Christmas in Los Cabos: lights on the plaza, boats on the bay and whales
In Los Cabos, Christmas plays out on two stages 33 km apart. In San Jose del Cabo the lights go on in front of the old mission, on Plaza Mijares, and the party belongs to the families who live here. In Cabo San Lucas, Christmas arrives by sea: boats strung with lights crossing the bay off El Medano. And on December 15 the official whale-watching season opens, just in time for anyone flying down for the holidays. Here’s what happens each week of December, where to swim, what the weather is like and how to get from the airport to your hotel on the busiest travel days of the year.
The December calendar in Los Cabos
Mexican Christmas lasts almost a month. It starts with the Virgin of Guadalupe on December 12 and ends with Three Kings Day on January 6. In Los Cabos the town government even borrows that stretch for the name of its year-end security operation, the “Guadalupe–Reyes,” which covers the pilgrimages, the posadas, Nochebuena (Christmas Eve), Christmas Day, New Year’s and Three Kings Day.
Between those two dates come the celebrations a visitor can actually catch. Here’s the sequence, with the dates from the 2025 edition, the most recent one the town government has published:
| When | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| December 11 and 12 | Pilgrimages to the Virgin of Guadalupe | To the Guadalupana church in Miraflores |
| December 12 (in 2025) | Christmas tree lighting, at the same moment across the whole municipality | Plaza Mijares in San Jose del Cabo, Plaza Leon Cota Collins in Cabo San Lucas, Miraflores, Santiago and La Ribera |
| December 13 and 14 (in 2025) | Mar y Christmas boat festival, with a parade of lighted boats | The bay of Cabo San Lucas, off the marina and El Medano |
| December 15 | The official whale-watching season opens | Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, through April 30, 2027 |
| December 16 to 24 | The posadas | In homes, neighborhoods, schools and plazas |
| December 24 | Nochebuena | Mass, dinner and hugs at midnight |
| December 31 | New Year’s Eve | Year-end dinner at the marina, at the hotels and at home |
| January 6 | Three Kings Day | Rosca de Reyes, the Kings’ cake, and the end of the season |
The Los Cabos town government announces the 2026 dates for the tree lighting and the boat festival in December. The whale-watching dates are already published for the 2026–2027 season.
The tree on Plaza Mijares
In San Jose del Cabo, Christmas starts on Plaza Mijares, the main square of the historic downtown, where the two towers of the San Jose mission shape the skyline. Every December the town government and the municipal DIF, the family services agency, light the tree there, and they do it at the same moment in the other districts of the municipality: Cabo San Lucas, Miraflores, Santiago and La Ribera.
In 2025 the lighting was announced for December 5, but a rain forecast moved it to Friday the 12th. The program started at 5:30 p.m. with live performances, the tree came on at 8 p.m., and around the plaza there was a Christmas fair with ornaments and seasonal crafts made at the DIF community centers. The year before, the same night drew more than 3,500 people to the plaza, with a drone show.
It isn’t an event for tourists. It’s the night San Jose families bring their kids out to the plaza, and that’s exactly why it’s worth going: it’s the closest you’ll get to the Christmas of the people who live here, about twenty minutes from the airport.
Getting to the plaza
From the Corridor or from a hotel on the San Jose beach, go by car and leave early. Downtown fills up that night, and the hard part is parking anywhere near the plaza.
What to do afterward
The streets around the mission make up the Art District, with galleries, craft shops and restaurants. Have dinner downtown and head back to the hotel without rushing.
On Thursdays
The Art District’s Art Walk runs every Thursday from November to June. In December 2026 the Thursdays fall on the 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th and 31st; check the last two before you go, since they’re Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Mar y Christmas: the Christmas that arrives by boat
Cabo San Lucas has a December celebration only a port town could pull off. The Mar y Christmas boat festival ends with a parade of vessels decked out in lights, crossing the bay as the sun goes down. You can watch it for free from the marina, from El Medano beach and from El Corsario beach.
In 2025 it held its seventh edition, on Saturday, December 13, and Sunday, December 14. On Saturday morning El Medano hosted a holiday kayak, paddleboard and swim circuit for children and young people from the autistic community. On both days, the Foca walkway at the marina had a fair with 20 stalls selling crafts, ornaments, regional sweets and handmade ice cream, and the Barracuda walkway had shows starting at five in the afternoon. On Sunday, 25 lighted boats paraded across the bay.
Where to stand
El Medano beach gives you the widest view of the bay. Get there before sunset: by then the sand is already full of families.
What to bring
Something with long sleeves. In December, once the sun drops behind the water, the temperature falls fast.
The 2026 date
The last two editions were held in mid-December. This year’s date is announced by the organizers and the town government; if it lines up with your trip, don’t miss it.
The posadas, December 16 to 24
The posadas are nine nights of celebration before Christmas. According to Mexico’s Ministry of Culture, they begin on December 16 and end on December 24, and they grew out of the aguinaldo Masses of colonial times. They recall Joseph and Mary’s search for a place to spend the night (posada means lodging): a short procession, the song asking for shelter—one group outside, another inside—and then the party, with a piñata, ponche, tamales, atole and buñuelos.
In Los Cabos the municipality throws its own posada too. In 2025, the Gran Posada put on by the town government and the DIF toured the municipality from December 15 to 19: Miraflores, Santiago and La Ribera the first three afternoons, the Aguajitos sports field in San Jose del Cabo on the 18th and Plaza Leon Cota Collins in Cabo San Lucas on the 19th, starting at four in the afternoon. They’re parties for local kids and families, and admission is free.
The seven-pointed piñata
Each point stands for one of the deadly sins, explains Mexico’s National Institute of Indigenous Peoples, and breaking it with a stick means defeating temptation. What falls out—candy and fruit—is the reward, and it belongs to whoever grabs it.
The ponche
This fruit punch is served hot even when it’s 77 °F (25 °C) outside. Every region has its own recipe; almost all of them use seasonal fruit and cinnamon.
The aguinaldos
At the end, every child gets a little bag of candy and fruit. If someone invites you to a posada, go: it’s the most direct way to see Mexican Christmas from the inside.
Nochebuena: Mass on the plaza and dinner
In Mexico the big night is the 24th, not the 25th. Families gather late, go to Mass, sit down to dinner after ten and hug each other at midnight. The 25th is a day of rest and of recalentado, the warmed-up leftovers.
In San Jose del Cabo, Mass that night is at the mission. The town was born with it: the Jesuits Nicolás Tamaral and José de Echeverría founded it on April 8, 1730. Its two towers face the main square, the same one with the tree. In Cabo San Lucas the church is the parish of San Lucas Evangelista, downtown, near the marina.
Each parish publishes its Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Mass times in December. Ask at the church itself a few days ahead: the Mass on the night of the 24th fills up, and if you’re going, arrive early enough to find a seat.
| On the Nochebuena table | What it is |
|---|---|
| Bacalao a la vizcaína | Dried salt cod, soaked and stewed with tomatoes, olives, capers and güero chiles. |
| Romeritos | A green that looks like rosemary, served in mole with dried-shrimp patties. |
| Turkey or pork leg | Roasted, stuffed or rubbed with adobo, depending on the household. |
| Tamales, atole and buñuelos | The same ones from the posadas, which stay on the table through the 25th. |
This is the Christmas Eve dinner across most of Mexico. Every family puts it together its own way.
Christmas Eve dinner at your hotel or on the Corridor
A good share of the people who spend Christmas in Los Cabos do it at a resort on the Corridor or on the San Jose beach, and the hotels know it. Several light their own tree in early December and put on a special dinner on the 24th and a meal on the 25th, with a set menu and tables outdoors facing the sea.
Book dinner with the room
Nochebuena is the most requested night of the year at hotel restaurants. If you want a table, reserve it when you book your room, not when you arrive.
Dinner in the other town
From San Jose del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas it’s about 33 km along the Corridor. Dinner on the other side means a round trip at night; if you’re eating away from your hotel that night, have the ride back arranged before you sit down.
Restaurants outside the hotels
The ones that open on the 24th do it with a special menu and by reservation only. Others close early so their staff can have dinner at home. If you have one in mind, ask in November.
What to wear
Resort dinners are casual but put-together. Linen, sandals or comfortable shoes, and a light layer for when it cools off.
The whales arrive with Christmas
December in Los Cabos comes with a gift that doesn’t depend on anyone: the whales. Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) published its notice for the 2026–2027 season, and for the Cabo San Lucas Flora and Fauna Protection Area and for San Jose del Cabo, whale watching runs from December 15, 2026, to April 30, 2027. If you arrive Christmas week, the season is already open.
The one you’ll see most here is the humpback. According to the Los Cabos Tourism Board, it travels down from the cold waters of Alaska and Canada to Baja California Sur, where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific, to mate, give birth and nurse its calves. Gray whales and blue whales show up too, less often.
Where the trips leave from
Tours depart from the marina in Cabo San Lucas and from San Jose del Cabo, by catamaran, sailboat or panga, and you can also book them through your hotel. Panga trips last about two and a half hours, and the whales are often spotted close to shore, out toward Land’s End.
Restricted areas
The official notice closes two high-traffic areas to whale watching: 2 km around the Arch of Cabo San Lucas and a strip running 1 km out to sea from Punta Ballenas. That’s why the boats look for whales farther out.
Licensed boats only
Whale watching is done on licensed boats that follow the official standard NOM-131-SEMARNAT-2010, which sets the distance and the time allowed around each whale. Ask about the permit before you board.
December weather and where to swim
December in Los Cabos is dry and mild. The climate normals from Mexico’s National Weather Service for the San Jose del Cabo station give a high of 82 °F (28 °C) and a low of 55 °F (13 °C), with 7 millimeters (0.3 inches) of rain for the whole month. In Cabo San Lucas, a high of 81 °F (27 °C) and a low of 57 °F (14 °C). Sunny beach days, and nights when you’re glad you packed long sleeves.
That swing of 27 °F (15 °C) between midday and the small hours is what surprises people most. At two in the afternoon you’re in a swimsuit; at nine at night, on the terrace at dinner, you’re reaching for a sweater.
The other thing to know before you get in the water is that Los Cabos has two seas. On the Pacific side, much of the coast has strong surf, currents and undertow, and it isn’t for swimming. On the Sea of Cortez side, between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose, there are calm beaches. The Los Cabos Tourism Board lists these, among others, as swimmable:
El Medano
Cabo San Lucas’s town beach, on the bay and with a view of the Arch. Several stretches are Blue Flag certified.
Playa del Amor
Lover’s Beach, tucked between the rocks of the Arch. You get there by water taxi from El Medano.
Chileno and Santa Maria
Two bays on the Corridor, between the two towns. Both are Blue Flag, and the water at Chileno is usually calm.
Palmilla and Acapulquito
On the San Jose del Cabo side, also Blue Flag. Acapulquito has calm water.
The rule is to check the flag. Green, the water is fine for swimming. Red or black, stay out. Certified beaches have restrooms, trash cans, lifeguards, information booths and access ramps.
A long-sleeved layer
For the evenings, for the boat parade and for the whale-watching trip, which feels cooler out on open water.
Sunscreen and a hat
It’s winter, but the midday sun in Baja California Sur hits hard.
Dinner clothes
For Christmas Eve at the hotel.
A day in Todos Santos
If you’re after a quieter Christmas, Todos Santos sits on the Pacific side, about 75 minutes from the airport. It’s a Pueblo Magico, one of the towns Mexico recognizes for their heritage, known for its galleries, its shops and its artists’ atmosphere, and you can cover it on foot in a morning.
December 25 or 26 works very well for the trip: the destination is quiet after Nochebuena, and the coast road, with desert on one side and the Pacific on the other, is part of the outing. On the way you pass El Pescadero, home to Cocina de Campo, one of the Los Cabos restaurants with a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide.
A Christmas week, day by day
A sample plan for arriving before Nochebuena and leaving before New Year’s. Adjust the days to your flights.
| Day | Plan |
|---|---|
| December 21 | Arrival. Transfer to the hotel and an afternoon on the beach on the Sea of Cortez side. |
| December 22 | Whale-watching trip from the Cabo San Lucas marina and an afternoon on El Medano. |
| December 23 | Downtown San Jose del Cabo: the mission, Plaza Mijares and the Art District. Dinner downtown. |
| December 24 | A morning by the pool, Christmas Eve Mass at the mission or at San Lucas Evangelista, and dinner at the hotel. |
| December 25 | A long breakfast and the beach at Chileno or Santa Maria. |
| December 26 | A day in Todos Santos, with lunch in El Pescadero. |
| December 27 | Fly home, before New Year’s week. |
If you’re staying through the 31st, keep in mind that the week between Christmas and New Year’s is the busiest of the year in Los Cabos, and flying home on January 1 or 2 is when the airport gets the most complicated.
Getting from the airport during the busiest week
Everyone lands at Los Cabos International Airport, north of San Jose del Cabo. It has two terminals: Terminal 1 handles domestic flights and Terminal 2 international ones, so if you’re flying in from the United States or Canada, you’ll come out through Terminal 2. During Christmas week both are at their busiest of the year.
| Destination | From the airport | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose del Cabo | 10 km · about 20 min | Travelers who want the mission, Plaza Mijares and the tree within walking distance. |
| Tourist Corridor | 18 km · about 30 min | Travelers spending Christmas at a resort, between Chileno, Santa Maria and Palmilla. |
| Cabo San Lucas | about 45 min | Travelers who want the marina, El Medano and the boat parade. |
| Todos Santos | about 75 min | Travelers looking for a quiet town on the Pacific side. |
Drive times without traffic. There are no toll booths between the airport and the two towns.
After immigration and customs at Terminal 2, you walk through a hall lined with desks where people ask for the name of your hotel and offer you a free ride. That’s timeshare sales. Keep walking: your driver is waiting outside the terminal doors.
We track your flight number
Delays are normal in December. If your plane lands early or late, we move the pickup, at no extra cost.
Fixed price per vehicle
There’s no Christmas Eve or New Year’s rate on the curb. The price of the transfer you booked is locked in from the moment you book it.
We wait for you outside
At the terminal exit, under the canopy, with an eTransfers sign and your name.
Grocery stop
If you’d like to pick up water and the basics before the hotel, tell us when you book and we’ll make the stop on the way.
Your arrival in Los Cabos, sorted before you fly
In December nobody wants to negotiate a ride after a long flight. We meet you at Los Cabos International Airport with an eTransfers sign, track your flight and take you straight to your hotel in San Jose del Cabo, on the Corridor, in Cabo San Lucas or in Todos Santos, at a price per vehicle that’s locked in when you book.
Tell us how many of you there are, how many bags you’re bringing and the exact name of your hotel, and we’ll assign the right vehicle. If your plans include the boat parade, Christmas Eve dinner in the other town or a day in Todos Santos, we’ll drive you there too, so nobody has to get behind the wheel at night.
Los Cabos airport transfers · Things to do in Los Cabos · San Jose del Cabo · Cabo San Lucas · Todos Santos
Traveler questions
How is Christmas celebrated in Los Cabos?
When is the tree lighting in San Jose del Cabo?
What is Mar y Christmas?
Can you see whales in Los Cabos at Christmas?
Is it cold in Los Cabos in December?
Which Los Cabos beaches are swimmable in December?
Where is Christmas Eve Mass in San Jose del Cabo?
How far is Cabo San Lucas from the airport?
Does the transfer price go up at Christmas?
Sources
- Los Cabos town government, 2025 Christmas tree lightingloscabos.gob.mx · checked 2026-11-13
- Los Cabos town government, the lighting on Plaza Mijares and in the municipal districtsloscabos.gob.mx · checked 2026-11-13
- Los Cabos town government, 2024 tree lightingloscabos.gob.mx · checked 2026-11-13
- Los Cabos town government, Mar y Christmas 2025 programloscabos.gob.mx · checked 2026-11-13
- Los Cabos town government, 2025 boat paradeloscabos.gob.mx · checked 2026-11-13
- Los Cabos town government, the community fair at the marinaloscabos.gob.mx · checked 2026-11-13
- Los Cabos town government, Gran Posada 2025loscabos.gob.mx · checked 2026-11-13
- Los Cabos town government, the Guadalupe–Reyes operation and the pilgrimages to Mirafloresloscabos.gob.mx · checked 2026-11-13
- Los Cabos Municipal Tourism Office, history of San Jose del Caboturismo.loscabos.gob.mx · checked 2026-11-13
- Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), 2026–2027 whale-watching season noticesidof.segob.gob.mx · checked 2026-11-13
- Mexico’s National Weather Service, San Jose del Cabo climate normals 1991–2020smn.conagua.gob.mx · checked 2026-11-13
- Mexico’s National Weather Service, Cabo San Lucas climate normals 1991–2020smn.conagua.gob.mx · checked 2026-11-13
- Mexico’s Ministry of Culture, the posadasgob.mx · checked 2026-11-13
- National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI), the posadas and the piñatagob.mx · checked 2026-11-13
- Los Cabos Tourism Board, whale seasonvisitloscabos.travel · checked 2026-11-13
- Los Cabos Tourism Board, swimmable beaches and beach flagsvisitloscabos.travel · checked 2026-11-13
- Los Cabos Tourism Board, map of swimmable and Blue Flag beachesassets.simpleviewinc.com · checked 2026-11-13
- Los Cabos Tourism Board, the San Jose mission and the parish of San Lucas Evangelistavisitloscabos.travel · checked 2026-11-13
- Los Cabos Tourism Board, December and the Art Walkvisitloscabos.travel · checked 2026-11-13
