Christmas holidays in the sun? Why not?!

If your idea of Christmas beach holidays involves walking straight from your beachside villa into crystalline water, the Maldives remains unmatched. Luckily, December falls in the archipelago’s dry season, meaning those on holiday in the Maldives during this time can enjoy calm seas, luminous skies and a gentle rhythm that invites you to step off the earth and just relax.

Christmas in the Maldives is elegant and atmospheric rather than traditional in the conventional sense. Resorts mark the season with beautifully styled Christmas Eve dinners, candlelit celebrations on the sand, and carefully curated festive menus featuring fresh seafood from the Indian Ocean. Wake up on Christmas Day morning to enjoy a slow breakfast on private decks, snorkel with reef sharks and turtles or embark on a sunset cruise over waters that shimmer an improbable cobalt. For couples or honeymooners, Christmas in the Maldives is a celebration of the most indulgent essentials: space, serenity and time together.

For travellers dreaming of a secluded Christmas in the sun, Coconut Island delivers barefoot luxury with subtle seasonal charm. Just a whisper from Phuket’s mainland, the island feels wonderfully secluded while still embracing Christmas traditions through food, decor and shared moments. Upon arrival, travellers are greeted by sweeping golden shorelines, jungle-fringed pathways and villas positioned for maximum tranquillity.

Holidays on Coconut Island unfold slowly, in rhythm with nature and shaped by the warm tides. Spend your time paddleboarding in glassy shadows, enjoying exotic spa rituals or with dinners overlooking the Andaman Sea. On Christmas Day, hotels often host a party on the beach for guests, complete with market stalls serving hog roast, lobster, prawns, sushi, sashimi, oysters, BBQ meats, Thai salads and more. Coconut Island has quietly become one of the best Christmas sun destinations for travellers seeking stillness without sacrificing style. 

If searching for hedonistic warm Christmas holiday destinations full of excess and riches, then a holiday in Dubai is just the ticket! Dubai embraces Christmas with theatrical flair. It is no surprise that the city is famed for its shopping and world-class spa hotels as locals and tourists search for a respite from the dry heat and tempestuous sandstorms. It is the ideal location for Christmas holidays in the sun, thanks to its growing multicultural population and every shopping mall, hotel and restaurant will be decorated with tinsel and lights to get into the seasonal spirit. Top up your tan on the beach, catch up on last-minute Christmas shopping and even enjoy the snow at Dubai’s ski centre. It is the ideal place to celebrate the holiday season with friends and family, the more the merrier.

​​Punta Cana and the surrounding coastline offer an irresistible combination of soft sand, calm turquoise waters and a festive atmosphere that’s never forced. Punta Cana’s resorts celebrate Christmas with themed activities for children, special Christmas dinners and entertainment that blends Caribbean rhythm with seasonal tradition. While kids enjoy watersports and beach games, parents can relax with spa treatments, golf or quiet moments by the sea. Christmas Day in the Dominican Republic feels joyful and relaxed: barefoot walks along the shoreline, shared meals and warm evenings filled with laughter. To make the holiday even more of an adventure, hop on a boat to Saona Island and explore the idyllic island wilderness. For many families, Punta Cana represents one of the best places to spend Christmas in the sun.

Mexico’s Caribbean coastline is a perennial favourite among those searching for Christmas sun getaways. The region is at its best in December with warm weather, calm and shimmering waters and its cenotes as clear as crystal. Here, Christmas is a family affair with people of all ages enjoying the festivities. Hotels like the Barceló Maya Beach offer Christmas Gala events, festive dinners, Santa visits and plenty of seasonal entertainment for kids, making Christmas Day on the beach feel extra special. 

Take time to explore some Mayan ruins, pick up some colourful souvenirs and explore the neighbouring islands of Cozumel and Holbox, which are a favourite among snorkelling fans. Want to attend Midnight Mass in English? The Nuestra Señora del Carmen in Playa del Carmen and the Parroquia de Cristo Resucitado in Cancún offer services in English for holidaymakers wanting to mark the occasion. For many people on holiday in Quintana Roo, Mexico’s coast represents one of the best places to spend Christmas in the sun.

Curious about how Mexicans celebrate Christmas? There is nowhere better than Puerto Vallarta to enjoy the festive season like a local. With temperatures hovering in the low-to-mid twenties, Mexico’s Pacific coastline is an ideal place for Christmas holidays in the sun. To make your trip extra special, get there early, in time for the Virgen de Guadalupe feast day, which is celebrated with fireworks, parades and town parties. This marks the start of the Christmas period and the beginning of Las Posadas from the 16th to the 24th of December. Las Posadas marks the nine nights that Mary and Joseph searched for lodging before the birth of Jesus.

Expect to see families dressed up as Mary and Joseph, going from door to door asking for lodging and receiving hot food and drink, sweets and piñatas. If you are on holiday in Puerto Vallarta, the festivities are centred around the harbour with live music, fireworks and poinsettias decorating the walkways. Many resorts are extravagantly decorated, creating a warm and festive feel for guests. There is almost always a Christmas dinner or gala event for guests and some organise for Santa to arrive by boat, handing out presents to the children. If you are craving Christmas holidays in the sun, Puerto Vallarta is a fabulous choice. 

If your idea of Christmas holidays in the sun involves a touch of wilderness, an escape to Costa Rica is in order. Tamarindo Beach, in the Guanacaste Province, is a seductive choice with a long, honey coloured sweep of the Pacific coastline where surf, culture and the slow and joyful Pura Vida ethos can be found. December marks the start of the area’s dry season, so it is an ideal place to explore at Christmas. 

Spend your Christmas Day morning enjoying surf lessons or sailing around the coastline before having lunch under the canopy of trees, home to cheeky howler monkeys. Tamarindo at Christmas feels effortlessly festive with beach cafés buzzing and aglow with lights and friendly chatter. Barefoot dinners of freshly caught mahi-mahi on the shoreline are a fantastic way to celebrate the season amongst friends, while a Christmas Day hike is sure to set you in good spirits to continue the festivities. 

Celebrating Christmas on a far-flung shoreline isn’t about rejecting tradition; it's about expanding it. Whether you’re travelling as a couple, a family with children or a group of friends, Christmas in the sun can be as festive or as relaxed as you choose, from full Christmas gala dinners to barefoot lunches by the sea.

As global travellers favour experiences over excess and a return to regenerative tourism, Christmas holidays in the sun take on a new meaning. Maybe you dream of waking up on Christmas Day morning with nothing more to do than sunbathe on a sun-kissed beach, or you want to join locals in their Christmas traditions. Travel offers something for everyone.  So, are you ready to reinvent your Christmas tradition this year?