Christmas Lights

Santa Claus, the magic of Disney, markets, snow. Or do you prefer heat and beaches this Christmas? Discover the best destinations for these holidays.

Christmas is coming and with it the snow, the bucolic landscapes, the movie and blanket nights by the fire and the lit tree, the Christmas markets, the scarves.

Whether you're looking for the traditional Christmas markets or Santa on a surfboard, here are top 10 Christmas vacation destinations.

An encounter with Santa Claus in Lapland

Let the bells ring all the way to Santa Claus Village, near Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland, where Santa Claus delivers gifts 365 days a year. Christmas fanatics will be in their element hurtling through the snow on reindeer sleighs in this winter wonderland.

Traveling to Rovaniemi at Christmas is more than just an adventure in which you cross the Arctic Circle. It is a journey into illusion and dreams . Another great destination to travel as a family. Although Santa Claus has much more work than people think and can be found in his town every day of the year, the truth is that visiting him during these dates adds an invaluable extra to the trip.

Take the opportunity to go for a ride in a sleigh pulled by reindeer, learn about the customs of the inhabitants of the area and of course, leave your letter of wishes to Santa Claus. If you have behaved well, he will surely grant you all of them.

A Christmas fairytale market in Nurnberg

The Christmas market on Nurnberg's Hauptmarkt looks like something out of a fairy tale. During Advent, 180 wooden stands attract shoppers with plum dolls (Zwetschgenmännle), hand-carved Christmas figures and freshly baked gingerbread. Children love the thatched-roof nativity scene and steam carousel.

In Sydney, suffocating celebrations

What makes Christmas in Sydney special are things like Santa Claus riding a surfboard to Bondi Beach, a joyous dip in the Pacific and a Christmas suntan. It's because it's summer there, so get used to the idea of ​​barbecues with all the accompaniments, Christmas carols in parks in the sun and luminous decorations in the City Hall, with Australian themes.

A Christmas Carol in York

At Christmas, York is like a vision from a Dickens novel, especially on the cobbled Shambles Street, where lanterns illuminate half-timbered houses and old curio shops. Go to a concert of carols in the medieval cathedral to see the best of the holidays in this ciudad.

Happy Holidays in New York

New York comes alive with the holiday spirit for Christmas, when a huge tree twinkles at Rockefeller Center and skaters do pirouettes in Central Park. Christmas window displays at Macy's and Saks attract customers for last-minute gifts.

A very toned Christmas tree in Zurich

The sights of the icy Swiss Alps and the lights of the Bahnhofstrasse ignite the festive jubilation in Zurich. Sip a glass of mulled wine to see the Singing Christmas Tree in the evening, where young Christmas carol singers in red woolen caps twinkle like candles as they sing under the branches of a fir tree.

Garnish mangoes in Goa

Being able to hammock by the Arabian Sea, while looking at the tinsel-wrapped mangoes makes Christmas in Goa happy and relaxed. Christians in the area celebrate with passion, cakes and thousands of scarlet poinsettias. Go to a Christmas carol concert in one of the villages before the traditional vindaloo pig feast.

The Cavalcade of the Magi in Barcelona

Barcelona's main attraction at Christmas time is the Cavalcade of the Magi on January 5. Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar arrive at the dock by boat, then they go towards Montjuic in glittering carriages, which fill the streets with music, while throwing candy to the crowds.

A wonderful winter country in Whistler

Whistler is like a Christmas postcard scene, with its mountainous backdrop and covered in fine powder snow. Come to this beautiful Canadian resort to ski legendary slopes and snuggle up by the fireplace in a mountain cabin.

Midnight mass in Paris

Paris is more romantic than ever at Christmas, when hundreds of trees sparkle on the Champs-Élysées and carousels spin through the city squares. For the faithful, a must-see is the midnight mass at the neoclassical Eglise de la Madeleine, which ends just in time for the last metro.

If you decide to stay in the Northern Hemisphere, all this will be what you will find, but if your destination is south of the equator, the landscape will be very different.