Costa Del Sol, Algarve, or Nice in January?

Nice and neighboring towns are much more lived in year-round, with more architectural interest, museums, indoor activities, and public transport. I'm sure the Algarve will be dead and the Costa del Sol will still be a collection of concrete high-rises.

Agree with Laura. Nice won't be warm or beach weather by any means, but it won't be quite as cold as Newfoundland.

Another option would be to visit Andalucía in Spain. Sevilla and Granada and Cordoba will be mild temperatures and with lots to see. The beach areas will be dead.

Thanks, Laura and Douglas. Nice is looking better and better. My friends haven't been there and, even though I was there in the springtime and loved the area, I wasn't sure how dead it would be in Winter. Seville is not completely off the list, Douglas! We're at the very early planning stage….

We lived in London for a year while I was an exchange teacher. By Christmas break, we (Californians) were ready for a warmer, sunnier place. We went to Sicily, and found what we were seeking. The weather was mostly sunny, with some shirt-sleeve days. The sights are stupendous; and the food, to die for. Nice, however, isn't a bad choice; and, despite climate change, it's almost certainly going to be warmer than Newfoundland.

Have you considered the Canary Islands?
Perhaps one of the few places still considered European and popular in January for a holiday in the sun.
Easy and plentiful flights from mainland Spain.
By the way Nice averages for January are minimum 5c (41F), maximum 13c (55F).

The Algarve area is windy almost all the time. I was just there in April and it was a bit chilly. Sunny, but windy. It will be cold in January there.