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Warm days, the odd norther, and a Belizean Christmas, from someone who spends it here
Yes. December is the start of Belize's high season. Days are warm, with coastal highs in the low 80s°F, hurricane season is over, and towns are lit up for Christmas. The catch is demand: Christmas to New Year is the busiest and most expensive stretch of the year, and many places are booked before December starts. Come in the first half of the month for lower rates, or book early for the holidays.
Reviewed by RowanBorn in Belize, lives near San IgnacioLast reviewed October 19, 2026
Written by a Belizean who spends Christmas here, with climate data from the National Meteorological Service.
At a glance
Weather
Warm days everywhere. Nights are coolest inland and in the south, and a cold front can bring a few windy, showery days.
Rain
Average for December at the international airport station. The south and the Cayo hills are wetter.
Storms
The Atlantic season ends November 30, so December trips fall outside it.
Crowds and prices
Christmas to New Year is peak. The first half of December is quieter and often cheaper.
Public holidays
Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Most businesses close while people spend the holidays with family.
Sargassum
By December the winds have shifted and the seaweed season has ended. Beaches usually stay clear from December through March.
Rainfall: Belize National Meteorological Service, 1991 to 2020 averages, international airport station.
Weather
It gets colder around Christmas, but if you come from a cold state it will feel warm. Belizeans are just not used to the cold, so you might see people in full sweaters like it is snowing. It is warm by your standards, not ours.
Cold fronts, which Belizeans call northers, are the one thing that can change your plans. They bring wind, rain and cooler nights for a day or two, and they make boat rides rougher. Check with your tour or water taxi operator the day before.
Nights are the coolest of the year, especially inland in Cayo and the Mountain Pine Ridge and right after a norther.
| Region | Average high | Average low |
|---|---|---|
| Coast and Belize City | 83°F (28°C) | 70°F (21°C) |
| Cayo (San Ignacio, Belmopan) | 84°F (29°C) | 67°F (19°C) |
| South (Punta Gorda) | 84°F (29°C) | 65°F (19°C) |
Source: Belize National Meteorological Service, 1991 to 2020 averages.
Things to do
Between cold fronts the sea is warm and the reef is at its best. Snorkel Hol Chan from San Pedro or Caye Caulker, or plan a dive day out to the Great Blue Hole.
San Pedro snorkelingDecember is one of the most comfortable months for Xunantunich, Cahal Pech and Caracol, and for jungle hikes and caving in Cayo.
Best Maya ruinsDecember to April is the best birding of the year, when migrants from the north join Belize's resident species.
Lobster season runs July 1 to February 28, so fresh lobster is on menus all month.
Lobster seasonParades, the lighting of town Christmas trees, church on Christmas Eve and fireworks at midnight. San Ignacio's plaza is a good place to start.
Christmas in San IgnacioChristmas
Christmas starts before the 24th. Most families in Belize do a big clean of the whole house, some put on a fresh coat of paint for the season, and many hang new curtains and linens. If a family can afford it, the Christmas tree, lights and decorations go up too.
For Christmas, my family usually has a get-together. My aunts help make tamales, ham and turkey, and we make rice and beans, the Belizean favorite. Most families have something similar: rice and beans, pork or baked chicken, coleslaw or salad and fried plantains alongside the tamales, ham and turkey.
A normal Christmas Eve is just being with family, having a few drinks, eating grapes and waiting for the fireworks. Some people go to church on Christmas Eve, and some go out with their friends for a drink. Music depends on the family and its culture, and on whether it is a party. In my family we listen to church music.
Belizeans celebrate the 24th and the 25th. Boxing Day on the 26th is a public holiday, but most families do not really celebrate it. For us it is a quiet day of eating the leftovers.
Rowan, founder of Belize Travel Insider
If you are here for Christmas, try rum popo. It is a traditional alcoholic drink made with egg, a little like eggnog, and it is in every Belizean home at Christmas. Because of the egg you might not love it, but it is the taste of a Belizean Christmas.
In town
In San Ignacio there are Christmas parades and the lighting of the Christmas tree in the town plaza. If you are staying in Cayo in December, it is the easiest way to see how a Belizean town celebrates.
On the coast: Christmas in PlacenciaDecember 31
Many Belizeans head to San Pedro or Caye Caulker for New Year's. If you want to be there too, book your room and your water taxi early: island stays are among the first to fill for the holidays.
Plenty of people throw a party at home, go to a friend's house or go to their local club. I usually stay home or go to a friend's house.
Christmas Day and Boxing Day (December 25 and 26) are public holidays, and most places close because everyone is with their family. Plan for it: buy groceries ahead if you are self-catering, ask your hotel which restaurants will be open, and confirm tours, buses and water taxis before you count on them.
Check holiday bus times on NBC's Facebook page Water taxi schedulesDecember is high season. Most places get booked before December because that is when most tourists come, so expect to pay more than usual. The first half of the month is quieter and can still find lower rates. For Christmas or New Year, book rooms, water taxis and tours as early as you can.
Questions travelers ask
Yes. It is the start of high season, with warm days, the end of hurricane season and Christmas celebrations in every town. Christmas to New Year is the busiest and most expensive stretch, so book early or come in the first half of the month.
Average highs are about 83 to 84°F (28 to 29°C) across the country. Average lows are about 70°F (21°C) on the coast and 65 to 67°F (19°C) in Cayo and the south, according to the National Meteorological Service's 1991 to 2020 averages. It feels warm to most visitors, even if Belizeans reach for a sweater.
Mostly warm and sunny, with highs in the low 80s°F. The international airport station averages 12 rain days and about 151 mm of rain in December. Cold fronts from the north can bring a few windy, showery, cooler days.
Yes. The sea stays warm enough to swim and snorkel. The exception is the odd cold-front day, when wind can make the water choppy and boat trips rougher.
Summer clothes and a swimsuit for the day, a light sweater or long sleeves for cool evenings and boat rides, a rain jacket for cold fronts, closed shoes for ruins and trails, plus reef-safe sunscreen and insect repellent.
The weather is similar: warm days, cool nights and the odd cold front. January is a little drier (10 rain days and about 141 mm on average, against 12 days and 151 mm in December), and once the New Year week is over it is less crowded and cheaper than Christmas. December has the Christmas atmosphere, and its first half is the quietest part of high season.
Yes. Christmas to New Year is the peak of high season, and many hotels are booked before December. Book rooms, water taxis and tours early, and expect higher prices than usual.
Very little. Christmas Day and Boxing Day are public holidays and most businesses close so people can be with family. Ask your hotel what will be open and confirm transport before you rely on it.
Most families make tamales, ham, turkey and rice and beans, often with pork or baked chicken, coleslaw or salad and fried plantains. The holiday drink is rum popo, a rum and egg drink found in almost every Belizean home at Christmas.
Usually very little. Sargassum season peaks from late spring to early fall, and by December the winds have shifted and beaches recover. December through March is the clearest stretch of the year for the beaches on San Pedro, Caye Caulker, Placencia and Hopkins.
If you want dry weather, avoid September and October: they are the wettest months, hurricane risk is highest from August to early November, and some resorts close for a break. December, with the rains easing and hurricane season over, is a far safer bet.
San Pedro and Caye Caulker are the popular choices for a party, so book early. Many Belizeans celebrate at home, at a friend's house or at their local club instead.
Keep planning
Month-by-month weather, crowds and prices.
Open guideHow the peninsula celebrates the season.
Open guideMonth-by-month seaweed outlook and the live tracker.
Open guideGetting to San Pedro and Caye Caulker, and holiday schedules.
Open guideChoose an area before the holiday rooms go.
Open guide