8 Sun-Soaked, Culture-Rich Overseas Escapes

It’s not necessarily hard to find a location with 3,000+ hours of annual sunshine, but not all are created equal.

Make the most of a sunny climate in these eight top destinations, chosen not just for the number of days per year they revel in rays but also for their fascinating histories, diverse cultural offerings, and captivating natural environments.

Cyprus—3,803 Sunshine Hours Per Year

For about 320 days a year, the sun shines full-faced on Cyprus, the legendary birthplace of Aphrodite, Goddess of Love.

Ever dream of living on a quiet island in the middle of the Mediterranean, but it always seemed out of your price range?

With white-sand beaches, warm water, year-round sunshine, and one of the world’s healthiest diets, Cyprus, the third-largest island in the Mediterranean, could be the answer.

This lesser-known corner of Europe is a welcoming land of ancient history and romance.

With real estate and day-to-day living expenses at a fraction of the cost of mainland Europe, Cyprus is quickly becoming a popular retirement destination for expats from around the globe.

Santa Marta, Colombia—3,652 Sunshine Hours Per Year

Colombia’s Caribbean Coast is just as blessed with golden-sand beaches and turquoise waters as Aruba, just a few hours to the east—and comes at a fraction of the cost.

In this part of the world, the seasons are dual: wet and dry. From May to September, there are daily thunderstorms, usually in the afternoon and usually short-lived.

So while the number of purely sunny days here won’t be as high, the hours of sunshine speak for themselves—there’s no shortage of UV rays on this stretch of Colombia’s Caribbean coast.

And thanks to the continued strength of the U.S. dollar versus the Colombian peso, dollar holders enjoy a serious buying advantage right now.

Santa Marta offers excellent diving, sandy beaches, calm waters, an upbeat and energetic culture, and a collection of diverse and attractive living options.

Cartagena, the most well-known city on Colombia’s Caribbean Coast, is where the world comes to visit. Santa Marta is a place to settle in. If you’re looking for a colonial Caribbean city with less bustle and more bargains than the famous Cartagena that is even more affordable, then Santa Marta could be right for you.

Ambergris Caye, Belize—3,245 Sunshine Hours Per Year

Ambergris Caye, home to sunny San Pedro, the island’s main town, is the largest of over 200 islands scattered along the eastern Caribbean shores of Belize and was immortalized by Madonna in 1986 with the hit “La Isla Bonita” and then again in 2001 as the setting for “Temptation Island.”

Just 36 miles in length and about a mile wide, this affordable, English-speaking island is well populated with foreigners but manages to retain a unique authenticity.

With the Belize Barrier Reef, the second-longest reef in the world and the most spectacular in the Western Hemisphere, just offshore, this is a diver’s paradise. The Great Blue Hole is also nearby, and these waters are a fisherman’s dream.

From almost any point on the easterly beach, you can watch the waves break on the stunning barrier reef, less than a mile from shore. Jump into a kayak and paddle out to relish this living aquarium.

Plus, Belize offers some of the best residency options for foreigners in the world, rolling out the welcome mat.

Lisbon, Portugal—3,023 Sunshine Hours Per Year

Lisbon is blessed with warm, sunny weather year-round.

There are few places in the world with such diverse qualities, from traditional sophistication to lively beaches, elegant apartments to new luxury condos. Lisbon has lifestyle options for all tastes and budgets.

Lisbon is a coastal city with a swimmable beach only 10 minutes away.

But where Lisbon stands out most, though, is in its uniquely cosmopolitan attributes.

This is a global city with an important role in finance, commerce, media, entertainment, the arts, international trade, tourism, and education. It boasts incomparable museums, galleries, concerts, and theater and serves up world-class cuisine. It draws on thousands of years of history to provide gorgeous architecture that will have you tripping over yourself as you look ever skyward.

The city is home to one of Europe’s lowest crime rates and is renowned for offering a high quality of life in a safe environment.

Plus, Lisbon is still quite cheap and quiet when compared to most European capitals—and one of the sunniest.

Málaga, Spain—3,000 Sunshine Hours Per Year

Hometown of Picasso and a city renowned for its arts culture, Málaga gets roughly 320 days of sunshine per year due to its position on the Mediterranean coast.

This part of Spain, the uber-famous Costa del Sol, has been well-populated by Brits for many decades already, so it’s easy to get by in English here.

Not surprisingly, this city is home to many highly regarded museums, including the Picasso Museum, Museo Carmen Thyssen, CAC Málaga, the Málaga Museum, and Centre Pompidou.

With beaches minutes’ walk from the city center, mountains just 30 minutes to the north, and a wealth of historic sites—from Phoenician walls and Roman theaters to architecture that ranges from Islamic to Gothic to Baroque to Classical.

Between the art, the history, the nightlife, the mountains, and the beaches, there’s something here for everyone.

Mazatlán, Mexico—2,890 Sunshine Hours Per Year

Mazatlán is a beautiful, historic coastal city on the Pacific Ocean.

People flock to its stunning beaches and top-notch hotels and resorts. The port city is also rich in culture and history and offers a lively nightlife and dining scene.

Mazatlán is an affordable vacation destination that attracts many Mexican visitors as well as international travelers—but, importantly, it’s not one of the high-profile resort cities, making it more affordable than most.

Whether you want to enjoy a pristine beach getaway or dine on fresh seafood and learn about local maritime history, Mazatlán offers something for everyone.

Enjoy the baroque revival style of the historic city center of Mazatlán with its beautiful cathedral and the bustling Machado Square, one of the main hubs, with restaurants and shops lining the square.

The favorable exchange rate between the Mexican peso and the U.S. dollar also means that living here comes at a significant discount. And this is one of the easiest countries in the world to become a resident of—or not, if you’d rather not, as you can stay here on your tourist visa for six months.

Marseille, France—2,860 Sunshine Hours Per Year

The oldest city in France, founded in 600 B.C. by Greek sailors, Marseille could be a country unto itself for how unique its culture is.

Always at the heart of Mediterranean trading, this port city has enjoyed steady wealth and international influence since its founding, which has made it perhaps the most cosmopolitan city throughout France’s history.

Traditionally called the “Gateway to the Orient,” Marseille is the second-most populated city in France and could be thought of as the capital of the south of France, with plenty of shopping, dining, nightlife, and entertainment of all sorts.

With half of the city hanging over the sea, biking and walking are popular pastimes here, with long stretches of coastal promenade made available to residents, as well as beaches and rocky outcrops.

And it’s plenty sunny—though with the healthy sea breeze that whips across the coast, you won’t often feel overly hot.

Bocas del Toro, Panama—2,784 Sunshine Hours Per Year

Bocas del Toro is a sun-drenched island chain on Panama’s Caribbean Coast, rife with white-sand beaches, turquoise, crystal-clear waters, and the quintessential laidback island lifestyle.

If you’re looking to retire someplace with a bohemian feel, with Bob Marley playing in every restaurant, where everyone minds their own business and wanders around on a bike, wearing shorts and flip flops wherever they go, then Bocas del Toro is just the ticket.

One of Panama’s top tourist destinations, English is widely spoken here. There is no shortage of water sports, fishing cruises, and waterfront resorts, but this isn’t a swanky kind of place. There’s a grittiness to Bocas that keeps it feeling rustic instead of developed.

Plus, Panama offers some of the best residency options in the world.