It’s not too late to plan a holiday for the first month of the New Year - but where you go depends on your mood as “Blue Monday” approaches. That could mean a much needed dose of winter sun, a week of fun in the snow-covered Alps, or a relaxing break in the British countryside. Here are some of the best last-minute choices for those craving an escape in this dark and chilly winter’s month.

Cape Verde

Long stretches of soft sandy beach greet you when you arrive in Boa Vista, the easternmost of Cape Verde’s islands off the west coast of Africa. Stay at the five-star Iberostar Club Boa Vista and you can stroll straight on to Praia de Chaves. Carry on further south to discover the wilderness of Morro de Areia Nature Reserve. Cape Verde Experience has a week’s all-inclusive at the Iberostar Club Boa Vista, which has two swimming pools and a spa, from £1,144pp, saving £185pp. The price includes flights, transfers and all-inclusive accommodation, departing 13 January.

Samoëns, France

There’s been some good snow in the Alps recently, and once the Christmas and New Year’s crowds have gone home, you can enjoy January’s relatively quiet slopes. Combine classic Savoyard charm with the huge expanse of the Grand Massif ski domain when you stay in Samoëns, one of France’s prettiest ski resorts. In the centre of the village is La Résidence Club Samoëns Village, a new self-catering residence with an indoor pool, spa and zones specifically for teens. Booked through Peak Retreats, it costs from £1,251 for a week’s self-catering from 14 January in a one-bedroom apartment, which includes a FlexiPlus Eurotunnel crossing. Save 10 per cent if you book before 5 January.

Barbados

With nine hours a day of sunlight and January temperatures in the high 20s, Barbados is the place for the sun-starved holidaymaker who wants to take things slowly for a while. Stay at the Mango Bay Hotel in Holetown and chill out on the beaches of the Gold Coast, when you’re not lying by the pool or trying out the spa. Away Holidays has a week’s all-inclusive at Mango Bay from £1,965pp for departures throughout January, and the price includes flights.

Norfolk

North Norfolk’s vast sandy beaches and nature reserves are within walking distance of the Roost, a traditional flint-and-brick cottage in the tiny village of Titchwell. Clear the cobwebs with walks along Brancaster Beach and spot the wildlife lurking around the RSPB Titchwell Marsh and the Holme Dunes National Nature Reserve. Booked throught the Norfolk Cottage Company, the Roost has two bedrooms, a modern kitchen, an enclosed garden and big sofas arranged around a wood-burner. A week’s self-catering starting 13 January costs £540, and one dog is welcome at £20 a week.

Fuerteventura

Gather five of your friends or family and escape to the Canary Islands – specifically the spacious three-bedroom Oramar Vistas villa in Castillo Caleta de Fuste on Fuerteventura’s east coast. You’re only a short walk from the sheltered sands of Playa del Castillo, but you’ll also have a large terrace with a pool, sunloungers and a barbecue for outdoor cooking Canary style. Available through Oliver’s Travels, Oramar Vistas costs from £1,702 for seven nights’ self-catering from 21 January. Flights are extra.

Peak District

Surround yourself with the beauty of the Peak District when you stay at Peakway Farm Cottage set in the peaceful countryside of Parwich near Ashbourne. You’ll have plenty of footpaths and bridleways on your doorstep, and Dovedale’s hiking trails are only a few miles away. It has all the cosy charm you want in a two-bedroom stone cottage, with exposed beams and a wood-burning stove. Booked through Peak Cottages, it costs £577 for seven nights’ self-catering from 23 January, down from £635.

Mary Novakovich is editor at large at 101holidays.co.uk.

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