What to pack for Cancún with kids: December and January

In December and January, Cancún’s highs are around 29 °C (84 °F) and its lows around 20 °C (68 °F), with short showers on about ten days a month. For a family week at a resort, pack swimwear for everyone, UV shirts and hats, mineral sunscreen, water shoes, and a sweater for each child for the evenings.

The story

You land in Cancún with two kids and a winter coat each, and leave the coats in the car’s trunk for the rest of the week. It’s 28 °C and sunny at the airport. Forty minutes later, at the resort, the kids are in the pool before the bags are in the room. You find the swimsuits at the top of the suitcase, where you put them on purpose.

The days fall into a rhythm. Breakfast early, the beach until eleven, then shade: the sun is strong in winter too, and your youngest burns in an hour. The UV shirts and the wide hats stay on in the water. Every afternoon a dark cloud blows in from the sea, drops five minutes of warm rain, and moves on. Nobody gets out of the pool.

On day three you take the kids to a cenote, a round pool of fresh water in the jungle. A sign at the edge asks you to shower first and swim without sunscreen or repellent. The water is cooler than the sea, and the eight-year-old, in water shoes on the slippery steps, says it’s the best thing of the trip. The four-year-old stays on the platform in a life jacket and counts the fish.

At Xcaret, the eco-park south of Playa del Carmen, the park asks for biodegradable sunscreen in its underground rivers, and you’re glad the tube in your backpack is the mineral kind. You stay for the evening show. By then a north wind is blowing, it’s 21 °C, the kids are damp from the day, and the sweaters you almost didn’t pack come out of the bag.

On Christmas Eve, the resort’s restaurant asks for long trousers and closed shoes. The kids’ good outfit, folded flat at the bottom of the suitcase since home, finally gets worn.

Cancún in December and January is summer for the day and a mild evening at night, with short showers and the odd cold, windy front. Pack for the pool and the sun, add water shoes for cenotes and parks, and bring one warm layer for each person.

What to pack for Cancún with kids

Pack for warm days in the water, strong sun, and evenings that can turn cool and windy.

Clothes

Two swimsuits per person, so one can dry: the humidity keeps them damp overnight.
A long-sleeved UV shirt for each child, for the beach, the pool and the parks.
Light T-shirts, shorts and dresses for the day.
A sweater or light jacket for each person, for windy evenings and cold fronts.
Long trousers and closed shoes for dinner: some resort restaurants ask for them.
One nicer outfit each, if you’ll spend Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve at the resort.

Shoes

Sandals or flip-flops for the pool and the beach.
Water shoes for the kids: cenote steps and rocky beaches are slippery.
Sneakers for ruins, parks and walking days.

For the sun and the water

Biodegradable, mineral sunscreen, high SPF: some eco-parks only allow this kind.
Wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses for everyone.
Goggles and a snorkel mask for each child, if they have their own.
Insect repellent for the evenings, away from the cenotes.
Swim diapers for babies and toddlers.

For the kids

A waterproof bag for wet swimsuits on park days.
A light stroller for small children: it’s also shade and a nap spot.
Something for the flight and quiet hours: a tablet with downloads, cards, a book.
Children’s medicines you use at home, plus something for an upset stomach and after-sun.
A refillable bottle each: drink purified or bottled water, not tap water.

Documents, money and tech

Passports for everyone, children included, and any visa you need.
Some cash in pesos for tips, small shops and markets; cards work at resorts.
A plug adapter if you come from outside North America, and a power bank.
An eSIM for Mexico, so maps and messages work outside the resort.

Good to know

Weather: by the 1991–2020 normals of Mexico’s National Weather Service (SMN) for its Cancún station, December and January are the coolest months of the year, and the two are close:

Month	High	Low	Rain	Days with rain
December	29 °C (85 °F)	21 °C (70 °F)	97 mm (3.8 in)	about 11
January	29 °C (84 °F)	20 °C (68 °F)	104 mm (4.1 in)	about 10

Cold fronts: on the same records, the coldest night was 12 °C (54 °F) in December and 13 °C (55 °F) in January. When a front comes through, the evening is windy and cool: that’s what the sweaters are for.
Seaweed: sargassum arrives mostly in the warmer months and is usually lighter in winter, but some days still bring it. Local reports say which beaches are clear each day.
The holidays: the weeks around Christmas and New Year are among the busiest at resorts and parks. Book parks, transfers and resort restaurants early.
Getting around: most families take a transfer from the airport to the resort; ask for child seats when you book.
Plugs: types A and B, 127 V.
Money: Mexican peso (MXN). Quintana Roo, the state Cancún is in, charges foreign tourists a visitor tax (Visitax). Pay it only on the official Visitax site, for each traveler, children included (checked October 19, 2026).
Entry: check Mexico’s entry rules for your passport: some travelers need a visa, and a valid visa or residence from the US, Canada, the UK, Japan or the Schengen area can stand in for one (checked October 19, 2026). Each child needs their own passport.
More of Mexico: what to pack for Mexico City and Cancún from June to October, and, for a baby’s first flight, what to pack when flying with a 6-month-old.

Questions

Is Cancún warm in December?

Yes: highs are around 29 °C (85 °F) and lows around 21 °C (70 °F). It rains on about 11 days, usually in short showers, so beach and pool days go on as planned.

Is it cold in Cancún in January?

Not by day, with highs around 29 °C (84 °F). Nights are around 20 °C (68 °F), and a cold front can bring a windy evening: the coldest January night on record was 13 °C (55 °F). Pack a sweater for each person.

Can you wear sunscreen in cenotes?

No: cenotes ask you to shower first and to swim without sunscreen or repellent. Elsewhere, use biodegradable, mineral sunscreen; some eco-parks only allow this kind.

Is there sargassum in Cancún in winter?

Usually less than in the warmer months, but some days still bring it. Local reports say which beaches are clear each day.

Do children need a passport to go to Cancún?

Yes, if you fly in from another country: each child needs their own passport, and some travelers need a visa too. Check Mexico’s entry rules for each passport before you book.