Set Sail for a Totally Tropical Christmas
If you are looking to escape the festive season’s imminent hustle and bustle without missing the fun of celebrations, why not plan a getaway with family and friends where you can enjoy an abundance of sun, sand and sea on your doorstep? An idyllic way to share a multi-generational vacation and explore tropical shores in luxury is on a superyacht charter. Delight in your very own personal resort at sea, waking to a different view every day whilst savoring access to pleasure-seeking adventure and the highest levels of privacy imaginable. A bespoke yacht charter is the perfect opportunity to discover a host of remarkable destinations where you can be part of their wonderful festive traditions and at the same time create lifelong family memories to cherish. While the Caribbean has traditionally been the most popular destination for winter yacht charters, Central America is now offering opportunities for new and exciting yachting adventures off the beaten track.
Skip the crowds in colorful Belize and become immersed in an exotic blend of Mayan culture, tropical beauty and a warm Creole welcome. Aptly dubbed the adventure coast for yachting, the extensive areas of protected barrier reef boast once-in-a-lifetime diving sites, while ashore dense jungles conceal precious clusters of fascinating tribal ruins. Belizeans celebrate throughout the month of December, so on a Christmas yacht charter you can relish the opportunity for a laid-back atmosphere, plenty of merriment and of course one or two Rumpopo cocktails! Join with residents to watch lively Jankunu dancers, bedecked in masks and costumes, parading the streets to the beat of traditional drummers. As well as the customary festive meal of turkey and trimmings, delicious native dishes are enjoyed in Belize, such as white relleno soup, roasted pebre pork and black fruitcake. Local carol singers – the Christmas Bram – spread good cheer from house to house. With only 10% of the 400 offshore islets inhabited, this is a yachting haven in which to live out a new desert island fantasy every day! Whether you are a beach-lover or intrepid explorer, Belize delivers an out-of-this-world experience and the Christmas vacation of a lifetime.
Bursting with nature and beauty, Costa Rica is renowned as one of the most biodiverse corners of the globe, but it is also a prime location to experience a bespoke yacht charter with family. Swap padded winter jackets for feathered carnival costumes and embrace an exciting and enriching festive season like no other. Costa Ricans celebrate with unique Christmas traditions, fiestas, parades, street parties and dance festivals – get ready to party from the second week of December, when the pulsating Festival de la Luz in cosmopolitan San Jose starts off the celebrations. Locals take great pride in decorating their houses with tropical flowers, sparkling lights and wreaths laden with colorful berries and ribbons. The Misa de Gallo (mass of the rooster) on Christmas Eve is followed by an extravagant spread of delicious dishes such as chicken and pork tamales cooked in plantain leaves followed by tres leches
cake and plenty of rum punch. Return to San Jose on 26 December for the spectacular Tope Nacional de Caballos horseback parade, with riders showcasing their finest cowboy clothing as horses impress the crowds with fancy footwork – look out for the hand-painted oxen carts too! Beyond celebrations, make the most of your Christmas yacht charter by exploring extraordinary anchorages with breath-taking views, enjoy fun in the warm water where snorkeling is sublime, or languish on the powdery white beaches to soak up tranquility.
Offering a tropical twist on classic tradition, Christmas in Panama is filled with holiday cheer. Expect twinkling lights downtown with houses festooned in a slew of decorations, while stores are laden with ornaments as Santa smiles knowingly from his grotto. On a bespoke yacht charter in Panama, festivities will be paramount, alongside the sunshine, flip-flops and caerulean seas! Innately sociable, the Panamanians like to invite everyone to the beach at Christmas, proving that sandcastles are just as good as snowmen and a group family photo is easily made. In Panama City the impressive parade down the Cinta Costera attracts residents and visitors to celebrate the festive season, with dressed up children, marching bands and candy tossed to the crowds by Santa Claus as he arrives. On display in the front of Panamanian homes throughout the holiday season you will see muñecos, life-sized dolls modelled on public figures or politicians that are toasted with a drink of seco and subsequently burned as an effigy on New Year’s Eve. Typically, the seasonal meal in Panama is arroz con guandú, served with pork, and the culture-spanning tradition of fruitcake makes another appearance! After the main feast, families continue into the streets to party the night away with music, dancing and hordes of fireworks lighting up the sky. Justly named the crossroads of the Americas, real adventure awaits on a Christmas yacht charter in Panama where nature-rich rainforests ashore are ready to be explored and the inspiring diving sites are hard to resist.
If these awe-inspiring destinations do not tempt you to stock up on vitamin sea this festive season, there are countless exciting locations to plan a Christmas yacht charter and swap the winter blues for azure seas and tropical shores.