How to Spend the 2026 Holiday Season in Los Cabos

Key takeaways

• December and January in Los Cabos are dry and warm by day, with average highs around 27°C (81°F) and lows in the mid-50s°F at night.

• Humpback whales arrive in December, and permitted whale-watching tours start in mid-December, so a holiday trip overlaps with the first weeks of the season.

• The local holiday calendar runs from the Virgin of Guadalupe on December 12 through Día de Reyes on January 6, with Las Posadas from December 16 to 24.

• New Year's Eve centers on Médano Beach in Cabo San Lucas, where fireworks go off over the bay near El Arco.

• The holidays and Easter week are the two busiest stretches of the year for Los Cabos hotels, so book rooms, restaurants and tours early.

What the holiday season in Los Cabos looks like

Los Cabos, the area that covers Cabo San Lucas, San José del Cabo and the 20-mile corridor between them, is one of the most popular places in Mexico to spend the holidays. Booking data from the travel-technology company Amadeus ranked it the top hotel destination in the world for Christmas and New Year's 2023, with 77% of rooms already booked by late November. The weather is dry, whale season is starting, and direct flights reach San José del Cabo from much of the US and Canada.

The best holiday trips here mix the resort side of Cabo with the local calendar: a posada or a Guadalupe procession, a Thursday evening in San José's gallery district, a morning on the water looking for whales.

Weather and water temperature in December and January

Cabo San Lucas averages a high of 27.4°C (81°F) and a low of 14°C (57°F) in December, and a high of 26.6°C (80°F) with a low of 12.8°C (55°F) in January, based on Mexico's national weather service figures for 1991 to 2020. Rain is rare, with well under an inch in either month. Days are warm enough for the beach, and evenings call for a light jacket.

The sea is around 24°C (75°F) in December and a degree or two cooler in January. Most people find that comfortable for swimming and snorkeling, and some will want a thin wetsuit for longer sessions in the water.

Local traditions from December 12 to January 6

Mexico's holiday season is long. People call it the Guadalupe-Reyes stretch, after the feast days that bookend it. On the evening of December 11, processions in Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo walk to their Guadalupe churches, and at midnight people sing Las Mañanitas, the traditional birthday song, to the Virgin. Some downtown streets close for the processions, so expect slower traffic that evening.

Las Posadas take place over the nine nights from December 16 to 24. Neighbors walk from house to house re-enacting Mary and Joseph's search for lodging, and the evening ends with tamales, ponche (a hot fruit punch) and a piñata. Christmas Eve, Nochebuena, is the main family meal in Mexico, and Christmas Day is quieter. The season closes on January 6, Día de Reyes, when families cut a rosca de reyes, a ring-shaped sweet bread with a small figurine hidden inside.

Cabo San Lucas also holds a nautical Christmas parade. In 2025, a holiday market set up on the marina boardwalk on Saturday, December 13, and the next evening boats strung with lights looped the bay and finished in the marina. The 2026 date hadn't been announced as of early October.

Holiday events: the film festival and the Thursday Art Walk

The Los Cabos International Film Festival held its 13th edition from December 10 to 14, 2025, with screenings in both Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo. The festival lists its 14th edition for December 9 to 13, 2026, though it hadn't published the program as of early October.

Every Thursday evening from roughly November to June, the Gallery District in historic San José del Cabo holds an Art Walk from 5 to 9 p.m. Galleries stay open late, some streets close to cars, and it's free. It's one of the easiest ways to spend an evening outside the resort without planning anything in advance.

Where to spend New Year's Eve in Los Cabos

In most years, the main New Year's Eve fireworks go off over the bay at Médano Beach in Cabo San Lucas, the town beach that faces El Arco. Beach clubs along Médano hold parties with views of the show, and those tables sell out early. You can also book a catamaran or boat cruise to watch from the water.

Most of the larger resorts along the corridor and in San José del Cabo hold their own New Year's Eve dinners and parties. If you'd rather stay put, that's the quieter option.

Whale watching: humpbacks off Cabo and gray whales on the Pacific

Humpback whales come to the waters off Los Cabos to mate and give birth, and the Los Cabos tourism board lists the season as December through April. Under Mexico's federal season notice for 2025 to 2026, permitted whale-watching tours off Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo ran from December 15 to April 30, so plan whale trips for the second half of December or later. Mexico's whale-watching rules, set under the federal standard NOM-131-SEMARNAT-2010, prohibit touching or feeding whales and getting between a mother and her calf, so book with an operator that holds a permit.

Gray whales are a separate trip. They're found in the lagoons on Baja's Pacific coast, not off Cabo, and the season opens on January 1 at Magdalena Bay, about five hours' drive north. That makes it an overnight add-on for travelers staying past New Year's.

Beaches you can swim at, and the flag system

Many beaches in Los Cabos are not safe for swimming because of strong currents and steep shore breaks, and the Canadian government's travel advice notes that several drownings occur each year along Mexico's coasts. The ones that are safe are mostly on the Sea of Cortez side. Médano Beach in Cabo San Lucas is the calmest in town and has lifeguards. Chileno Bay and Santa María Bay, both along the corridor, are sheltered coves with reefs for snorkeling, and both hold Blue Flag certification for water quality and beach management.

Lifeguard towers use colored flags, and they're worth learning. Green means calm, yellow means use caution, red means no swimming, and black means the beach is closed. A Blue Flag rating tells you how a beach is managed, not what the surf is doing that day, so check the flag before you go in.

Where you stay makes a difference here. Our list of beachside resorts for the holidays in Los Cabos notes which resorts sit on a beach you can swim at.

Day trips worth taking over the holidays

Todos Santos is about 75 to 85 km (roughly 50 miles) north of Cabo San Lucas on Highway 19, about an hour by car. Mexico named it a Pueblo Mágico in 2006, and its galleries and restaurants make it an easy day out. On the way, Cerritos Beach on the Pacific has a sandy-bottomed break that suits beginners, and surf schools give lessons through the winter.

Cabo Pulmo National Park is about two hours from San José del Cabo, and parts of the road can be unpaved. Its reef's the only hard coral reef in the Gulf of California, and snorkeling and diving there are done with certified local guides. Closer in, Flora's Field Kitchen at Flora Farms, a working organic farm in Las Ánimas Bajas outside San José del Cabo, is listed in the Michelin Guide and books up over the holidays, so reserve ahead.

For a shorter outing, water taxis from Médano Beach and the Cabo San Lucas marina take five to 10 minutes to reach El Arco and Lover's Beach. Lover's Beach, on the Sea of Cortez side, is the calmer one. Divorce Beach, on the Pacific side of the same strip of sand, has a dangerous undertow and isn't for swimming.

Planning: flights, entry rules and booking ahead

Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) is about 15 minutes from San José del Cabo and 40 to 50 minutes from Cabo San Lucas. This winter, Canadian travelers have nonstop options from cities including Vancouver, Edmonton and Regina, and most major US hubs have direct service.

US and Canadian citizens need a valid passport book to fly into Mexico, and no visa is needed for a tourist stay. Mexico's immigration form, the FMM, is now digital for air arrivals, and the immigration officer decides how many days you're allowed, up to 180. The Government of Canada's travel page for Mexico has the current details.

Book early. The Los Cabos hotel association reported holiday occupancy of about 80% in 2025, with peaks near 90%. The same goes for New Year's Eve beach clubs, dinner reservations and whale-watching boats.

Frequently asked questions

Is December a good time to visit Los Cabos?

Yes. December is dry and warm, with average highs around 27°C (81°F), and humpback whale-watching tours start in mid-December. It's also the start of peak season, so prices are higher and the holiday weeks book up early.

Can you swim in Cabo in December?

Yes, at the right beaches. The water is around 24°C (75°F). Médano Beach, Chileno Bay and Santa María Bay are the most reliable for swimming. Many other beaches have strong currents, so check the flags first.

What happens in Los Cabos on New Year's Eve?

The main fireworks are over the bay at Médano Beach in Cabo San Lucas, with beach-club parties along the sand and boat cruises on the water. Most large resorts also hold New Year's Eve dinners.

When does whale season start in Cabo?

Humpback whales arrive in December, and permitted whale-watching tours ran from December 15 to April 30 in the 2025 to 2026 season. Gray whale viewing at Magdalena Bay, about five hours north, opens on January 1.

Is Christmas in Cabo crowded?

Yes. The weeks around Christmas and New Year's are among the busiest of the year for Los Cabos hotels, with occupancy around 80% in 2025, according to the local hotel association. Book rooms, restaurants and tours well ahead.

What is the best month to go to Los Cabos?

For warm, dry weather with whales, January through March. For lower prices, the late spring months after Easter are usually quieter. The summer and early fall months are hot and fall within the Pacific hurricane season, which runs from May 15 to November 30.