Good tidings and new horizons: While the time spent enjoying Christmas and New Years at home can honor deep-rooted family traditions, venturing out into the world to celebrate this most festive season can lead to magical and gratifying experiences. From the traditional to the nouveau, we’ve uncovered the best reasons to head to Baja for the holidays, and maybe even discover a few different seasonal rituals along the way.
Local Celebrations
Set against the natural beauty of a desert landscape, Cabo is aglow with holiday festivities. The streets of Cabo San Lucas Town Square, twinkling under strings of holiday-themed ornaments, lead to a lavishly decorated Christmas tree, along with a picturesque nativity scene in the nearby Plaza Amelia Wilkes. At this time of year, locals celebrate the nine-day festival of Las Posadas, marking the story of the Biblical journey to Bethlehem with candlelit processions. And you don’t want to don’t miss the annual food and wine fête, Sabor a Cabo, the most important international gastronomic festival in the country.
Mexican Holiday Spirits
Mexico’s roster of holiday spirits includes more than the customary cerveza and tequila. Their seasonal sipper Ponche Navideño is a Christmas punch made from the indigenous fruit called tejocotes, served warm with sweet spices and guavas. Another tradition is the popular seasonal beer, Noche Buena, a dark lager with a nutmeg, cinnamon, chocolate aroma that smells like Christmas. It’s brewed by Cervecería Cuauhtémoc-Moctezuma in Monterrey, and available only during the fall and holiday months, from October to December.
New Year’s Eve
Cabo celebrates the biggest night of the year with style and swagger. Every New Year’s Eve, fireworks light up the sky over Medano Beach and at Casa Dorada, celebrators revel at their annual costume-themed soirée, or enjoy NYE dinners at One&Only Palmilla, Flora Farms and Sunset MonaLisa.
Whale Watching
Coinciding with the holidays is the opening of Whale Watching season off the coast of Baja California Sur, destination of the longest migration made by any mammal. From mid-December to mid-March, the Sea of Cortez becomes the breeding grounds for thousands of gray and humpback whales, and you can spot these awe-inspiring creatures at the height of their local residency from a private catamaran sailing around the coast.