'Absolutely beautiful' city becomes number one winter sun destination beating Tenerife
The stunning city has become the number one winter holiday destination after knocking Tenerife off the top spot.
For the first time in decades, Tenerife in the Canary Islands has been beaten by another destination to become the number one winter holiday hotspot.
Antalya in Turkey has now been named the best destination for winter holidays, according to data released in On the Beach’s annual Big Winter Sun Report.
The beautiful city saw growth of 33 percent year on year with 11.9 percent of sun searchers travelling to Antalya for the winter season.
While Tenerife has remained a popular destination for winter holidaymakers, it's not as popular as Antalya with winter sun seekers.
Antalya attracts tourists from all around the world throughout the year and is the fastest-growing city in Turkey.
The city is known for its Mediterranean Sea port, subtropical climate, ancient sites and stunning beaches.
Antalya is also popular with tourists because of its hot summers and mild winters, making it the perfect spot for year-round holidays.
The city has been described as "absolutely beautiful" and "the jewel of the turquoise coast" by Rael Ellis Nakışçı on Quora.
One of the city's highlights is "its beautiful coastline, which offers stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea", according to Quora user Semih.
Some of the city's best attractions include Lara Beach, a Blue Flag status beach to the east of the city, and Hadrian's Gate which is the main entrance to Antalya's old town of Kaleiçi.
Don't miss...
The jaw-dropping Asian city dubbed one of the best to visit in 2024 [INSIGHT]
The beautiful seaside town that's the 'new Ibiza' but much cheaper [UPDATE]
The sunny European winter destination with rich history and great weather [LATEST]
On the Beach's report also listed the top 20 most popular winter sun destinations.
Lanzarote in the Canary Islands came in third place followed by the Costa Blanca in Spain.
In fifth place was Hurghada in Egypt, which saw a 53 percent increase in winter sun holidays year on year.
Majorca in the Balearic Islands came in sixth place followed by the Costa Del Sol in Spain, Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt and Fuerteventura in the Canaries. Another Turkish destination, Dalaman, completed the top 10.
Zoe Harris, chief customer officer at On the Beach said: “It finally happened, Turkey has finally taken over Tenerife as the number one winter sun destination.
“In recent years we noticed huge increases in holidaymakers visiting Antalya and Dalaman and now it seems the shift is finally complete.
“An increase in flight options to Turkey and Egypt and a rise of incredible all-inclusive hotel offerings are the reasons why we’re seeing this change in the guard, plus it helps that both locations offer all year-round sun.”
Top 20 winter sun destinations
- Antalya – Turkey
- Tenerife – Canaries
- Lanzarote – Canaries
- Costa Blanca – Spain
- Hurghada – Egypt
- Majorca – Balearics
- Costa Del Sol – Spain
- Sharm El Sheikh – Egypt
- Fuerteventura – Canaries
- Dalaman – Turkey
- Costa de Algarve – Portugal
- Gran Canaria – Canaries
- Costa Brava - Spain
- Dubai – UAE
- Rhodes – Greece
- Crete – Greece
- Marrakech – Morocco
- Corfu – Greece
- Malta – Malta
- Riviera Maya - Mexico