Where to go in December
For a beach trip in December, the best-graded destinations are usually Huatulco (A), Puerto Vallarta (A) and Los Cabos (A). The warmest water is around Colombia's Caribbean coast (85°F) and the driest weather in Huatulco (2% rain chance). For skiing, Niseko United, Alyeska and Mt. Baker usually get the most snow in December.
Other months
Beach destinations in December, ranked
A typical December at each destination (median resort). Click a column to sort.
| Destination | Typical day | Area | High | Water | Rain chance | Seaweed | Crowds | Storm risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huatulco | A | Mexico | 88°F | 83°F | 2% | Rare | Very busy | Very low |
| Puerto Vallarta | A | Mexico | 85°F | 77°F | 6% | Rare | Very busy | Very low |
| Los Cabos | A | Mexico | 82°F | 74°F | 5% | Rare | Very busy | Very low |
| The Big Island | A- | Hawaii | 81°F | 77°F | 24% | Rare | Very busy | Very low |
| Maui | A- | Hawaii | 82°F | 77°F | 28% | Rare | Very busy | Very low |
| The Yucatán Gulf Coast | A- | Mexico | 83°F | 78°F | 28% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Oʻahu | A- | Hawaii | 81°F | 77°F | 29% | Rare | Very busy | Very low |
| Kauaʻi | A- | Hawaii | 79°F | 77°F | 41% | Rare | Very busy | Very low |
| Cuba's Cays | A- | Caribbean islands | 80°F | 79°F | 33% | Rare | Very busy | Very low |
| Southwest Florida | A- | Florida & the Gulf Coast | 76°F | 70°F | 18% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Panama's Pacific beaches | A- | Central & South America | 86°F | 84°F | 66% | Rare | Very busy | Very low |
| Varadero & Havana | A- | Caribbean islands | 80°F | 81°F | 35% | Rare | Very busy | Very low |
| The Leeward Islands | A- | Caribbean islands | 81°F | 82°F | 35% | Rare | Very busy | Very low |
| Florida Keys | A- | Florida & the Gulf Coast | 76°F | 76°F | 23% | Rare | Very busy | Very low |
| Veracruz | A- | Mexico | 76°F | 78°F | 31% | Very low | Busy | Very low |
| Turks & Caicos | A- | Caribbean islands | 80°F | 81°F | 33% | Rare | Very busy | Very low |
| The US Virgin Islands | A- | Caribbean islands | 81°F | 82°F | 41% | Rare | Very busy | Very low |
| Cayman Islands | A- | Caribbean islands | 83°F | 83°F | 49% | Rare | Very busy | Very low |
| The BVI | A- | Caribbean islands | 81°F | 82°F | 40% | Rare | Very busy | Very low |
| Aruba, Bonaire & Curaçao | B+ | Caribbean islands | 84°F | 83°F | 60% | Rare | Very busy | Very low |
| Barbados | B+ | Caribbean islands | 85°F | 83°F | 47% | Very low | Very busy | Very low |
| The Bahamas | B+ | Caribbean islands | 77°F | 77°F | 33% | Rare | Very busy | Very low |
| Puerto Rico | B+ | Caribbean islands | 83°F | 83°F | 53% | Rare | Very busy | Very low |
| St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenada | B+ | Caribbean islands | 83°F | 83°F | 47% | Low | Very busy | Very low |
| Manzanillo | B+ | Mexico | 86°F | 79°F | 6% | Rare | Very busy | Very low |
| South Padre & the Coastal Bend | B+ | Florida & the Gulf Coast | 71°F | 69°F | 25% | Rare | Moderate | Very low |
| Belize | B+ | Central & South America | 81°F | 82°F | 68% | Rare | Very busy | Very low |
| Acapulco | B+ | Mexico | 89°F | 83°F | 2% | Rare | Very busy | Very low |
| Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo | B+ | Mexico | 89°F | 83°F | 3% | Rare | Very busy | Very low |
| Tampa Bay | B | Florida & the Gulf Coast | 73°F | 67°F | 19% | Low | Busy | Very low |
| Trinidad & Tobago | B | Caribbean islands | 84°F | 83°F | 65% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Guadeloupe & Martinique | B | Caribbean islands | 83°F | 83°F | 51% | Moderate | Busy | Very low |
| Jamaica | B | Caribbean islands | 83°F | 84°F | 51% | Moderate | Very busy | Very low |
| Colombia's Caribbean coast | B | Central & South America | 88°F | 85°F | 31% | Rare | Very busy | Very low |
| Mazatlán | B | Mexico | 80°F | 74°F | 8% | Rare | Very busy | Very low |
| San Andrés | B | Central & South America | 83°F | 84°F | 67% | Rare | Very busy | Very low |
| Cancún | B | Mexico | 81°F | 82°F | 48% | Moderate | Very busy | Very low |
| Cozumel | B | Mexico | 81°F | 82°F | 46% | High | Very busy | Very low |
| Roatán & the Bay Islands | B | Central & South America | 81°F | 83°F | 80% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Costa Maya | B | Mexico | 81°F | 83°F | 62% | Moderate | Very busy | Very low |
| The Corn Islands | B- | Central & South America | 83°F | 83°F | 88% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Santo Domingo's coast | B- | Caribbean islands | 83°F | 83°F | 34% | Very high | Very busy | Very low |
| The Dominican North Coast | B- | Caribbean islands | 82°F | 82°F | 52% | High | Very busy | Very low |
| Panama's Caribbean coast | C+ | Central & South America | 81°F | 84°F | 89% | Low | Busy | Very low |
| Costa Rica's Caribbean coast | C+ | Central & South America | 81°F | 84°F | 92% | Low | Busy | Very low |
| Guatemala's Caribbean coast | C+ | Central & South America | 79°F | 81°F | 78% | High | Busy | Very low |
| The Louisiana coast | C+ | Florida & the Gulf Coast | 66°F | 65°F | 27% | Rare | Quiet | Very low |
| The Alabama & Mississippi coast | C+ | Florida & the Gulf Coast | 64°F | 64°F | 32% | Rare | Moderate | Very low |
| The Florida Panhandle | C+ | Florida & the Gulf Coast | 65°F | 65°F | 31% | Low | Moderate | Very low |
| Haiti | C+ | Caribbean islands | 85°F | 85°F | 52% | Low | Very busy | Very low |
| Galveston & the Upper Texas Coast | C+ | Florida & the Gulf Coast | 65°F | 63°F | 32% | Rare | Moderate | Very low |
| Holguín | C- | Caribbean islands | 81°F | 81°F | 46% | Very high | Very busy | Very low |
| The Riviera Maya | C- | Mexico | 81°F | 82°F | 46% | Very high | Very busy | Very low |
| Punta Cana | C- | Caribbean islands | 82°F | 83°F | 61% | Very high | Very busy | Very low |
Best beaches in December
Resorts with the best typical December (at most two per destination), and their grades for the next few days.
- Secrets Huatulco Huatulco · Dec ASatB-SunC+MonC+TueBWedB-
- Samora Luxury Resort Huatulco · Dec ASatCSunCMonB-TueB-WedB-
- Hotel Las Dunas the Yucatán Gulf Coast · Dec ASatC+SunB-MonB-TueB-WedB
- Hotel Tucan Siho Playa the Yucatán Gulf Coast · Dec ASatC+SunC-MonDTueC+WedB
- Iberostar Selection Playa Mita Puerto Vallarta · Dec ASatB-SunCMonC-TueCWedC+
- Hotel Distrito 88 Puerto Vallarta · Dec ASatBSunCMonCTueCWedC+
- Playa Beach Club Aruba, Bonaire & Curaçao · Dec ASatB+SunB+MonA-TueA-WedA-
- Lagun Blou Aruba, Bonaire & Curaçao · Dec ASatA-SunA-MonA-TueA-WedA-
- Four Seasons Resort Hualalai the Big Island · Dec ASatA-SunA-MonA-TueAWedA
- The Westin Nanea Ocean Villas, Ka'anapali Maui · Dec ASatA-SunA-MonA-TueA-WedA-
- The Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas Maui · Dec ASatA-SunA-MonA-TueA-WedA-
- Fairmont Orchid the Big Island · Dec ASatASunAMonATueAWedA
Grades for the next few days from Veabird's beach forecast, updated Oct 3, 18:00 UTC. Higher is better: A+ to F.
Skiing in December
Typical snowfall that month, crowds and trip prices (flights and lodging against each resort's yearly average), with this week's grades where the snow forecast covers the resort.
| Resort | Area | Typical snow | Crowds | Trip price | This week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niseko United | Hokkaido, Japan | 165 in. | Very busy | +27% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Alyeska | Girdwood, Alaska | 134 in. | Very busy | +12% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Mt. Baker | North Cascades, Washington | 128 in. | Very busy | +31% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Hakuba Valley | Nagano, Japan | 126 in. | Very busy | +27% | |
| Alta | Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah | 109 in. | Very busy | +31% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Snowbird | Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah | 100 in. | Very busy | +31% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Brighton | Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah | 100 in. | Very busy | +31% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Solitude | Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah | 100 in. | Very busy | +31% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Powder Mountain | Wasatch, Utah | 100 in. | Very busy | +31% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Crystal Mountain | Cascades, Washington | 97 in. | Very busy | +31% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Mt. Bachelor | Central Oregon | 92 in. | Very busy | +31% | Opens ~Nov 25 |
| Mt. Hood Meadows | Mount Hood, Oregon | 86 in. | Very busy | +31% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Jay Peak | Northern Vermont | 86 in. | Very busy | +31% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Grand Targhee | Teton Range, Wyoming | 85 in. | Very busy | +31% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Palisades Tahoe | Lake Tahoe, California | 84 in. | Very busy | +19% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Mammoth Mountain | Eastern Sierra, California | 84 in. | Very busy | +19% | Opens ~Nov 8 |
| Whistler Blackcomb | Coast Mountains, British Columbia | 81 in. | Very busy | +12% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Jackson Hole | Teton Range, Wyoming | 78 in. | Very busy | +12% | Opens ~Nov 29 |
| Heavenly | Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada | 76 in. | Very busy | +12% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Revelstoke | Monashee Mountains, British Columbia | 76 in. | Very busy | +31% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
Grades for the next few days from Veabird's snow model, updated Oct 3, 19:00 UTC. Higher is better: A+ to F.
Questions
- Where is the best beach weather in December?
- For a beach trip in December, the best-graded destinations are usually Huatulco (A), Puerto Vallarta (A) and Los Cabos (A). The warmest water is around Colombia's Caribbean coast (85°F) and the driest weather in Huatulco (2% rain chance). For skiing, Niseko United, Alyeska and Mt. Baker usually get the most snow in December.
- Where can I avoid sargassum in December?
- Among the Caribbean and Gulf destinations where seaweed is a real question, Veracruz is usually lightest in December (very low). Places outside the sargassum belt, like Mexico's Pacific coast, Hawaii and Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, rarely see it.
- Where is good but not crowded in December?
- South Padre & the Coastal Bend grades B+ with moderate crowds in a typical December.