Christmas Away from the Commotion

Some people traveling to spend Christmas away from home are beginning to choose quiet retreats, away from the crowds, commotion and mass consumerism of the festive season.

Beach locations have always been Mexico’s most frequented locations for vacationers, especially at Christmas and New Year.  Oceanside venues will continue to be an alluring and popular choice for festive travelers who want to escape cold winters, enjoy some warm ‘winter sunshine’ and enjoy the excitement of being at Christmas and New Year parties by the sea.

If you are considering experiencing a quieter, more exclusive, festive break but still want to be next to the ocean, there are a number of select coastal resorts for you to consider.  Booking well in advance for these is absolutely essential.

However, for the travelers who are exploring alternative breaks for their holidays (perhaps because they’ve done the ‘beach scene’ before and are looking for something distinct), Mexico’s nature areas and colonial cities are beginning to emerge as new settings for a quiet, peaceful and serene festive vacation.

So where in Mexico do you go when you want to wake up on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day away from the heavily-frequented locations?  Listed below are a few ideas of places and options to explore and consider, based on our experience as well as trends from recent reservations.

Chichen Itzá
For something truly different and unique, consider spending Christmas and/or New Year at Chichen Itza.  The archaeology park, anointed as one of the New Seven Wonders, is situated in the jungle and the hotels next to the park offer fabulous accommodation and facilities.
See: Guide to Chichen Itza and the related Blog: Staying Overnight for details.

Michoacán, Oaxaca, Chiapas
These three states in the south offer some of the most break-taking and exhilarating landscapes in the country.  Spend the festive season engulfed by Mexico’s natural beauty at its best; wake up in the mountains, by a lake, in a jungle… enjoy Christmas surrounded by nature in one of the wonderfully comfortable and well appointed hotels or haciendas available locally.
See:
Guides to Morelia and Pátzcuaro;
Oaxaca Guide;
Guide to San Cristóbal de las Casas

Copper Canyon
Mexico’s Copper Canyon, which stretches from the Pacific Ocean to Chihuahua, offers you a festive break completely removed from commercialization and crowds.  Discover this breath-taking location and you’ll see why more and more people are choosing this space to get away from it all at Christmas and New Year.
See: Copper Canyon Guide

Exclusive Retreats by the Ocean
Mexico offers a number of highly exclusive resorts next to the ocean.  You will need to book months in advance if you want to secure a place for Christmas and New Year.   Exclusive resorts have less people staying and offer a much more tranquil festive experience.  You can expect to enjoy gourmet food, impeccable service and a first-class environment.  Some allow children and some don’t – check the details of the individual property’s family policy for details.  Consider the following luxury resorts:

La Casa Que Canta in Zihuatanejo;
Las Alamandas in Costalegre;
Dreams Resort in San Jose del Cabo.

See Also: Christmas in Mexico