Where to Go in February for Sun: 13 Destinations Checked Against the Data

The short answer

Where to go in February for sun? For beach weather, pick a place that is in its dry season. Phuket, Siem Reap and the Maldives are at their driest of the year, with highs of 31 to 34°C (88 to 93°F) and a sea at 28 to 29°C (82 to 84°F). The Dominican Republic and the French Caribbean sit at 28 to 29°C (82 to 84°F) with far less rain than in summer. Dubai and Muscat are pleasant rather than hot, around 25°C (77°F).

Closer to Europe, the Canary Islands, Agadir and the Red Sea give you dry, bright days at 21 to 24°C (70 to 75°F), but the water is cool. And two classic names are best left for another month: Mauritius and the Seychelles are hot in February, and also very wet.

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Dry-season beaches: Maldives, Dominican Republic, French Caribbean

Three ways to find warm water in February. The Maldives are the driest of the three; the Caribbean islands still see regular showers.

Southeast Asia at its driest

These are the hottest places in the selection, at 33 to 34°C (91 to 93°F). In all three countries February sits in the middle of the dry season.

Dubai and Oman: the comfortable window

Summer in the Gulf runs above 40°C (104°F). February is the opposite: 25 to 26°C (77 to 79°F) in the afternoon, which makes sightseeing and walking possible in the middle of the day.

Mild sun near Europe: Canaries, Madeira, Morocco, Red Sea

Four destinations within a medium-haul flight of Western Europe. None goes above 24°C (75°F) on an average afternoon: you get light and dry weather, not tropical heat.

Cape Town in midsummer

Comparison table: February in figures

February averages for one reference station per destination, sorted from hottest to coolest. A dash marks a figure we left out for lack of a verified source.

What to keep in mind in February

• Mauritius: Port Louis is at 31°C (88°F), but February is, with March, the wettest month of the year according to the Mauritius Meteorological Services: 160 mm (6.3 in) over 10 days on average. November is a much better bet.
• Seychelles: 31°C and a 29°C (84°F) sea, but 251 mm (9.9 in) of rain on average at Mahé airport. The least rainy stretch there runs from June to August.
• Andalusia and Tunisia: often listed as winter sun, they stay cool. Seville reaches 18°C (64°F) in the afternoon and 7°C (45°F) at night; Tunis 17°C (63°F) with 8 rainy days. Good for sightseeing, not for the beach.
• Swimming near Europe: 18°C in Agadir and Madeira, 19°C in the Canaries, 22°C in the Red Sea. For water at 28°C and above, you need to go as far as the Maldives or Thailand.
• Ramadan: in 2027 it is expected to run from around February 8 to around March 9. In Morocco, the Emirates, Oman, Egypt and the Maldives, daytime opening hours of some restaurants and shops may change. Ask your accommodation.

Key dates in February 2027

• Lunar New Year and Tết: Saturday, February 6.
• Expected start of Ramadan: around February 8, subject to the sighting of the moon.
• Mardi Gras: Tuesday, February 9.
• Presidents’ Day in the United States: Monday, February 15.
• French school winter break: staggered by zone from February 6 to March 8, which pushes up demand in the French Caribbean, Morocco and the Canaries.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Climate tables on Wikipedia, which reproduce weather service normals: World Meteorological Organization for Phuket, Malé, Port Louis and Mahé, NOAA for Punta Cana, Dubai, Muscat, Hurghada, Marrakech, Agadir and Cape Town (1991-2020), Thai Meteorological Department for Bangkok, Météo-France for Fort-de-France (1991-2020) and Pointe-à-Pitre (1981-2010), AEMET for Las Palmas and Seville (1991-2020), Tunisia’s Institut National de la Météorologie for Tunis, Deutscher Wetterdienst for Siem Reap (1997-2010). Reference periods vary by station.
• Mauritius Meteorological Services, Climate of Mauritius: wettest months in Mauritius.
• World Sea Temperatures: average February sea temperatures (Phuket, Malé, Mahé, Dubai, Muscat, Hurghada, Agadir, Funchal, Cape Town). The Las Palmas figure comes from the AEMET table.
• NOAA, National Hurricane Center: dates of the Atlantic hurricane season.
• IslamicFinder: expected dates of Ramadan 2027.
• Service-public.gouv.fr: French school calendar 2026-2027.

Written by the Advised Traveler team. Last updated: October 2026. Climate averages do not predict the weather during your stay: check the forecast before you leave.