Is this bitter-cold winter season making you blue? If you’re ready to trade your wooly boots for a pair of flip-flops, find the right inspiration and head to warmer temperatures.

Not only is it a great way to speed up the cold season, but you’ll find that winter is the most affordable time to travel to summer’s most popular travel spots.

Check out a few of this winter’s hottest destinations, where you can spend your time soaking up the sun while your friends are counting down the days until spring.

1. Aruba

Kick back on the picture-perfect shores of this Caribbean isle, where time slows down and pleasure is your only option. Safely situated south of the tropical storm territory, Aruba is the top choice for honeymooners and luxury travelers. You could spend your time sunbathing on the peaceful beaches, or explore the island’s landscape on foot, horseback, jeep, or ATV. You can also find more than one place to party, savoring Aruba’s most delectable cuisine and making new friends in the process.

2. Los Cabos

Enter the lands of warmth and adventure down south in Mexico, where your vacation can be steered in any direction you choose. While away your days with deep sea fishing, golfing, spa dwelling, or bumming on the sandy shores of Los Cabos. Just a hop, skip, and jump away for Southern Californians, this destination offers you two very different ways to vacation: Cabo San Lucas, often described as a glitzy resort built in L.A. style, or San Jose del Cabo, a traditional Mexican village where you can dive into the local cultural scene.

3. Kauai

Lose yourself in the beautiful and romantic setting of Hawaii’s oldest inhabited island. The perfect treat in the dead of winter, Kauai offers you a contrast of vibrant natural surroundings that will make you forget the woes of the season. Explore the island from coast to coast, and you’ll be met with lush rainforests, golden beaches, majestic cliffs, and jagged mountain tops.

4. Vieques

Just off the shores of Puerto Rico in the core of the Caribbean, Vieques is a more tranquil island that has the ingredients of relaxation and rejuvenation you’ve been seeking. This is the place for you if you’re tired of crowded places, screaming kids, and commercialized resorts. Travelers come here to enjoy its isolated beaches, and experience the destination’s well-preserved wildlife and natural sceneries. Unobstructed with traffic and roads, Vieques is intended for the explorer who has a curiosity and love for Mother Nature’s most awe-inspiring creations on land and in the sea.

5. Miami

This hot, hot city is bursting with a colorful nightlife and dynamic contemporary arts. Come see how Miami has so much more than surf and sand – take in its sensational Latino scene, filled with music, dancing, and spicy food. For the full cultural experience, take a stroll around the famous Coconut Grove, get a taste of real Cuban cuisine in Little Havana, or sail the ocean around sunset.

6. Austin

According to USA Today, Austin is one of the top five off-peak destinations, which costs up to $100 less to visit in the winter. This city combines the fun flavor of Texas charm with the best live music events and nature excursions you can find below the Mason-Dixie line. With ideal temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees from January to March, Austin has many hiking and biking trails with striking views. There’s plenty to see for history buffs, and you won’t have to go far to come across some of the state’s best Tex-Mex and barbeque foods.