout the year, so they can be enjoyed year round. If it’s variety you’re interested in, and not simply looking for an excuse to sun yourself, each coast offers different shades and textures of sand. White, yellow, gray and black beaches are the result of the constant crashing of varied seashells on coral reefs – and quite the sight to behold.
Los Angeles
The city of stars is an incredible place all year round, but when January hits it reaches new highs. The Awards Season, the focus of Gentleman’s Journal Jan/Feb 2018 issue, is nigh, and celebrities will be out in force promoting their latest blockbusters and collecting gongs from awards shows all over town. And, if that ticket didn’t sound hot enough, how about a mid-twenties average temperature when we’re almost freezing?
There are sights from the Griffith Park Observatory to the excess of Beverly Hills to take in and, true to its nickname, there’s something a little otherworldly and heightened about La La Land. So if you’re looking for a true escape, take a trip to trippy Los Angeles – home of film stars, palm trees and lots and lots of lights.
Grenada
Dubbed the “Spice Isle,” the hilly main island of Grenada is home to numerous nutmeg plantations – which sets the scene for the spicy and heady atmosphere of this island nation. The capital, St. George’s, is the place to go, where you’ll dart between colourful homes, Georgian buildings and early-18th-century Forts on a cultural odyssey through this jewel of the Caribbean.
Weather-wise, we’re nudging 30 degrees even in the dead of winter, so there’s no place better to recharge you batteries and sun yourself at the beginning of the year. Indeed, the nation prides itself on an ability to rejuvenate visitors with its pure and authentic lifestyle. Enchanting islands boasting silky stretches of white sand beaches, sunken treasures adorned by corals, and unspoilt landscapes undiscovered by crowds: a journey like never before.
Goa
Portugal meets India in this state stretching along the Arabian Sea. Known for its beaches, Goa is the ideal place to soak up some January sun, where you will eat as well as you sunbathe thanks to multiple local fishing villages. Of course, the mid-thirty degrees weather will help your enjoyment along as well.
A dazzling blend of Indian and Portuguese cultures, sweetened with sun, sea, sand, seafood and spirituality, we’d advise you steer clear of the resorts known for their raves, and instead take in authentic Goa, where a focus on the nature of the state, and spa retreats and massages encourage you to unwind and begin 2018 as calmly as possible.
Buenos Aires
Or, if you’re not looking to wind down, but instead want a side order of sheer excitement with your sun, pack your bags and make a beeline for Buenos Aires – the bustling, cosmopolitan capital of Argentina. Nudging forty degrees daily at the moment, this is a city of Latin passion, good food and lots and lots of sun.
Take a stroll around the preserved European architecture, take in a production at the grand 1908 opera house or just enjoy one of the many museums and galleries, stocked to the rafters with some of the finest Latin American art in the world. It’ll be a culture clash – especially coming from drizzling London or New York – but all the best trips are…
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