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Dublin · January · sunshine

Sunniest places to go from Dublin in January

The sunniest place you can reach from Dublin in January within 15 hours is Arona at 9.9 h, costing 738 kg CO₂e return. The lowest-carbon option is Galway at 46.9 kg — 16× less carbon for 6.0 h less.

Every destination here is on the efficiency frontier: nowhere else in Europe is both sunnier in January and lower in carbon. Anything a better option beats outright has been left out.

GalwayArona
Where they are. Solid lines are rail or ferry, dashed are flights, from Dublin. Pick one to compare.
Carbon against sunshine, January, departing Dublin. Journeys of up to 15 hours each way.12 destinations. Lowest carbon Galway at 46.9 kilograms and 3.9 h; best for sunshine Arona at 738 kilograms and 9.9 h. Galway · 46.9 kgErrachidia · 600 kgArona · 738 kg

By rail or ferry By air

Carbon against sunshine, January, departing Dublin. Journeys of up to 15 hours each way.
January from Dublin — 12 destinations on the frontier, 0 without flying.
DestinationHowCO₂e returnTempSun/dayRain/dayJourney
Galway, IrelandAir46.9 kg6.0 °C3.9 h3.9 mm3h 42m
Barrow in Furness, United KingdomAir54.5 kg5.3 °C4.2 h6.3 mm3h 48m
Leicester, United KingdomAir88.3 kg4.4 °C4.7 h1.6 mm4h
Vannes, FranceAir170 kg6.8 °C5.3 h3.8 mm4h 24m
Sion, SwitzerlandAir315 kg3.3 °C5.9 h3.2 mm5h 12m
Alès, FranceAir320 kg5.5 °C6.5 h1.0 mm5h 12m
Nîmes, FranceAir330 kg6.9 °C7.0 h1.2 mm5h 12m
Castellon, SpainAir391 kg10.7 °C7.9 h0.4 mm5h 36m
Torrevieja, SpainAir443 kg12.5 °C8.6 h0.4 mm5h 48m
Almería, SpainAir467 kg13.3 °C8.8 h0.2 mm6h
Errachidia, MoroccoAir600 kg10.2 °C9.5 h0.1 mm6h 42m
Arona, SpainAir738 kg15.2 °C9.9 h0.3 mm7h 24m

Warm is not the same as pleasant, which is why sunshine and rainfall are shown alongside temperature. All three are ERA5 monthly means for 2023–2024.

Where the curve breaks

The frontier is gentle until it isn't. Going from Errachidia (600 kg, 9.5 h) to Arona (738 kg, 9.9 h) buys 0.4 hours more sunshine for an extra 138 kg — 345 kg of CO₂e per hour. That single step is the most expensive sunshine on the whole curve.

The pick of them

If you'd rather have heat than sunshine

January answers differently depending on what you're after. The warmest destinations from Dublin in January are a different list — hours of sunshine and degrees of warmth come apart, especially early and late in the year.

Where to stay in Arona

Places to stay in Arona, Spain, on a live map. Prices and availability come from Stay22 and its booking partners.

Affiliate disclosure. A booking made through this map may earn 0xCarbon a commission, at no extra cost to you. It changes nothing above it: the emissions figures come from UK Government conversion factors and are computed before anyone is paid anything.See the method.

Other months from Dublin

January from elsewhere

Questions

Where is the sunniest place to go from Dublin in January?

Arona, Spain, at 9.9 h. Reaching it emits 738 kg CO₂e return, travelling 7h 24m each way by air.

Can I get somewhere sunny from Dublin in January without flying?

Not within 15 hours. Every destination on this frontier requires flying in January.

How much carbon does a return trip from Dublin to Arona produce?

738 kg CO₂e for one person, return, by air. That uses the UK Government's 2026 conversion factors, including radiative forcing for flights.

Carbon uses UK Government (DESNZ/DEFRA) 2026 conversion factors applied to great-circle distance, with radiative forcing included for flights. Rail journey times are modelled estimates, not timetabled services. Full method · download the data.