Which is the city with the most hours of sunshine in Europe? It’s not a typical question, but you may have asked yourself after a whole week of rain. And as it turns out, you’re not the only one.
The vacation portal Holidu has answered this question and investigated the cities with the most hours of sunshine per month in Europe. The results are as unsurprising as you can imagine. In any case, if you’re in desperate need of a sunbath in summer – or any time of the year, really – you now know where you should go.
In search of the sunniest cities in Europe
Holidu ‘s ranking was compiled using data from World Weather Online, an online weather forecasting platform. The 300 most populous cities in Europe were analyzed and ranked according to the average number of hours of sunshine per month for the years 2009 to 2021.
And as you might expect, almost all of the cities are located on the Mediterranean – most of them either in Spain or Italy. These are the 10 sunniest cities in Europe:
1st Alicante
With an average of 349 hours of sunshine per month, Alicante is the sunniest city in Europe. It is located in the southeast of Spain and is known for its stunning coastline – the Costa Blanca – of long, white sandy beaches.
2 Catania
The second sunniest and first Italian city in this ranking is Catania, with an average of 347 hours of sunshine per month. Located on the east coast of Sicily, the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is situated at the foot of the famous active volcano Mount Etna.
3rd Murcia
Third place goes to Murcia, the capital of the region of the same name in south-eastern Spain. The coastal part of the region is known as the Costa Calida (warm coast) due to its microclimate, which makes the region warm with temperate waters all year round. The average of 346 hours of sunshine per month could have something to do with this.
4th Málaga
The port city of Málaga is located on the southern coast of Spain, the Costa del Sol – literally: Coast of the Sun. With an average of 345 hours of sunshine per month, the name seems well deserved.
5 Messina
We are back in Sicily, this time in the fifth largest city on the island and the second sunniest city. With an average of 345 hours of sunshine per month, many beautiful beaches and a history dating back thousands of years, Messina is very popular with tourists.
Adapted from an article written by Max Hailer for Secret Munich.