Cabo by month
Cabo in December
Cabo in December: 79°F highs, 59°F lows, virtually zero · early december is blissfully empty — you'll find space on chileno beach, same-day dinner reservations, and shoulder pricing at corridor resorts. Crowds, hotel prices, when to book, and what's worth doing.
December splits into two seasons: the first half is a quiet, warm sweet spot with calm seas and cool evenings, perfect for travelers hunting value before the storm. Then Christmas week hits, prices triple, resorts impose multi-night minimums, and Medano Beach fills with families. The humpback whales arrive mid-month, offering the first whale-watching runs of the season. Early December delivers high-season weather without the crowds or the price tag — if you can swing the first two weeks, you win.
Updated September 2026
Temperature
79°F highs, 59°F lows — warm sun, cool desert evenings that call for a light jacket at dinner
Wind
Light to moderate, dry air, calm seas — ideal boat weather before winter swells build
Rain
Virtually zero — December is deep into the dry season
Crowds & prices
Early December is blissfully empty — you'll find space on Chileno Beach, same-day dinner reservations, and shoulder pricing at Corridor resorts. Then around December 18th the wave arrives: Christmas and New Year's pull peak crowds, $$$–$$$$ rates, and minimum-stay requirements that lock you in for five nights. If you're booking Christmas week, start six months out and brace for sticker shock. Early December travelers get the weather without the wallet damage.
When to book
Christmas and New Year's: book flights and hotels 6+ months ahead, especially Corridor resorts that fill families and couples chasing guarantee sun. First two weeks of December: 4–8 weeks is fine, and you'll still catch deals rolling over from November shoulder season.
Our getting-there guide covers flights to Cabo plus a cheapest-fare-by-month table to sanity-check December flight prices.
What to do
What December is made for.
On the calendar
- Guadalupe Day (December 12) — local processions and celebrations
- Posadas (pre-Christmas neighborhood processions)
- Sabor a Cabo food festival (sometimes extends into early December)
Pack for December
- Light jacket or sweater for 59°F evenings and sunset boats
- Reef-safe sunscreen — December sun still burns
- Light layers: shorts and tees for the day, long sleeves for dinner and desert nights
- Binoculars if you're whale-watching mid-month
- Swimsuit and rash guard for calm-water snorkeling
Know before you go
- Book Christmas week 6+ months out; early December (1st–17th) offers the same weather at half the price and a fraction of the crowds.
- The first humpback sightings happen mid-month — whale-watching tours start around December 15th, with smaller groups than peak January–March.
- Guadalupe Day (December 12) brings local processions and posada festivities in San José del Cabo — a cultural window you won't see in resort zones.
- Corridor resorts impose 3–5 night minimums over Christmas and New Year's; if you want flexibility, stay in Cabo San Lucas or San José.
- Water is 72°F — swimmable but cooler than summer; a rash guard or shorty wetsuit makes snorkeling more comfortable.
- Claim your Medano Beach chair early during Christmas week — by 10 a.m. the good spots are taken.
- Pesos get you better prices than dollars, especially at taco stands and local restaurants ramping up for posada crowds.
Going in December? Get a plan built around it.
The planner turns your dates, budget, and travel style into resortpicks, restaurants, and a day-by-day rhythm — in about two minutes.