It’s that time of the year again. Temperatures are dropping, the nights are getting longer and the leaves on the trees are starting to change color, which means we will soon be raking them off our front yard. With that in mind, if you are thinking, where is good place to go for a beach holiday in December? Where can I spend Christmas 2021? The answer is quite simple, spend Christmas in Mexico!
There are numerous warm places in Mexico during December with world-class beaches that will make even Santa Claus pause for a swim during his hectic Christmas season schedule. From sparkling powder soft white sand beaches with calm turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea, to the energetic and beautiful Sea of Cortez, you have too many reasons as to why you should spend Christmas in Mexico.
If golden sand, azure waters, and tropical temperatures are not enough for you to plan and book your trip soon before the rest of the numerous people who come to Mexico’s beaches every Christmas do, giving you better deals. The Mexican style and traditions of celebrating this joyful holiday will allure you to search which of the following destinations best suits you and your family.
Puerto Vallarta
The gem of the state of Jalisco. This resort town on the Pacific coast wraps around scenic “Bahia de Banderas” (Bay of Banderas) with its remarkable Sierra Madre mountains backdrop. With 40 miles of coastline, a plethora of natural beauty such as Vallarta Botanical Gardens and dozens of majestic beaches sprawled out along its coastline. Puerto Vallarta offers a landscape that is unique. It is also one of the friendliest LGBTQ+ destinations in Mexico and you can find a lively community in and around the Zona Romantica neighborhood.
Activities are abundant, and you can choose from ocean activities like fishing, snorkeling, surfing in close by Sayulita, whale watching from Punta De Mita north of the city, to immersing yourself in the jungle and ziplining in the Sierra Madre mountains or crossing the Jorullo bridge with an ATV. Canopy River is a great company to organize your mountain activities and currently they have 20% promotion with the coupon code: AUTUMN.
During the festive celebrations restaurants on the Malecon, a mile long esplanade, offers traditional Mexican Christmas themed drinks, food, and piñatas that are not to be missed.
Los Cabos
Often regarded as “paradise on earth” and located in the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula, Los Cabos is adored by many as the number one place to spend Christmas in Mexico. Winter time you will experience the best weather of the year with average temperatures of 81°F.
You can find many Christmas activities in Los Cabos, from strolling through the picturesque laid-back San Jose Del Cabo village, to the livelier party atmosphere that Cabo San Lucas offers. In Cabo San Lucas the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez meet, resulting in some of the most diverse and breathtaking marine life that you can witness. From spectacular whale watching, to the only living coral reef of the Sea of Cortez, Cabo is sure to blow you away with its beauty. Most resorts here offer amazing Christmas activities, and if you decide to stay and ring in the New Year, you will attend one of the best fireworks displays in the world.
Cancun
“Ma’lob Ja’at kab kíin” as the Mayan civilization use to say, or as we say it, good morning. And let me tell you, there is no better good morning when you look out your beachside resort window and see the sparkling turquoise waters that this part of the Yucatán Peninsula has to offer, instead of the frosty window that most of us wake up to during Christmas.
Apart from having some of the top beaches in the world, although you won’t be the first to have taken that so desired Instagram picture with that scenic backdrop of palm trees, white sand beaches, and aquamarine sea that goes on as far as the eye can see. Cancun offers a memorable Christmas experience for you and your loved ones. On top of your resort being beautifully decorated with festive trees, lights, and tinsel, if you head into the city center you will see countless Mexican nativity scenes such as public displays of nacimientos “the birth of Christ”. These nacimientos are set up around December 16th, baby Jesus is added on Christmas Eve and the three kings are added on January 5th.
Riviera Maya
Also located in the majestic Yucatán Peninsula and a 40-minute drive south of Cancun’s International airport is the stunning Riviera Maya. This destination, unlike its neighboring Cancun, is not a bustling city with resorts sprawling in every direction, instead it is a region with many smaller resort towns such as Playa Del Carmen, Tulum, and Puerto Morelos. Most of these towns offer world class beaches where you are assured of a white Christmas due to the color of its pristine sand. As these resorts are more secluded and offer all-inclusive packages, during the Christmas season they make sure you taste traditional Mexican delicacies such as the ensalada de noche buena and ponche Navideño.
This region has a strong focus on conservation and sustainable tourism in order to protect the delicate local ecosystem, such as Sian Ka’an (Mayan for origin of the skies or where the heavens where born) biosphere reserve which sprawls a massive 1.3 million acres and is a UNESCO world heritage site. The Mesoamerican coral reef (second biggest coral reef in the world) is situated 12 miles off the coast and offers some of the most breathtaking scuba diving and snorkeling available in this world. And if all this is not enough, all over the Riviera Maya you can find some of the best-preserved Mayan ruins such as Chichén Itzá, making this destination one of the best to spend Christmas in Mexico.
Oaxaca
If you seek a Christmas where you don’t want to feel the need to visit places and just want to enjoy the beach and nature, the coastline of the state of Oaxaca is one of the best places to spend Christmas in Mexico. This destination has long been a sleeping beauty of Mexico’s coastline, but since the pandemic it is starting to wake up due to the increase in digital nomads and to the unbelievable value you can get in Oaxaca compared to already developed beach destinations in Mexico.
From Puerto Escondido’s Playa Carrizalillo, that is swimmer friendly, to Playa Zicatela that is a world-renowned surfer destination with waves reaching 10 meters high to as far as Tangolunda bay, which hosts luxurious and more secluded resorts. The beaches are many and all have their own character sure to make you fall in love with Oaxaca.
Wherever you stay in this mostly under travelled destination, make sure to check out the local “Las Posadas” Christmas celebrations where kids dress as Joseph and Mary in search of a safe refuge to give birth to baby Jesus. This tradition starts on December 16th and ends on Christmas Eve, with celebrations going past midnight and into the early hours of Christmas. One of Mexico’s most authentic Christmas celebrations is the breaking of the plates after you eat the honeyed buñuelo. This happens in the city of Oaxaca and is part of the season’s ritual of annual renovation.
A Christmas That Will Stay with You Forever
Be it to escape the cold to many of the warm places in Mexico during December, to treat your other half and you to a well-deserved tropical holiday, or to indulge in an authentic Christmas experience in Mexico. You will not regret this decision to spend Christmas in Mexico. After you spend Christmas in your favorite destination in this colorful, beautiful and lively nation, you will forever think back on the amazing memories you created. But lucky for you, you will always be able to come back to Mexico to live that memorable experience again and again.
