How hot is Cancun in December?

Cancun averages 28C daytime highs in December with a sea temperature around 27C.

Head-to-head for families

Cancun or Punta Cana in December for families?

It is close in December for families: Cancun 8.6 out of 10, Punta Cana 8.5. The tiebreaker is what you want off the sun lounger.

Kids in tow changes the maths: pool time, short transfers, food everyone will eat and day trips that survive a nap schedule.

Quick verdict

Cancun for exploring solo, food scene, things to do. Punta Cana for beaches.

Cancun, Mexico

8.6/10

28C days, 27C sea, 105mm rain

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

8.5/10

29C days, 80mm rain

Rated for families

Out of five on each criterion. Highlighted rows are the ones that matter most to you.

Cancun and Punta Cana rated out of five on each criterion
What matters	Cancun	Punta Cana
NightlifeBars, clubs and late-night energy
BeachesSand quality, water clarity and swimming
Food sceneRange, quality and local character
FamiliesKid-friendly resorts, pools and day trips
RomanceCouples, honeymoons and adults-only stays
Things to doExcursions, culture and day trips
All-inclusiveChoice and value of all-inclusive resorts
Value for moneyWhat a typical day actually costs
Easy and safeComfort for first-time visitors
Exploring soloHow easy it is to get out on your own
Flight accessDirect routes and flight time from North America

Side by side in December

Cancun compared with Punta Cana
Factor	Cancun	Punta Cana
Daytime high	28C	29C
Rainfall	105mm	80mm
Sea temperature	27C, swimmable	Varies by season
Beach quality	Wide white sand, calm Caribbean	5 out of 5
Getting there	under 5 hours from most of North America	3h 30m from Miami
Typical cost	Highest rates of the year, so lock in early.	Mid range
Between beach days	Chichen Itza, Tulum, cenotes, Isla Mujeres, reef snorkelling	Cheap all-inclusive rates, Wide palm-lined beaches

What is on in Cancun in December

Guadalupe Day pilgrimages on 12 December
Christmas and New Year fireworks over the lagoon and beach
Cool, dry, sunny days in the high 20s

Crowds. Peak season. Book flights and restaurants well ahead.

Prices. Highest rates of the year, so lock in early.

Seaweed. Sargassum seaweed risk is low, so the sand is at its cleanest.

Storms. Outside hurricane season entirely.

Dated plans and community meetups are listed on the Cancun events calendar.

Book Cancun for December

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Where Punta Cana genuinely wins

Cheap all-inclusive rates
Wide palm-lined beaches
Direct flights from most US hubs

Pick Punta Cana if cheap all-inclusive rates is the single thing you care most about on this trip.

What catches people out

Very little to do outside resort gates
Rougher Atlantic surf
Day trips involve long drives

The Cancun edge

Cancun gives you the same all-inclusive value plus Mayan ruins, cenotes, a real city, and world-class day trips within an hour.

Cancun is the rare beach destination that also works as a base. The airport is one of the busiest in Latin America, the transfer to your hotel takes twenty minutes, and within two hours you can be swimming in a cenote, climbing a Mayan pyramid, snorkelling the second largest reef on the planet, or eating cochinita pibil in a downtown market for the price of a coffee elsewhere. That combination is why we keep building these comparisons and keep reaching the same conclusion.

Cancun wins for you? Start here.

Compare hotelsAll-inclusive, adults-only and boutique Explore activitiesRuins, cenotes, reef and boat days Find your areaHotel Zone, downtown or Isla Mujeres Build your tripFree day-by-day planner

Cancun or Punta Cana for your kind of trip

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