Avoid Hawaii's Christmas Crowds At These 5 Warm Weather Destinations In Central America

The allure of a Christmas aloha is strong. The warm weather and balmy beaches make an excellent respite from the snow, ice, and darkness of the holiday in the continental U.S. With a common language and passport, as well as abundant flight options, it might seem like Hawaii is the only warm and hassle-free Christmas trip out there — but you just might be wrong.

First of all, if you're looking for a month when Hawaii is affordable and uncrowded, you've just missed it. (Pro tip: that month is November!) In December, you won't be the only one to think about a warm weather escape. As the holiday season looms, you can expect higher hotel rates and flight prices, reflecting the crowds that all had the same idea. Second, and perhaps more importantly, the devastating fire in Lahaina, Maui, in 2023 brought the ambivalence Hawaiians feel toward their over-touristed islands into the spotlight. If you do visit, be respectful of sacred sites, avoid areas marked for 'locals only,' and tread lightly on the island's fragile resources.

To make a difference, it's probably best to avoid Hawaii altogether during its peak seasons and holidays. Instead, consider a less-crowded Central American destination to fight off the winter blues while staying close to home. All of Central America (save for Panama) is in the U.S. Central Standard Time zone, which makes adjusting easy. And in December, the region is past its rainy season and heading for warmer temperatures and dry weather, making it a great – and closer – alternative to Hawaii.

Though not technically part of the Central American landmass, the small island between the Dominican Republic and the British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico is the ultimate holiday destination to escape cold temperatures. As the only destination that feels like Central America while behaving like a 'domestic' trip to Hawaii, Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, and visiting doesn't require U.S. citizens to use a passport. While San Juan's cobblestone streets are busy with holiday festivities through December and into January, you can head to Puerto Rico's hidden islands for a tropical escape minus the crowds. Culebra, part of Puerto Rico's archipelago of small islets and cayes, is one of the larger islands in the chain and can be reached from the east coast town of Fajardo. Its white sand beaches and even more remote nearby island caye, Isla Culebrita, are a brief water taxi away.

The U.S. territory, which uses U.S. currency, is a little more expensive than your average Latin American country. Tourists' average spend is around $250 per day, with hotels taking up the lion's share of that investment. But Puerto Rico's flights and hotels are much cheaper than their Hawaiian equivalents, which is actually a much longer trip as well for most Americans. Visitors can fly from the continental U.S. to the capital, San Juan, on more than 120 daily nonstop flights, or from the Rafael Hernandez Airport in Aguadilla or Mercedita International in Ponce. Both of these smaller airports fly with JetBlue, Frontier, and a few other airlines.

In December, the roads are dry, and sunny skies reach highs of around 80 degrees Fahrenheit in the central and southern parts of Guatemala. Although this is the start of the region's tourist season, the beaches can be quieter. At Central America's most beautiful lake, you can avoid the crowds at an affordable price; in Antigua, the cultural heart of the country, enjoy the Christmas markets and festivals that begin with the Burning of the Devil on December 7 and continue for Las Posadas, a week of parades that reenact Mary and Joseph's search for shelter in Bethlehem. The holiday festivals wrap up with a celebration of Saint Thomas in the final days of the month. For a more relaxing destination, you can head to the country's southwest Pacific coast to take in the sun in the quiet beachside town of El Paredon. The area's simple pleasures – beaches, seafood, and fishing boats – abound.

Tourists that hold an American passport won't be required to get a visa unless they stay for more than 90 days, making it pretty seamless to travel there for a short holiday. Several airlines fly directly to Guatemala City from the U.S., including American Airlines, Avianca, Delta, Iberia, JetBlue, Spirit, United, and Volaris. The average daily cost for tourists is less than $60 U.S., putting the country in the top 25% in the world for affordability and in the top 10% in Central America.

Visiting Belize in December means avoiding the much more popular season that comes in January and February. Nestled along the Caribbean side of the Central American peninsula, Belize's territory includes remote islands, or 'cayes,' along the sea. The most popular of these, Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker, are home to commercial resorts with the expected creature comforts, while others are far sleepier. On any of the cayes, you'll enjoy white sand beaches, quiet lagoons, and plenty of opportunities to snorkel the barrier reef. More seasoned divers may want to celebrate the holiday by exploring the most mysterious destination in Belize, a disorienting scuba diving sinkhole called the Great Blue Hole.

Although you'll have to fly in via an airport considered one of the worst in Central America, twelve airlines fly directly to Belize City from North America, meaning you can reach the Central American city from as far away as New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, Seattle, and San Francisco via direct flight. Travelers must complete an online immigration and customs form and have a valid passport, but U.S. citizens can stay for up to 30 days with no visa and proof of onward or return travel. Average tourists can expect to spend about $125 per day, which is expensive compared to other countries in the region but still relatively affordable, especially when compared to a destination like Hawaii.

An ecotourism alternative to Hawaii without the struggle to find accommodation over the busy Christmas season, Nicaragua sits between Honduras and Costa Rica with coasts on both the Pacific and the Caribbean. Festivities abound through the month of December, with nativity parades, carols, special treats (don't miss the nacatamal, Nicaragua's style of tamales), and a fireworks display following Christmas Eve's midnight mass. But if you're ready for a remote adventure, travel by prop plane from Managua to escape potential crowds by visiting Nicaragua's lesser-known Caribbean Islands, the Corn Islands. With snorkeling, beaches, and (some) accommodations with electricity, it could be the ultimate escape from a frazzled and frozen Christmas.

The affordable, casual vibe in Nicaragua, owed to its lack of familiarity to most tourists, makes it an easy place to spend your holiday. The average visitor should expect to spend around $63 per day, but accommodation and travel style can change that estimate significantly. Budget-conscious travelers can hold their costs down closer to $25 per day, while booking five-star hotels and amenities will push the daily cost to the $175 range. Although the U.S. State Department issued an advisory in January 2024 for Americans to "reconsider travel due to arbitrary enforcement of laws, the risk of wrongful detention, and limited healthcare availability," National Geographic and Rough Guides note that tourists sticking to the main routes, who carry their passports and travel with trusted locals, don't experience much crime, noting that the overall crime rate is lower than Costa Rica's.

Although Mexico is generally a hot destination for Christmas, American tourists don't tend to explore beyond the bubble of Mexico's top beaches. Along the Gulf of Mexico, that would be Cancun, and on the Baja California peninsula, it's San Jose del Cabo. A more niche demographic — namely LGBTQ+ tourists — may flock to Puerto Vallarta for a party in Jalisco, but not every beach destination in Mexico is crowded around the holidays. One less-congested destination would be Campeche, a city on the southeast edge of the Yucatan that mixes a Spanish colonial downtown with peaceful vibes at quiet beaches along the Gulf Coast, making it a great place to explore and get friendly with locals. Because it's still an underrated town, you can avoid the crowds, go under the radar, and really enjoy your Christmas vacation.

Although Campeche does have its own small airport with direct flights from Mexico City, the airport in nearby Cancun serves major cities across the U.S. and is typically the best port to fly in and out of. It's a five-and-a-half-hour road trip from Cancun, though, or a seven-hour bus ride, so prepare for a long day's journey before relaxing in a chilled-out slice of tourist-free paradise.