Which area has the best winter sun ?

Hi, without any doubt canary island, I live in Tenerife and it's a paradise.

The places where all we Britons live - The Canary islands as Scingo says but then Andalucia, Murcia, Alicante and the Balearics.

Just on a point. Using Alicante, where I live, as an example the winters are mild but mild doesn't mean warm.

During the day a sunny 10ºC is very pleasant but out of the sun you will feel cold. Perm in that the houses have no insulation to speak of, even the modern ones, that the windows and doors may or may not fit that well and that it's unlikely you will have carpeting. There are more houses now with fixed/central heating than there were but lots of houses are entirely electric and keeping a place warm can cost an arm and a leg.

It is much warmer at sea level than it is in the interior of Alicante (we're at 600 metres and we drop some 5-6ºC on the coastal areas) but, even then, complaining about the winter chill is a national sport

We are currently living in North Costa Blanca and froze during winter despite central heating. February was miserable. I don't know how anyone survives with just a log fire. There is a lot of damp in the air and houses are not built for it. It is frequently warmer outside than inside, which is fine if you don't work and can go and find a sunny spot out of the wind. There was also more cloud than I expected. So I would say either go further south or make sure you have a well built house, with good insulation and heating, facing south, out of most of the wind.

Thank you guys ,we love Tenerife but hub thinks it's not big enough ,I disagree .Thanks for heads up on it being cold in the winter .Im hoping although it may be chilly it will be brighter in winter months than here in uk .x

That's great advice and I had not heard there was no insulation in houses .Thanks .

Thank you Chris we have been looking at Alicante, Murcia,and Almeria .I hate tiles in winter months so chilly .its a lot to think about plus health insurance etc .x

Thanks ,I never knew that it was that cold in the winter ,I suppose we think that the sun is always hot but I'm reading it's not .I need the winter sun as I suffer quite badly with SAD .

I have been told that Spain is a cold country with hot sun. Sums it up!  You can be baking in the sunlight but step into shade, especially if there is a wind (very frequent here) and you need your cover up.  We are looking at moving further south. Failing that we are looking VERY carefully at future houses, for quality of build and decent heating. We refuse to freeze for more than 4 months of the year, which is what we just did.  The points above about heating are important. We have full central heating powered by gas cylinders. The gas was costing us over E300 for a month for a 4 bed house, even though we sealed off 2 of them and turned the radiators off in there.  We were still cold (and humidity high) because the walls just suck the heat out of the room.  Insulation is incredibly rare and damp courses are not allowed due to being an earthquake zone.  We thought underfloor heating sounding great but have been warned off that. One type is hot water under several inches of concrete, that takes ages to heat up and cool down. The other is an electric mat under the surface which is apparently very expensive. 
Of course all this means the house is cooler in the warmer months. :-) 
This was a bad winter so people say not to judge by it, but who knows how many we will now get.  There is more sunshine than the UK of course.  Further south is more arid so it depends on how much dryness and dust you can accept. Here in north CB there is more greenery. 
Its a tough one.  Best bet is to take some time to drive through the areas you are considering.

Anyone looking for the sun in winter should live in the Canary Islands.I was in Tenerife this winter and the temperature hovered around the low 20s.I live in Sydney,Australia and our winters are definitely much colder than in Tenerife.It is true that in the sun it was glorious and in the shade it was a bit cooler but northern european tourists go to the beach in winter and get sunburnt. so this tells you how hot the sun is in Tenerife in winter.

I have been to Tenerife lots of times in the winter and it's my preferred choice !husband thinks it's to small an island .I have several health conditions so need winter sun .I have heard costa tropical Is warm in winter .Does anyone have any thoughts on that .

We came to Spain for the same reason, winter sun, and are currently in the Costa Blanca.  It was supposed to be a compromise between the colder climes of the northern parts of Spain and the more arid and dusty parts of the south. We do indeed get lots of glorious winter sun, it is absolutely beautiful outside right now (about 12C).
BUT you absolutely have to make sure your house/flat is well heated and does not have any damp problems. Full central heating throughout is not yet common in the cheaper properties and damp (and mould) is VERY common even in the better houses, due to construction methods here.  We have found that it is generally, during the day, warmer outside Spanish buildings than inside during late Autumn, Winter and early Spring.   A dehumidifier extracts 1 to 1.5 litres of water a day from our bedroom despite having a heater in there, reasonable double glazing and frequent airing. 
So, come for the sun but plan for the cold and damp!

I have just started to pick up on the fact that it's not warm inside in spain's winter weather .Thank you for you're reply .Do you know any area where it's not damp in winter which is not going to be good for my health I have asthma .I really appreciate any help you can give me .

Almeria is without a doubt the warmest part of Spain in winter and depends on were abouts you live on how cold it is.nr the coast is more colder than say inland..