If a white Christmas isn’t what you dream of this year, other options exist – particularly Christmas on the beach. Many fantastic places around the world offer the chance to spend the holiday on a beautiful stretch of sand – and while it may be white, you can be sure that it won’t be cold in these places.
Bora Bora
If being around the water is your idea of a dream Christmas, head to this Polynesian treasure, where an overwater bungalow awaits. At Conrad Bora Bora Nui, you can enjoy the ultimate place to relax, take in a dramatic tropical landscape, and take things a step further with access to a luxurious spa and the chance to participate in events for the festive season. Of course, all the usual South Pacific activities await, including snorkeling and diving, jet-skiing, sailing, and more.
Samoa
This stunning island in Polynesia, with cascading waterfalls, emerald lagoons, endless beaches, and tropical gardens, may be most charming during the winter holidays. Combined with the hospitality of the locals and fascinating culture, Samoa offers an idyllic escape. Samoans also love Christmas, with a 13-day buildup to the holiday – the annual “13 Days to Christmas” includes dozens of local choirs performing carols and short dramas in the beautiful Upolu village of Vaitele-Uta. While temperatures are sure to be sizzling, the heat does nothing to quell everyone’s Christmas spirit, with lots of parties and a hopping nightlife.
Turks and Caicos
Turks and Caicos is an alluring destination with luxury all-inclusive resorts. It is particularly idyllic during the holidays, offering the best for those looking to enjoy an indulgent Caribbean Christmas. Resorts decorate in traditional holiday style but with understated elegance and dazzling lights along the Grace Bay strip. The award-winning, 12-mile-long Grace Bay Beach offers pearl-colored sands lined with coconut palms at the edge of turquoise waters and is also fringed by a coral reef system that makes for some of the best diving and snorkeling on earth. Several excellent resorts are here, including The Alexandra Resort, with its prime beachfront setting, and Grace Bay Club, with 1,100 feet of beachfront.
Grenada
In Grenada, carolers won’t be singing outside your door, but you can expect the parranderos to sing parang while strumming a tune on their cuatro, soft drink bottle, or anything else that can make music. And, you can be sure that rum and other favorite holiday drinks like ponche-a-cream (Christmas eggnog) sorrel and ginger beer will also be nearby. At the same time, local eateries offer special menus incorporating traditional Grenadian Christmas fare. Of course, you can always spend Christmas Day on the beach – Sandals Grenada Resort and Spa, located in the heart of Pink Gin Beach, offers an all-inclusive holiday package that allows you to be as relaxed or active as you like.
Cayman Islands
Those living in the Cayman Islands make up for the lack of Christmas snow with plenty of festive holiday decorations, activities, and events and a hot Christmas spirit that pairs perfectly with the islands’ idyllic climate. The Caribbean nation even has its own Caribbean Santa, donning shorts and flip-flops rather than the standard attire. You can expect a tropical Christmas here, including entertainment throughout the islands’ hotels and resorts. If that’s not enough, take the Christmas Lights Bus Tour, which includes visiting the most decorated homes, a historic Mission House, and a feast with traditional holiday fares like roast beef and Cassava Cake.
Bali, Indonesia
In Bali, instead of melodies, you can listen to the sounds of the gamelan gong while admiring beautiful sunsets at the island temple of Tanah Lot or swim in the ocean as vast drops of warm December rain pour overhead. While the island is predominantly Hindu, because of its booming tourism industry and many ex-pats, you’ll also find plenty of Christmas spirit. Hotels and villas in places like Ubud, Nusa Dua, Legian, Seminyak, and Jimbaran will be filled with all sorts of holiday décor, parties, and fun activities to participate in or for a more peaceful holiday; there are fabulous, quieter places too, like Lovina, Sanur, Amed and Candi Dasa. Throughout the island, many of the best resorts, hotels, and restaurants do something extra special for the holidays – and you can also enjoy Bali’s famous attractions like the sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud, horse riding on the beach, snorkeling, diving, and more.
Puerto Rico
You’re practically guaranteed an exciting time on this lively island around the holidays, home to many beautiful beaches. In Puerto Rico, festivities take place during the entire month of December and into January. Not only will Jingle Bells set to a salsa beat get you on your feet and dancing, but Christmas in San Juan is a magical time with the magnificent colonial beauty of the 500-year-old city decorated with twinkling lights and colorful whimsy. Basking in the sunlight on the beach underneath a swaying palm and strolling through the rainforest is an excellent tradeoff for snow-covered pines.
Australia
Christmas in Australia falls during the first summer month in the Southern Hemisphere, which means cookouts on the beach and watching for kangaroos instead of reindeer. Australians enjoy a cold Christmas dinner with cold chicken or turkey, pasta, salads, prawns, lobsters, and traditional holiday fares such as mince pies and fruit cake. While you won’t find snow, houses are decked with holiday lights, Christmas trees, and another décor, with neighbors sometimes competing for the best light displays. In addition to the usual festivities, you can spend Christmas Day snorkeling with colorful fish along the Great Barrier Reef and barbecuing on the beach.
Costa Rica
December in Costa Rica falls in the country’s dry season, which means it’s a perfect time to go if you want to spend time on the country’s top beaches or take a hike through the rain forests and national parks, which are home to two-thirds of all animal species on the planet. At Corcovado National Park, you’ll have a good chance of spotting humpback and sperm whales who swim through surrounding waters in December and January. This is also a fantastic place to celebrate Christmas, with the celebration going on for weeks. Costa Rica hosts three Christmas parades, including El Carnival with dancers and musical groups; El Festival de Luz, a nighttime parade with thousands of dazzling lights and El Tope, a parade of show horses and decorative, hand-painted ox carts.
Kauai, Hawaii
The island of Kauai is unique in December. Not only will you have the chance to enjoy a balmy, tropical Christmas, but this is the time of year for whale watching, with humpback whales migrating to its warm surrounding waters to mate and birth their young. It’s also ideal for winter surfing, for those who’d like to hit the waves on Christmas Day. Not only that, but the island hosts all sorts of fun holiday events throughout December, like the Festival of Lights, Christmas hula concerts, and a lighted Christmas parade. Many other activities are available here, including hikes along the famous Na Pali Coast, treks to stunning waterfalls, biking the scenic coastal Kauai path, snorkeling, and more.
Majorca, Spain
Christmas in Majorca is traditionally celebrated and much less commercial than many other places, with Mallorcan solid cultural ties and Catholic traditions. You’ll find an atmosphere of practice throughout Palma, where most of the festive activities take place. Things kick off here with “The Feast of the Immaculate Conception,” a ceremony and performance of dance called Los Seises, and celebrations continue with various special events with Three Kings Night celebrated across Spain. If you’re looking for a quiet place to escape, Cala Deia is a picturesque beach considered one of the island’s hidden gems, located just outside the village of Deia down a dusty road through olive groves. The clear waters and rocky cliffs surrounding it offer the feel of quiet seclusion – and you might have it all to yourself on Christmas Day.
The Abacos, Bahamas
This 120-mile chain of islands in the Bahamas is known as the most accessible of the Out Islands, which features white and pink sandy beaches and four national parks where you can see parrots, orchids, and all types of exotic marine life. Seeing the famous swimming island pigs visiting this archipelago is an incredibly unforgettable experience. On Christmas and the following day, Boxing Day, on Elbow Cay, locals and visitors are invited to participate in the annual Christmas Junkanoo held in late December, featuring elaborate costumes, music, and lively performances. Throughout the islands, you’ll find many carnivals, festivals, and famous American holiday traditions.
Yasawa Islands, Fiji
The warm and sunny weather in Fiji means sand rather than snow and cold meats and seafood rather than hot roast beef, though you can still enjoy the sounds of caroling. In the Yasawa Islands, an archipelago of 90 islands in northwest Fiji, you’ll find some of the most spectacular beaches in the world. There are miles and miles of pristine, white sands, marked only by the occasional bleached driftwood and coconut husks. These remote, unspoiled islands offer something for everyone, whether you’re a backpacker on a budget or looking for the ultimate luxury. No matter where you choose to stay, from budget-friendly dorm rooms at Waya Island’s Octopus Resort to the exclusive Yasawa Island Resort and its luxury bungalows, you can enjoy snorkeling or diving among brilliant coral and tropical fish, dining on plenty of fresh seafood and chatting with the super friendly locals.
Key West, Florida
Suppose you’re looking for something closer to home. In that case, you’ll find plenty of good cheer and warm temperatures in Key West at Christmas, along with beautifully trimmed palm trees on its beautiful beaches, as well as multiple blocks of festive, decked-out boats along the historic waterfront and historic inns done up in holiday décor. This is an ideal destination for enjoying a Caribbean feel without leaving the country, and you can still find plenty of holiday events throughout December, too. As this is the high season in the Keys, there will surely be many others to celebrate with, but that makes for an even higher-energy nightlife and a fun, festive Christmas atmosphere.
Kaikoura Bay, New Zealand
While it’s unlikely that you’ll see any reindeer or snowmen here, there’s a good chance of spotting dolphins, sperm whales, pilot whales, and fur seals in Kaikoura Bay. You’re likely to encounter all of them by heading out on a boat or kayak, and occasionally, some marine life can be spotted offshore while catching yuletide rays on the beach. With New Zealand in the Southern Hemisphere, the country is enjoying summer at Christmastime, which means lots of sunshine and fun holiday festivities. All you have to do is trade your usual Christmas menu for items like diamond-shell clams, green curry prawns, and baked grouper by staying at Hapuku Lodge and Tree Houses, a complex of cedar-covered buildings and six treehouses with views of the bay and the majestic Kaikoura mountain range.
Canary Islands, Spain
The Canary Islands are the only true European destination with warm winter weather. Relax by the ocean, letting the feel of the soft white sand, clear turquoise waters, and warm sunshine recharge your batteries in between dining on holiday delights and opening presents. All seven islands, El Hierro, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Gomera, La Palma, and Tenerife, celebrate Christmas their way with unique local traditions. On Lanzarote, you’ll have a choice of over 80 beaches to spend the holiday on, while hotels offer their guests all sorts of Christmas activities. Santa Claus often makes an appearance at many hotel swimming pools, too.
Barbados
Barbados also welcomes you with its endless cerulean waters, soft white sands, and holiday traditions. Here, you’ll find everything spectacularly decorated for Christmas, including homes, shops, and hotels. Father Christmas even visits many of the hotels. Craft fairs, festivals, and massive feasts include jug, a dish made from green peas, guinea corn flour, herbs, salt meat, baked hams, and a Great cake consisting of a combination of dried fruits, spices, and a fair amount of liquor. Despite the sizzling temperatures, there are plenty of tunes about winter wonderlands, sleigh rides, and open fires to be heard on the radio, albeit some with a Reggae twist – and you’ll also have the chance to take a dip in those clear, warm waters too.
Belize
Belizeans love Christmas – so much so that they celebrate it throughout the entire month of December. In addition to enjoying the picturesque beaches, jungles, and rainforests, you can attend the Christmas Bram, with carolers roaming village streets playing Brukdong music, or witness an authentic Maya deer dance in the Santa Cruz area, with the costumes and story behind the ancient performance a wildly colorful, fascinating spectacle. The island of Ambergris Caye is one of the best for beach lovers, offering the chance to dive, snorkel, sail, fish, or soak up the sunshine from a beautiful stretch of sand. Las Terrazas Resort, located just a few miles north of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, offers luxury accommodations, including the ocean view penthouse, which features jaw-dropping views of the Caribbean and Barrier Reef as well as a private plunge pool and oversized balcony.
