Dreaming of a Warm Christmas? Top Tropical Destinations Over 27°C

Image Name: Culinary delights of Grenada

If the scenes of Tahiti on-screen during the Paris Olympics appealed — the French Polynesian isle hosted the surfing competition — then make your way to private island neighbor Le Tikehau. Thatched villas with glass-floor sections are suspended over shallow crystalline waters of dappled turquoise, punctuated by reefs colored with flitting fish. Unlike at Tahiti’s Teahupo’o, where heavy rollers draw a surf crowd, here it’s honeymooners slipping into a still lagoon off the pink-sanded shores and sipping sunset-hued cocktails after gardenia-scented massages in the on-site spa.

Calabash Hotel, Grenada
Compact Grenada brims with farms-growing nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger — the most Christmassy of aromas — making it a natural pick for culinary-inclined travelers. The Island of Spice is also home to lush green hiking trails, lovely beaches, and the Calabash Hotel, a family-run stay with just 30 suites but three restaurants. All the stops are pulled out for the Christmas menus, with an epic spread on December 25th followed by a Boxing Day rum tasting. The hotel can also arrange visits to cocoa estates, markets, and a local’s home for a garden-to-table lunch the Grenadian way.

One&Only Mandarina, Mexico
Maybe you still want plenty of holiday cheer but of a different flavor, in which case this luxe stay at Riviera Nayarit on Mexico’s Pacific Coast delivers with its special December events calendar. Choose from restorative yoga or tortilla-making, barista workshops, or temazcal cleansing ceremonies in a traditional Mexican sweat lodge. That is if you can pull yourself away from your treehouse base, set above a jungle and marine panorama and with private deck plunge pools. In these surroundings, rather than partridges in pear trees, expect exotic avians nestled in towering figures.

Hermitage Bay, Antigua
For those keen to steer clear of the Christmas chaos wrought by overexcited kiddos, an adults-only resort is the answer. Just re-opened following a grand facelift, Hermitage Bay is an all-inclusive tropical haven spread over 140 acres of garden on Antigua’s sunset-facing white sands. Instead of childish Father Christmas kitsch, you’ll toast the holidays with rum punches and lobster at the new beach club, stretch out in modernized suites with new private pools, or unwind with private meditation sessions in the picture-perfect spa.

Image Name: Luxurious escape for Christmas

Bawe Island, Tanzania
Cast off from Zanzibar, just a 15-minute speedboat ride from Zanzibar’s historic Stone Town, this new 30-hectare private island resort has been upping the luxe level in Tanzania since it opened its doors this June. Epic indoor-outdoor villas with private pools ring the island — just the place to ring in Christmas Day — while DJ-soundtracked sunsets at the bar, multiple restaurants, and top-notch diving are there to tempt you off the sun deck.

Conclusion
This Christmas, trade the frost and clouds for sun and sand. Whether you’re looking for a secluded retreat, an eco-friendly adventure, or a luxurious escape, these tropical getaways offer something for everyone. From the secluded beaches of Nihi Sumba to the exclusive islands of Islas Secas, and the biodiversity of Madagascar to the culinary delights of Grenada, there’s a perfect destination waiting for you. Book your escape now and enjoy a Christmas like no other.