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  "path": "/2026/03/28/best-destinations-april-sun-less-4-hours-uk-27700996/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-28T12:00:00.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "Lifestyle",
    "Travel",
    "Europe Travel",
    "Greece",
    "Italy",
    "Madeira",
    "Portugal",
    "Sicily",
    "Spain",
    "Travel Inspiration",
    "Turkey",
    "weather",
    "Easter",
    "beautiful destinations where April sun comes with the territory",
    "the ‘Greek Caribbean’",
    "Greek island",
    "Ryanair",
    "easyJet",
    "Wowcher",
    "Bristol",
    "Gatwick",
    "Stansted",
    "The Getaway Expert",
    "Enter now",
    "Full T&Cs apply",
    "Naples",
    "@shewandersabroad",
    "capri",
    "capriitaly",
    "capriisland",
    "italytravel",
    "♬ original sound – Francesco Meola | Travel",
    "Spanish",
    "call it the ‘Hawaii of Europe’",
    "Portuguese archipelago",
    "flights from London, Manchester and Bristol",
    "@tastewithdavid",
    "♬ Boogie Wonderland – Earth Wind & Fire (With Emotions) – Earth, Wind & Fire Feat. The Emotions",
    "Sicilian",
    "Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source",
    "@no35.hamburg"
  ],
  "textContent": "Parts of Europe are about to be drenched in spring sunshine (Picture: Getty Images)\n\nWith the spring solstice in the rear view and the clocks ticking forward, there are days when it feels like spring has finally sprung in the UK. Then the heavens open and the mercury drops.\n\nApril is a cruel mistress, as prone to sleety showers as sunshine, so for many it’s prime time to jet off to more certain weather.\n\nPlus, booking a post-Easter trip can be the best way to bag a bargain.\n\nWe’ve rounded up ideas for beautiful destinations where April sun comes with the territory — and none are more than a four-hour flight from the UK.\n\n## Lefkada, Greece\n\n**Average April highs:** 19℃\n**Flight time from UK:** 3 hours and 30 minutes.\n\nNicknamed the ‘Greek Caribbean’ for its dazzling ocean and sugar white sand, Lefkada is a slice of paradise that remains under the radar for British tourists.\n\nThe jewel in the crown of the seven Ionian islands, it is the only Greek island you can reach by car. A 30-minute drive takes you off the mainland via a causeway from Preveza Airport, which is served daily by budget airlines including Ryanair and easyJet from April to October.\n\n##  Win a city break for two in romantic Rome with our newsletter\n\nWin a dreamy trip to Rome for you and a friend (Picture: Getty Images)\n\nUnlimited pasta, world-class shopping, thousands of years of history on every street corner... who wouldn't want to be in Rome?\n\nWe’ve teamed up with Wowcher to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a city break for two in Rome, including return flights from your chosen UK airport (Bristol, Edinburgh, Manchester, London Gatwick or London Stansted) and a stay in a four-star hotel walking distance of iconic spots such as the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain.\n\nArmed with travel tips from our exclusive new newsletter The Getaway Expert, this is your chance to explore the Eternal City like a real Roman. Good luck!\n\nEnter now\n\n_Open to UK (excluding Northern Ireland) residents aged 18 or over._ _Closes 11:59pm on 29 March 2029. Full T&Cs apply._\n\nAgios Nikitas Beach on the Ionian island of Lefkada (Picture: Shutterstock / monticello)\n\nA good base is Agios Nikitas, a fishing village full of whitewashed villas and off-beat tavernas.\n\nStroll and swim on Porto Katsiki, regularly voted one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Raise your heart rate with a windsurfing session at Vasiliki. Hike the verdant hills and end the day with an ouzo at glamorous hilltop bars such as Amente or Utopia.\n\n## Capri, Italy\n\n**Average April highs:** 20℃\n**Flight time from UK:** 2 hours 30 minutes to Naples (plus a ferry)\n\nThe mystical, magical island of Capri has bewitched visitors for centuries.\n\nAdrift in the Bay of Naples, this small, cliff-laden rock feels as if it’s suspended between two worlds–a sparkling sea of cobalt and endless azure sky.\n\n> @shewandersabroad\n>\n> Planning a trip to Capri? 🇮🇹 Here are the top 10 best things to do in Capri you can’t miss! Make sure to SAVE this post for later 📌 ⛰️ Take the chairlift to Monte Solaro 🛶 Explore the Blue Grotto 🌿 Hike to the Natural Arch ⛱️ Spend the day at La Fontelina beach club 🏛️ Visit Villa Lysis 🌸 Stroll through the Gardens of Augustus 🛍️ Shop along Via Camerelle ⛴️ Take a boat tour around the island ⚓️ Walk down Via Krupp to Marina Piccola 🍋 Sip a Limoncello in the Piazzetta #capri #capriitaly #capriisland #italy #italytravel\n>\n> ♬ original sound – Francesco Meola | Travel\n\nCapri springs to life again in April, with just enough sun to allow for swimming. If you don’t dare to dip in the sea, there’s still plenty to do.\n\nTake the chair lift to Monte Solaro for a spectacular panorama over the Gulf. Hire a fishing boat and explore the island’s caves and grottoes. Window shop on the bohemian but decidedly bougie streets.\n\n## Seville, Spain\n\n**Average April highs:** 25℃\n**Flight time from UK:** 2 hours and 45 minutes\n\nThis Spanish jewel is finally getting its flowers, but the best time to visit is in spring or autumn, before temperatures climb too high.\n\nPlus, if you work around the school holidays, you’ll miss the hordes who descend for Easter break.\n\nSeville is best seen in spring (Picture: Shutterstock)\n\nSeville is serious about its food, and the best way to get acquainted with it is on a food tour. One of the top-rated is a three-hour jaunt with Secret Food Tours, which gives you a taste of the best of Andalusian cuisine.\n\nChurros, pork skewers, fried eggplant slathered in molasses… Need we say more?\n\nWalk it off in one of the many pretty parks — our favourite is Royal Alcázar — then finish the day with sangria on one of the city’s buzzy rooftops bars. If you’re brave, try a flamenco class.\n\n## Madeira, Portugal\n\n**Average April highs:** 21℃\n**Flight time from UK:** 3 hours and 30 minutes\n\nMarooned in the Atlantic, Madeira’s lava-hewn mountains and deep turquoise waters have led many to call it the ‘Hawaii of Europe’.\n\nThe Portuguese archipelago may be just a short ferry ride from Spain’s Canary Islands, but it remains comparatively unspoiled by mass tourism. Even year-round flights from London, Manchester and Bristol.\n\nThe clock tower of Nossa Senhora de Fatima chapel in the Sao Vicente, Madeira (Picture: Getty Images)\n\nHike lush green trails and leap from cliffs on an abseiling adventure tour. Stroll along Seixal beach and take a dip in a volcanic rock pool. Explore the charming streets of Funchal, Madeira’s compact but colourful capital.\n\nAnd don’t leave without trying poncha, a traditional cocktail made from sugarcane rum, honey and citrus juice.\n\n## Izmir, Turkey\n\n**Average April highs:** 22℃\n**Flight time from UK:** 3 hours and 40 minutes\n\nKnown as the ‘Pearl of the Aegean’, Turkey’s most liberal city is also its most overlooked. Visitors to the spectacular ruins of Ephesus usually fly into Izmir–and hightail it as soon as they can.\n\nBut that is a mistake. Enriched by migration, this vibrant city is a brilliant mix of Mediterranean lifestyle and ancient history, plus one of the best food scenes in the country.\n\n> @tastewithdavid\n>\n> 🚨3×50 €GUTSCHEIN GEWINNSPIEL🇹🇷 Ich verlose 3x 50 € Gutscheine für Izmir Street Food – Neueröffnung in Barmbek mit authentischer Straßenküche aus Izmir, zubereitet von Köchen direkt aus der Region – echter Geschmack, direkt aus der Türkei nach Hamburg gebracht. So einfach könnt ihr teilnehmen: • Markiert 1–2 Freunde unter diesem Video • Liked das Video • Folgt mir und @no35.hamburg Für extra Gewinnchancen: Teilt das Video in eurer Story. Die 3 Gewinner werden am 15.02.26 ausgelost. Viel Glück! 🍀 *unbezahlte Werbung\n>\n> ♬ Boogie Wonderland – Earth Wind & Fire (With Emotions) – Earth, Wind & Fire Feat. The Emotions\n\nGet lost in the Kemeralti Bazaar. Walk the Kordon promenade at sunset. Spend the evening bar-hopping in the trendy Alsancak District.\n\nWhen you’ve had your fill of the city, head west along the coast to Çeşme, a resort town with a stunning beach.\n\n## Palermo and Cefalu, Sicily\n\n**Average April highs:** 19℃\n**Flight time from UK:** 3 hours\n\nPalermo is a city that defies expectations. Best-known for its mafia connections, the Sicilian capital is both melting pot and meeting point.\n\nThe crossroads of the Mediterranean, it was founded by the Phoenicians and ruled by the Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, French, and Spanish before becoming part of Italy during the country’s unification in 1861.\n\nToday, this diverse history means it has all the things you could want in a city: great food, great art and easy connections to the entirety of Sicily’s coast.\n\nBase yourself in Palermo and take a day trip to Cefalu, an ancient fishing village 50 minutes east by train. Here, you can hike, swim or pass a few hours people watching over Limoncello spritz at one of many seaside trattorias.\n\n\n\n\nComment now Comments \nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "The best destinations for April sun — all less than 4 hours from the UK"
}