Short answer: For a family beach holiday in winter 2026–27, the easiest picks are Punta Cana, Negril and Nassau in the Caribbean, Waikiki in Honolulu and Clearwater Beach in Florida, Gran Canaria in Europe, Hurghada and Abu Dhabi for sun closer to Europe and Asia, Hua Hin in Thailand, and Australia’s Gold Coast for a summer Christmas. All ten combine dry or mostly dry winter weather with calm swimming spots and plenty for kids to do on land.
With children, gentle water, short transfers and something to do when little legs get tired matter more than big surf or remote coves. This list is built around those things, and it skips the places we already covered in Where to Go in December, so you get ten new ideas.
Weather figures are long-term averages (mostly 1991–2020 climate normals from each country’s weather service), so they show what is normal, not a forecast.
The Caribbean and the Bahamas
1. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Why families like it: Punta Cana is built for easy holidays. Most hotels sit right on the sand at Playa Bávaro, the main resort area, and the Dominican Republic’s tourism board points families to Playa Cabeza de Toro and to the calm turquoise water of Playa Juanillo.
Typical winter weather: highs around 85°F (29°C) in December and 83°F (28°C) in January, with lows around 70°F (21°C). December gets about 3.6 inches (91 mm) of rain, and the totals fall through February, which averages about 2.5 inches (63 mm). The Atlantic hurricane season ends on 30 November.
Best things to do: take a catamaran trip to Saona Island, part of the East National Park, known for its natural pools, mangroves and coral reefs.
Practical note: every passenger, children included, needs the free official e-ticket to enter and leave the country. One form can cover up to seven family members. Sargassum seaweed was heavy across the Caribbean in 2026 but was declining by September and expected to keep falling until about November. See our Punta Cana travel guide and Dominican Republic travel guide.
2. Negril, Jamaica
Why families like it: Negril’s Seven Mile Beach is Jamaica’s best-known stretch of sand, and the Jamaica Tourist Board describes its water as calm and clear. Small children can paddle, and older kids can try snorkeling and kayaking.
Typical winter weather: at the nearest official station, Montego Bay’s airport, highs are around 86°F (30°C) all winter and lows around 72–73°F (22–23°C). Rain eases from about 3.2 inches (81 mm) in December to about 1.6 inches (42 mm) in February.
Best things to do: spend long, easy days on Seven Mile Beach, then head to the West End cliffs, where Rick’s Café is famous for its sunset views and cliff divers. In Montego Bay, Doctor’s Cave Beach is a family favorite with snorkel gear for rent.
Practical note: Hurricane Melissa hit western Jamaica in October 2025. Most Negril resorts are open again, while several Montego Bay hotels reopen on 18 December 2026 or during 2027, so check that your hotel is on the tourist board’s reopening list before you book. See our Negril travel guide, Montego Bay travel guide and Jamaica travel guide.
3. Nassau and Paradise Island, Bahamas
Why families like it: it is one of the shortest flights from the eastern United States to a Caribbean-style beach, and Nassau’s airport has US preclearance, so you clear US border control before the flight home. Paradise Island is joined to Nassau by a bridge.
Typical winter weather: highs around 80°F (27°C) in December and 79°F (26°C) in January, lows around 65–67°F (18–20°C), and only about 1.7 inches (43 mm) of rain a month, falling on about seven days. Bring a sweater for evenings.
Best things to do: Aquaventure at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island is the biggest water park in the Bahamas, with slides, lazy rivers and wave pools, and day passes are sold to non-guests. If you are in Nassau over the holidays, see Junkanoo, the costumed street parade with drums and cowbells on Bay Street on Boxing Day (26 December) and New Year’s Day (1 January); the New Year’s parade starts in the small hours after midnight.
Practical note: some water park slides have a 48-inch minimum height, so check the rides before you promise them to younger kids. See our Nassau travel guide, Paradise Island travel guide and Bahamas travel guide.
The United States
4. Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii
Why families like it: Hawaii’s winter surf hits the north-facing shores. Hawaii’s ocean safety officials describe the south shores, where Waikiki sits, as flat to small in winter, while the North Shore gets huge, dangerous swells. So Waikiki stays a gentle place to swim, right in the city.
Typical winter weather: highs around 82°F (28°C) in December and 81°F (27°C) in January, lows around 67–69°F (19–21°C), and about 2 inches (47–55 mm) of rain a month, in short showers on about three days.
Best things to do: snorkel among reef fish at Hanauma Bay, and look out for humpback whales, which visit Hawaii from November to April, with the peak from January to March. Older kids will enjoy the hike up Diamond Head for the view over Waikiki.
Practical note: Hanauma Bay is open Wednesday to Sunday only and closes on 25 December and 1 January. Non-residents must book online, from 7 a.m. Hawaii time two days ahead, and children 12 and under enter free. Diamond Head also needs a reservation for non-residents. See our Honolulu travel guide and United States travel guide.
5. Clearwater Beach, Florida
Why families like it: Clearwater Beach on Florida’s Gulf Coast is linked to St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport by the Grouper Airport Express shuttle, and you can do the whole holiday without a passport if you live in the United States.
Typical winter weather: this is the coolest place on the list. Highs are around 73°F (23°C) in December and 71°F (22°C) in January, with lows in the low to mid-50s°F (11–13°C), and only three or four rainy days a month. Think beach walks, shelling and sunsets rather than all-day swimming in midwinter.
Best things to do: visit Clearwater Marine Aquarium, a nonprofit rescue center that rescues, rehabilitates and, whenever possible, releases dolphins, sea turtles and manatees. In the evening, go to Sunsets at Pier 60, a free festival with street performers and craft stalls that runs every night of the year, from two hours before to two hours after sunset, weather permitting.
Practical note: the Suncoast Beach Trolley runs along the beaches, and children 8 and under ride free on the local PSTA buses. See our Clearwater travel guide and Sarasota travel guide for another Gulf Coast option.
Europe, Egypt and the Gulf
6. Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
Why families like it: it is a short flight from most of Europe, mild all winter, and has one of the best town beaches for children anywhere. Las Canteras, in the capital Las Palmas, is a 3-kilometer (2-mile) beach whose water is kept calm by La Barra, a natural limestone reef that runs along more than half of it and acts as a breakwater. The city’s tourism office names Playa Chica and Muro Marrero as the most family-friendly part, with playgrounds at both ends of the promenade.
Typical winter weather: highs around 72°F (22°C) in December and 70°F (21°C) in January, lows around 60–62°F (16–17°C), and only about three or four days with rain a month.
Best things to do: snorkel the shallow reef at Las Canteras, then cross to the south of the island to run down the giant sand hills of the Maspalomas Dunes, keeping to the marked paths that protect the reserve.
Practical note: in February, the Las Palmas carnival fills the streets with costumes; the 2027 grand parade, the Gran Cabalgata, is on 20 February 2027. See our Gran Canaria travel guide and Spain travel guide.
7. Hurghada, Red Sea, Egypt
Why families like it: Hurghada is a Red Sea resort town with coral reefs a short boat ride away, where children can see colorful fish with just a mask and snorkel. Winter is the comfortable season here: warm and sunny without the summer heat.
Typical winter weather: highs around 75°F (24°C) in December and 72°F (22°C) in January, with almost no rain at all. Nights are cool, around 53–56°F (12–13°C), and the sea is cooler than in summer.
Best things to do: take a boat trip to the Giftun Islands, a short ride from Hurghada, for sandy beaches and reefs. The islands are a protected area, so visits are arranged through hotels and boat operators. Mahmeya, an ecotourism beach on Giftun, runs daily boats from Hurghada and offers beach games and activities for kids.
Practical note: pack a warm layer for boat rides and evenings, and a rash vest or thin wetsuit helps children stay in the water longer. See our Hurghada travel guide and Egypt travel guide.
8. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Why families like it: Abu Dhabi pairs clean city beaches with some of the world’s biggest theme parks. Corniche Beach in the city center is Blue Flag certified and has a boardwalk, gardens and a kids’ play area; the tourism board recommends Gates 2 and 3 for families.
Typical winter weather: highs around 80°F (27°C) in December and 76°F (25°C) in January, lows around 57–60°F (14–16°C), and only about half an inch (8–13 mm) of rain a month. Days are warm and bright; evenings call for a light layer.
Best things to do: Yas Island has four big parks: Ferrari World, Yas Waterworld, Warner Bros. World and SeaWorld Yas Island, each worth most of a day. For a quieter beach, Saadiyat Island has a long Blue Flag beach where critically endangered hawksbill turtles nest, reached by a wooden boardwalk over protected dunes.
Practical note: plan one park per day rather than squeezing in two. Abu Dhabi’s public buses are free for children 10 and under. See our Abu Dhabi travel guide and United Arab Emirates travel guide.
Asia and Australia
9. Hua Hin, Thailand
Why families like it: Hua Hin, on the Gulf of Thailand a few hours by road from Bangkok, has been a seaside retreat since the railway arrived in 1911. Its long crescent of pale sand and shallow water are the reason the Tourism Authority of Thailand singles it out for families.
Typical winter weather: December to February are Hua Hin’s driest months. Highs are around 86°F (30°C), lows around 73–74°F (23°C), and December averages only about half an inch (12 mm) of rain, on one or two days.
Best things to do: spend a day at the Vana Nava Water Jungle water park, see the historic royal pavilion at Hua Hin Railway Station, and take a day trip south to Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, known for limestone peaks, birds and caves such as Phraya Nakhon Cave.
Practical note: the Tourism Authority of Thailand lists Hua Hin and Cha-am among the areas where box jellyfish can occur. Swim at busy beaches, and if someone is stung, pour vinegar on the sting for at least 30 seconds and call 1669. See our Hua Hin travel guide and Thailand travel guide.
10. Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Why families like it: when it is winter in the north, it is summer on the Gold Coast. The city runs Australia’s largest professional lifeguard service, with 28 beaches patrolled all year and more in peak season and school holidays The rule is simple: swim at a patrolled beach, between the red and yellow flags.
Typical summer weather: highs around 82–83°F (28–29°C) and lows around 68–70°F (20–21°C) in December and January. Summer is also the wettest part of the year, with about 6.2 inches (158 mm) of rain in December and 6.4 inches (162 mm) in January, each on about ten days.
Best things to do: the theme parks are the big draw: Sea World, Warner Bros. Movie World, Dreamworld and Wet’n’Wild. For a calmer day, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is home to kangaroos, wombats, echidnas and dingoes.
Practical note: Queensland’s summer school holidays run from 12 December 2026 to 26 January 2027, so book theme parks and rooms early. See our Gold Coast travel guide and Australia travel guide.
How to choose
- Warmest weather: Punta Cana, Negril and Hua Hin, with highs in the mid-80s°F (29–30°C).
- Calmest swimming for small children: Las Canteras in Gran Canaria, behind its reef, and Waikiki, on Oahu’s sheltered south shore in winter.
- Short flights from the eastern US: Clearwater, Nassau, Punta Cana and Negril.
- Short flights from Europe: Gran Canaria and Hurghada.
- Theme parks plus beach: Abu Dhabi, the Gold Coast and Paradise Island.
Almost everywhere, the Christmas and New Year weeks are the busiest and most expensive of the winter. If school calendars allow, early December, mid-January and February are usually calmer.
Plan your family beach trip
Our free trip planner builds a day-by-day plan for your dates, your travelers and your budget, including the children, from our guides. Use the packing list tool to build a list for beach days, cool evenings and long flights, and the Destination weather tool to see what is normal for your exact dates.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the best place for a warm beach holiday with kids in December?
For real heat, Punta Cana, Negril and Hua Hin all have typical December highs of about 85–86°F (29–30°C). Hua Hin is the driest of the three in December. For something milder, Waikiki, Nassau and Abu Dhabi have December highs around 80–82°F (27–28°C).
Which winter beaches have the calmest water for young children?
Las Canteras in Gran Canaria is sheltered by a natural reef that acts as a breakwater, and Waikiki’s south shore usually has flat to small waves in winter. Playa Juanillo in Punta Cana, Seven Mile Beach in Negril and the shallow water at Hua Hin are also known for gentle conditions. Conditions change daily, so always check the flags or ask a lifeguard.
Where is warm in winter in Europe for a family beach holiday?
The Canary Islands are the warmest part of Europe in winter. In Gran Canaria, typical highs are around 70–72°F (21–22°C) from December to February, with only a few rainy days a month. Just beyond Europe, Hurghada on Egypt’s Red Sea coast is a little warmer by day and almost rainless.
Is it summer in Australia at Christmas?
Yes. December to February is summer in Australia. On the Gold Coast, typical highs are around 82–83°F (28–29°C), though summer is also the rainiest time of year. Queensland’s school summer holidays run from 12 December 2026 to 26 January 2027, which is the busiest time on the coast.
When can you see whales in Hawaii?
Humpback whales are generally seen in Hawaii from November to April, with the peak from January to March. Hawaii is the main winter breeding ground for North Pacific humpbacks.