Winter beach trip in Spain or Portugal

Are you assuming it is warm enough to swim in the pool or beach, as it isn't, unless you may find a private heated pool somewhere. Even if sunny, you will want accommodation with heat. Post pandemic, Spain encouraged digital nomads, so you are competing with them for accommodations. I find prices have doubled since then.
You should save on transport, food and other items, however.
Someplace like Malaga, Spain or the nearby resort communities have sunshine and beaches to walk and many have excellent public transit for day or short trips elsewhere.
But I encourage you to look at historical weather data for the past five years for specific cities to get a real picture of the weather to ensure you are making the change you anticipate. Ensure you look at how much wind there is as well. That surprised me, I know.

Maybe Nazare or Aveiro on the Central Portuguese coast. I loved my stay in Aveiro last year, although I wasn’t there necessarily for the beach action but I did spend a half day out in the picturesque suburb of Aveiro called Costa Nova.

Nazare is famous for large winter surf. surfers from around the world will try and catch the biggest wave. It certainly would be exciting to see, even if you aren’t particularly interested in surfing. I wouldn’t try to swim there because of the wave action - I’m not that steady on my feet. But, hey, you must know that the water in this part of the Atlantic is cold - not anything like the temperature of the water in Florida.

Many Forum members will suggest beaches near Cascais (just west by train from Lisbon), and it is an option if you would like to be near the action in Lisbon. Just remember that you will likely not swim in the ocean due to the cold water.

My trip report from last year might give you some other ideas.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/portugal-july-2-18-2025-2-days-with-granddaughter-the-rest-solo

I lived for some years near Malaga.
The weather in February is far from certain - you may get sunny days but you may also get cloud and rain. It will not be warm enough to swim in either sea or unheated pools, although it may be warm enough to sit outside at cafes.
Further north in Spain, or in Portugal it is likely to be the same, possibly cooler.
Have you thought about Morocco, either Marrakesh with a pool, or Esssaouira on the coast. Still not warm enough to swim in the sea, bur warmer than Spain.

I have been all over Spain and Portugal, but never in Winter.
Portugal, been to the beaches in middle Portugal. Even in the early Summer, the ocean was a bit chilly.

Spain, been to Malaga and Fuengirola, Spain. It was NOT in the Winter. Been there in July and May.
Malaga was nicer than Fuengirola. The beaches in Fuengirola were not very nice, way worse than Florida.

For both countries, I would NOT recommend going for enjoying the beach in the Winter.

If you really want a beach vacation in Spain, consider The Canary Islands.
We visited there on a cruise and loved it. The wildlife is special.
https://www.guidetocanaryislands.com/canary-islands-weather-february/

Another idea would be to take a Caribbean cruise for a week, that would be cheaper than flying to Europe.

Since the weather in Florida during February isn’t exactly “beach weather” I assume you are just looking for someplace with warmer and milder weather. I was in the Costa Blanca region last December and the weather was generally mild, especially when the sun came out.

In Spain there are cities and towns all along the Costa del Sol - Malaga, Marbella, Nerja, Estepona. During February there should be a lot of apartments to choose from. (There were in December, when I was looking) and with 4 to 5 weeks there I’m sure you will see some nice weather.

I’ve been to the islands of Tenerife and La Gomera (Canary Islands) during the month of February backpacking. Probably the most beautiful natural places I have ever seen, and the food was incredible also. You really need to explore the interior to appreciate these places.

Someone can correct me but I think Portugal would be in general cooler/wetter due to being situated on the the Atlantic and not the Mediterranean.

As others have said, consider the Canary Islands if you want Spain.

If you want Portugal, there's Madeira or the Azores.

Also consider that many of the small coastal towns in Spain essentially shutter during the off season. The Costa del Sol is an exception. There will be fewer options for lodging and restaurants.

The very southern coast of Portugal, the Algarve is pleasant in the winter. Drier and warmer than the regions along the Atlantic coast

We spent ten days on Lanzarote a few years back and I think you ought to consider that island. High-rise buildings are banned on the island and there is some gorgeous architecture. You won't be able to swim in the sea in January-February unless you are very hardy but many condo complexes have heated pools. There are some great restaurants, wineries, varying landscapes.....I think it's a gem unknown to many American tourists.

Here are some photos, with my comments; a lot is about the food:

https://www.hungryonion.org/t/lanzarote-islas-canarias/39096

Regarding the Azores: If you go to the Portugal page on this site, the first item at the top is about a guidebook to the Azores of which the first part is available free. The author of that book says:

The odds are not good for great weather during the winter months... Winds can be brutal anytime during the year, forcing flights and ferries to cancel.
Blockquote

@Janet. Good point about the Azores winters. I looked into them as a cheaper get away from Canada, as they offer cheap flight promotions, but after doing a short stopover for a few days end of February last year, I changed my mind. Gardens and nature say 'spring' but my apartment had a dehumidifier running because it had rained every day the previous 40 days. I had some respite on my 3 days with only night rains but wind and cool weather was constant. It rained as they were loading the small plane home and had soaked clothing when my delayed suitcase finally arrived 3 days later.

Canaries are great in Jan/Feb. It’s not a particularly cheap time to go though. The European winter is the Canaries high season because it’s a short flight and the weather is good. Saying that, these are not expensive destinations relative to many other places.

We have also been to the Azores (twice) and Madeira while on cruises.
Maderia is more crowded and expensive,
All with the Canaries are good.