Where to surf in December depends on what you want from winter. Costa Rica and Mexico work when warm water and an easy surf routine matter most. Baler gets a more defined Pacific swell season. Baja California Sur becomes a road-trip option. Barbados gives you several coasts to work with, while Madeira is the choice for experienced surfers comfortable with powerful North Atlantic conditions.
December is a particularly useful month for surf travel because you do not have to choose between warm-water vacation waves and serious winter swell. Both are available, but they belong to completely different trips.
I would start by deciding whether I want warm water, beginner-friendly options, a surf road trip, or powerful winter waves. Then I would choose the destination. Doing it in the opposite order is how you end up flying across the world for surf that does not suit you.
If You Want a Quick December Surf Shortlist
- Costa Rica: warm water, easy surf logistics, lessons, and enough variety for mixed abilities.
- Riviera Nayarit, Mexico: a social surf trip with longboard-friendly possibilities around Punta Mita and easy rentals around Sayulita.
- Baler, Philippines: December swell and a real surf-town base around Sabang Beach.
- Baja California Sur: a winter surf road trip with beach breaks, points, reefs, and cooler Pacific water.
- Barbados: warm-water island surfing with different exposures for different abilities.
- Madeira: powerful Atlantic surfing for experienced surfers who are comfortable with rock, current, and changing conditions.
The best choice is the one that matches the kind of surfing you actually want to do in December, not necessarily the destination with the most famous wave.
For Warm Water and an Easy Surf Routine: Costa Rica
December is a logical time to consider surfing in Costa Rica if you want to escape winter without turning the trip into a hunt for heavy surf.
The Pacific coast moves into its drier period, which can make road travel and daily beach plans easier than during the wetter months. The water stays warm, and established surf towns make board rentals and lessons straightforward.
I see December Costa Rica as a particularly useful choice for beginners, longboarders, couples, and groups where everyone does not surf at the same level.
Nosara if surfing is the center of the trip
Nosara gives you an open beach break and an established surf routine. You can check conditions repeatedly, rent boards, take lessons, and build several sessions into the stay without needing to drive all over the country.
It is popular for exactly those reasons, so I would not expect an empty tropical beach in December, particularly as the holiday period approaches.
Tamarindo if lessons and convenience matter more
Tamarindo and the surrounding beaches make sense when a first surf trip needs easy rentals, instruction, restaurants, and several nearby options rather than one isolated wave.
If you are learning, use my guide to surfing in Costa Rica for beginners before choosing a base.
Longboarders can also compare the best time for longboard surfing in Costa Rica.
For a Social Longboard-Friendly Trip: Riviera Nayarit
Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit offers a very different December trip.
North and northwest energy becomes part of the winter surf picture, while the coastline around Punta Mita gives you several exposures rather than forcing every surfer into the same peak.
I would look here if I wanted warm weather, manageable logistics, restaurants and other things to do, while still making surfing one of the main reasons for traveling.
Punta Mita for a quieter surf base
Punta Mita is the area I would investigate if longer rides and a quieter base mattered more than nightlife.
The advantage is being able to look at several nearby setups depending on swell direction and ability rather than expecting one wave to deliver every morning.
Sayulita for rentals, nightlife and a busier scene
Sayulita makes more sense when the destination needs to work even when you are not surfing.
It is easier to find rentals, lessons, restaurants, and nightlife, but that convenience attracts people. December, particularly around Christmas and New Year’s, is not when I would go expecting a quiet surf village.
For a broader comparison of the coast, see my guide to surfing in Nayarit.
Surfing the Philippines in December: Baler Is the Obvious Place to Look
If the surf season itself is one of the main reasons for choosing the destination, Baler becomes much more interesting in December.
The Pacific-facing coast of Luzon receives northeast swell during this period, and December sits inside Baler’s stronger surf window.
That gives the trip a different purpose from Costa Rica or Nayarit. You are not simply looking for pleasant tropical surf while on vacation. The seasonal waves are part of the reason to go.
Sabang Beach is the practical base
Sabang Beach gives travelers the straightforward version of Baler: sand-bottom surf, schools, board rentals, and accommodation close enough to make daily sessions easy to organize.
That does not make every December day appropriate for beginners. When the northeast swell increases, conditions can quickly become more demanding.
More experienced surfers can investigate waves beyond Sabang, but I would not choose a more consequential break simply because it appears on a list of Baler surf spots.
The official Philippines travel guide to Baler identifies December and January as an important surf period for the area.
Because Philippine surf seasons vary significantly by coast, I would also read my guide to the best time to surf in the Philippines rather than assuming December is equally good everywhere.
Baja California Sur Is for Surfers Who Want to Drive and Check
The Pacific side of Baja California Sur makes sense when the process of finding waves is part of the vacation.
Winter brings more north and northwest energy into the picture. Around Todos Santos and El Pescadero, you can choose among beach breaks, points, and reefs rather than staying beside one wave for an entire week.
I would rent a car, keep the schedule loose, and expect surf checks to be part of the morning.
Cerritos is the simplest starting point
Cerritos is one of the more practical names for visiting surfers because rentals and lessons are available and the beach is easier to approach than some of the nearby reef setups.
That still does not make it harmless in every winter swell. Pacific energy and current can produce substantially more serious conditions than the Cabo vacation imagery might suggest.
Pack for Pacific water, not resort advertising
The Pacific side can feel surprisingly cool if your mental image of Baja is tropical Cabo weather.
I would check expected water temperatures before packing and bring enough wetsuit rather than assuming boardshorts will make sense throughout the trip.
Longboarders can compare the best longboard waves in Baja California before deciding whether December’s more active winter surf matches the kind of waves they want.
Barbados Works When the Group Does Not All Surf the Same Way
Barbados is useful in December because the island gives you different exposures rather than one surf coast that either works or does not.
The east side receives more direct Atlantic energy, while wrapping swell can create very different conditions along the south and west coasts.
That creates room for different boards and ability levels within the same trip.
Soup Bowl is not the reason every surfer should choose Barbados
Soup Bowl is the island’s obvious performance-surf name, but its power, current, and experienced lineup make it irrelevant to plenty of surfers planning a December vacation.
I would rather choose Barbados because several coasts give me options than because I expected to surf the island’s most famous wave.
Freights Bay changes the conversation for longboarders
When swell wraps into the south coast, Freights Bay presents a very different style of surfing, with longer, softer lines that can appeal to longboarders and progressing surfers.
Other south-coast breaks add further possibilities, so a rental car can be useful if surfing is an important part of the trip.
I would choose Barbados when warm water is non-negotiable but the group needs more wave variety than a single point-break destination can provide.
Madeira Is the December Trip for Surfers Who Want North Atlantic Power
Madeira belongs in a separate category from Costa Rica, Nayarit, or Barbados.
December brings North Atlantic swell into a steep volcanic coastline where points and reefs can become powerful very quickly.
I would only put Madeira high on the list if I were already confident around rock, strong water movement, difficult entries and exits, and waves that can change substantially as the swell increases.
Jardim do Mar and Paul do Mar are serious surf
These are not places I would use to learn how to handle powerful winter conditions.
If they are beyond your ability when you arrive, the correct decision is to watch rather than paddle out simply because you traveled to Madeira to surf.
The island still works when the surf does not
This is one reason Madeira remains interesting as a trip despite the more demanding surf.
Mountain scenery, hiking, villages, and coastal exploration mean a stormy or oversized day does not automatically become a wasted day.
I would choose Madeira when the trip can absorb days when the ocean tells me not to surf.
Where Can Beginners Surf in December?
If I were planning a beginner surf trip in December, I would narrow this list quickly.
Costa Rica is the easiest place to start because established surf towns give you lessons, rentals, warm water, and several beaches to consider when conditions change.
Riviera Nayarit is another possibility, particularly when you stay somewhere with easy instruction and choose the wave according to conditions rather than reputation.
Barbados can work because different coastlines offer different levels of exposure, but I would use local instruction rather than assuming a warm Caribbean island means easy surf everywhere.
Baler has beginner infrastructure around Sabang Beach, but December is also part of its stronger swell season. A beginner should let the day’s conditions decide whether surfing makes sense.
Madeira would be at the bottom of this particular shortlist for someone learning.
Early December and Christmas Week Are Two Different Surf Trips
I would pay close attention to the exact December dates before booking.
The first half of the month can be substantially easier for surf travel than the Christmas and New Year’s period.
Holiday travelers compete for the same flights, rental cars, rooms, and restaurants even if they have no interest in surfing. Popular lesson beaches also become busier because families are traveling.
That matters particularly in Costa Rica, Riviera Nayarit, Barbados, and Baja.
If my schedule were flexible, I would lean toward early December, then use the surf forecast to choose individual breaks once the trip gets closer.
If Christmas week were fixed, I would book accommodation and board rentals earlier, stay somewhere with multiple surf options, and expect the obvious peaks to be busier.
Warm-Water December Surf or Real Winter Swell?
This is the simplest way I would narrow the destinations.
If I wanted to leave winter behind, I would look toward Costa Rica, Riviera Nayarit, or Barbados. The trip is easier to combine with non-surf activities, and you do not need to build the entire vacation around handling powerful winter waves.
If I wanted December specifically because it activates a surf season, Baler becomes more compelling.
If I wanted a road trip where winter swell determines which beach I check, Baja California Sur would move up the list.
If I wanted North Atlantic power and already had the experience for it, Madeira would become the most distinctive choice.
Which December Destination Fits Your Board?
Longboard: I would investigate Punta Mita, suitable Costa Rican waves, and Freights Bay in Barbados before choosing a destination centered on heavy winter surf.
Mid-length: Costa Rica, Nayarit, Barbados, and selected Baja conditions all give you enough variety to make a mid-length useful.
Shortboard: Baler becomes more interesting as December swell increases, while experienced surfers can make more of Baja and Madeira when conditions have power.
The board should not make the final decision by itself, but it is a useful filter. There is little point booking a dream longboard vacation around waves you would rather ride on a performance shortboard.
Is December a Good Month for a Surf Trip?
December is a very good surf-travel month precisely because there is no single December surf season.
North Pacific and North Atlantic swell can create serious winter surf, while tropical destinations give you warm-water alternatives where the goal is less about maximum wave size and more about consistent sessions and easy travel.
The mistake would be treating all six destinations as interchangeable.
If I wanted the easiest warm-water trip, I would start with Costa Rica. If I wanted a social Mexico trip with longboard possibilities, I would look at Nayarit. For seasonal Pacific surf, Baler stands out. Baja is for driving and checking. Barbados gives mixed abilities room to work, and Madeira is the choice when serious winter surf is part of the attraction rather than something to avoid.
If your dates fall before December, compare the best places to surf in November. If you can wait until after the holiday rush, the best places to surf in January open a different set of winter opportunities.