Things to Do in South America in December
December weather, activities, events & insider tips
December Weather in South America
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
Is December Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
- + December is high summer across most of the continent, and the payoff is enormous. Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana and Ipanema sit around 30°C (86°F) with warm Atlantic water. Buenos Aires runs a dry 28-30°C (82-86°F). Patagonia's hiking season finally opens with long daylight stretching past 10pm in El Calafate and Torres del Paine. You can swim in the morning and trek glaciers the same week, just 3,000 km (1,864 miles) apart.
- + Daylight is your friend. South of the equator the summer solstice falls around December 21. Patagonia, the Lake District around Bariloche, and the Argentine wine country near Mendoza give you 15-16 hours of usable light. That means you can do a full Perito Moreno glacier walk near El Calafate and still photograph sunset over Lago Argentino the same evening.
- + It is festival season at its loudest. Rio builds toward New Year's Eve at Copacabana. Roughly two million people in white pack the sand for the Reveillon fireworks and the Yemanja offerings float out on the tide. Cusco's tourist machine quiets just enough before the holidays. Machu Picchu, while never empty, feels less of a scrum than the July peak.
- + The Galapagos and the northern Andes hit a sweet spot. December starts the Galapagos warm-and-wet season. The sea heats to around 25°C (77°F) for snorkeling with sea lions and the islands turn green. Quito and the Ecuadorian highlands tend to stay mild and clear before the heavier rains of February.
- − Prices spike hard from mid-December. This is South American summer holiday plus Christmas plus New Year's, all stacked. Rio and Buenos Aires hotels can run double their May rates. The late-December stretch into the first week of January is the single most expensive booking window of the year. Reserve coastal Brazil and Patagonia lodges months out or you simply will not get a bed.
- − The continent is enormous and December is not uniformly good. The Bolivian Altiplano, Peru's Sacred Valley, and the Pantanal are entering their wet season. The Salar de Uyuni floods (gorgeous mirror effect. But tours get curtailed) and afternoon downpours soak the Inca Trail. If your itinerary leans Andean rather than coastal, you are trading dry trails for green ones and mud.
- − Crowds concentrate exactly where you want to be. Beach towns like Florianopolis, Punta del Este in Uruguay, and Mar del Plata fill with domestic holidaymakers. Torres del Paine's refugios book solid. You are competing with locals on their own summer holiday, not just other foreigners.
Year-Round Climate
How December compares to the rest of the year
| Month | High | Low | Rainfall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -2 | -6 | 0.1 inches |
| Feb | -0 | -5 | 0.1 inches |
| Mar | 6 | -2 | 0.1 inches |
| Apr | 12 | 3 | 0.1 inches |
| May | 17 | 8 | 0.1 inches |
| Jun | 23 | 13 | 0.1 inches |
| Jul | 23 | 15 | 0.1 inches |
| Aug | 23 | 14 | 0.1 inches |
| Sep | 18 | 10 | 0.1 inches |
| Oct | 11 | 5 | 0.1 inches |
| Nov | 4 | 0 | 0.1 inches |
| Dec | 0 | -3 | 0.1 inches |
Best Activities in December
Top things to do during your visit
December opens the prime summer trekking window in southern Patagonia. The W Trek through Torres del Paine and the day hikes around El Chalten enjoy their longest daylight and most stable (though still wind-lashed) weather of the year. Glacier ice-walks on Perito Moreno near El Calafate run reliably now. Crampon trips cross blue ice that is impossible to access in winter. Temperatures sit around 18-20°C (64-68°F) by day. The famous Patagonian wind can knock 10 degrees off how it feels, so this is summer with an asterisk.
Rio peaks in December. Copacabana and Ipanema run warm and packed. Sugarloaf cable-car rides give clear summer views over Guanabara Bay. The Christ the Redeemer statue atop Corcovado is best reached early before afternoon haze and crowds build. Go for the beach-and-viewpoint combination now precisely because the warm Atlantic and long evenings make the whole city outdoor-oriented. The trade-off is heat near 32°C (90°F) and humidity, so pace yourself.
The Galapagos warm season begins in December, warming the water to roughly 25°C (77°F) and calming the seas compared to the choppy cool season. This is excellent for snorkeling alongside sea lions, marine iguanas, and sea turtles. The islands green up after the first rains. December is ideal here for water-based wildlife encounters. Travelers who dislike the colder, rougher August-October swells should come now.
December is harvest run-up season in Mendoza, Argentina's high-desert wine region in the shadow of the Andes. Vineyards near Lujan de Cuyo and the Uco Valley are green and busy. Daytime temperatures hover around 30°C (86°F) with very low humidity and cool nights. The long summer light is good for cycling between bodegas. The Malbec tasting circuit pairs well with the season because the dry warmth makes outdoor lunches among the vines pleasant.
Straddling the Argentina-Brazil border, Iguazu Falls runs high in December as the summer rains feed the Parana basin. The cataracts thunder at near-peak volume and the spray hangs in warm 32°C (90°F) air. The boat rides under the falls are at their most dramatic now. December suits this because the heat makes getting drenched on the Garganta del Diablo walkways a relief rather than a chore.
Buenos Aires in December is hot, dry, and awake long after midnight. That is when the city shines. Evening food walks through Palermo and San Telmo, parrilla dinners, and tango shows all gain power from summer sunsets and open-air terraces. The historic Cafe Tortoni and the San Telmo Sunday market anchor any food-and-culture plan. December heat pushes life outdoors and after dark.
December Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
The continent's biggest New Year's party. Roughly two million people dress in white and pack Copacabana for a 15-minute fireworks barge show over the Atlantic. Followers of Candomble and Umbanda float white flowers and candles to Yemanja, goddess of the sea. Wear white for peace and luck. Arrive by afternoon to claim sand. Skip cars; roads close and the metro runs all night.
Christmas in South America is warm, family-centered, and loud with fireworks. The main celebration and pyrotechnics hit at midnight on December 24, not Christmas morning. Expect many restaurants and sights to close or run holiday hours on the 24th-25th. Plan meals and transport early.
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