Welcome to our end-of-the-year vacation guide 2023!
The end of the year is approaching, and our datebooks begin to fill with activities from school and family commitments; we must decorate the house for the holidays, buy gifts, etc.
But stop! Why not take advantage of the end-of-year holidays to plan a family trip that will leave you with beautiful memories?
In this article, we will provide you with a guide to plan your end-of-the-year vacations in 2023.
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Why Plan a Year-End Vacation Trip?
It’s no secret that vacation time is good for people’s mental and physical health.
It doesn’t matter if, during your vacation, you dedicate yourself to tidying up your house or if you decide to organize a trip alone or with your family.
Giving yourself time to disconnect and change your routine is always an excellent option.
One of the many benefits of traveling is experiencing eye-opening sights when leaving your country. It teaches you and your family about cultures, customs, traditions, and new ways of living.
Traveling to a country different from yours and enjoying new adventures will create lovely memories for your life and the lives of those who accompany you.
The routine at work, school, and everyday life makes family time the last on your priority list.
When planning the trip with your family, you can create stronger ties with your partner and children and dedicate exclusive time to them.
Traveling with family or friends makes you more likely to enjoy different activities and adventures.
Some will like to do adventurous activities such as canopy, diving, or hiking. Others will prefer to visit museums and tourist places, and there is no shortage of those who love to enjoy local cuisine.
Exploring the world with your children, young or old, will make each experience different and draw on each one’s points of view.
Keep in mind that your children, from a very young age, have the curiosity to learn more about the world. This will help them develop their point of view and a critical sense that will serve them well into adulthood.
They’ll become more open-minded when they delve deeply into a new culture. Your children absorb information more effectively by experiencing it first-hand.
They’ll understand that there are different lifestyles and other languages in which they can express themselves and will learn about new customs and traditions.
Read also: How to Keep Up with Spanish During Breaks and Vacations
Best Holiday Destinations 2023
Spanish-speaking countries have various special activities and celebrations to enjoy on your trip to celebrate holidays abroad in 2023.
So today, we will share a variety of destinations, ideas, activities, and information so you can start planning your trip for the end of the year.
1. Patagonia – Chile and Argentina
If you’re looking for a beautiful destination full of nature and from which you can learn a lot, this is ideal!
Argentine and Chilean Patagonia is a destination you can enjoy if you like impressive landscapes.
The famous Andes Mountains are the dividing line between the two countries that share Patagonia. You have hundreds of kilometers at your disposal and lots of activities.
On the Chilean side, you can see glaciers, transparent and emerald lakes, snow-capped mountains, and rainforests.
You will find, for example, the most famous Chilean icon of the Torres del Paine National Park, the three granite towers with an altitude of 2,600 meters.
Suppose you’re traveling alone or as a couple, and both are physically fit. In that case, you can venture out by pedaling or driving to Chilean Patagonia, with more than 1,000 kilometers of the most impressive scenic routes in the world.
On the Argentina side, you can enjoy the cold landscape full of glaciers, but you will also find arid places with meadows, forests, and deserts.
On this side, you cannot miss seeing the Perito Moreno Glacier with your children, an ice wall 5 kilometers long and 60 meters high. You can see it from a viewpoint or take a boat to see it up close.
This attraction is an excellent destination for your children to learn about how this glacier was formed, the animals that inhabit it, and how climate change has impacted its melting.
This would be the best holiday destination in November since most of the snow and ice in the mountains has not yet melted, and there aren’t many tourists.
We recommend you plan this trip with children over 12 years old who are willing to disconnect from all technology, travel various distances on foot, and see nature at its best up close.
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2. La Habana – Cuba
Travel to Cuba and get a warmer climate to escape the traditional winter cold.
The climate is most delicious for strolling through the streets of Old Havana, exploring the island from east to west, and dining on the colorful terraces with a fresh wind.
In November, Cubans celebrate the Day of the Dead, like in most Latin American countries.
Additionally, the famous and long-awaited Dancing in Cuba Festival is celebrated, which has existed for 15 years and includes activities such as workshops on popular Cuban dances, concerts, and dance competitions.
Another activity you can enjoy is climbing Pico Turquino, the highest place in Cuba at 1,974 meters high.
Although reaching the top is difficult, you can take simple tours in the surrounding area and get to know the national park, full of diverse animal and plant species typical of this Caribbean island.
Another major attraction you cannot miss and surely your children will love is Fusterlandia, a community project created by the Cuban artist José Antonio Rodríguez Fuster.
Jaimanitas, located in the northwest corner of Havana, has houses, facades, walls, banks, and bus stops full of picturesque and striking art.
The art overflows elements typical of the island and its culture, such as palms, guajiros with hats, trees, deities, and Cuban flags. An impressive open-air community gallery!
Everything that Fuster, the Cuban artist, uses to make these sculptures and interventions comes from recycled products, such as fragments of ceramics, sand, and stones, among others.
We are sure that you will be amazed by a trip to Cuba, where you will be transported to another era by traveling in antique cars, appreciating its colonial architecture, and enjoying the flavors and traditions typical of the Caribbean.
3. Mexico
And let’s talk about one of the most emblematic festivities in Latin America, All Saints’ Day or Día de los Muertos. Mexico celebrates it in all its splendor on November 1 and 2.
This celebration is rooted in the ancestral culture of the indigenous Mexican people. It reflects the cultural diversity with which communities remember people who have died.
This is a date expected by all Mexicans and by the rest of the countries that, in one way or another, have known and practiced this emblematic tradition.
In this activity, children and adults enjoy Mexican folklore, its gastronomy, colors, and religious beliefs.
Even though it’s a high tourist season because people from all over the world want to live the experience up close, it’s one of the activities for which it’s worth planning a New Year’s Eve trip with the family to Mexico.
If you travel for this date, don’t forget to schedule visits to specific cities where you can see special ceremonies.
For example, in the Pomuch Mayan community in Campeche, they perform the ancient ritual where the inhabitants go to the cemeteries to clean the bones of their deceased.
Also, consider including Puebla, where they hold the Day of the Dead Festival, making offerings, art exhibitions, theater, cinema, and music exalting the season’s traditions.
And, in Mexico City, very close to Puebla, they hold the Legends of Mexico parade, where locals and tourists join the chariots creatively decorated.
Undoubtedly, the Day of the Dead in Mexico is one of the favorite destinations for many foreigners. It’s definitely the best holiday destination in December.
You’ll surely have a great time, and your children will learn a lot about how other cultures see death and how this can help them overcome in the future.
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4. Canary Islands, Spain
Let’s fly to Europe!
You will surely love this destination if you’re looking for a warm climate on another continent and experience a different Christmas and New Year’s Eve party.
This island has an enviable climate all year round, so you will spend a warm Christmas with your family.
It’s a complete city with attractions for children and adults: beaches, volcanic landscapes, and many outdoor celebrations.
The locals have established a tradition to welcome the new year with a dip in the sea. This act symbolizes purity and renewal that brings luck for the entire year.
The locals create the Sand Nativity Scene on Las Canteras beach in December. A series of artists dedicate themselves to sculpting scenes of the Birth of Jesus and daily life in the Canary Islands using only sand.
Another exceptional tradition is the Ranchos de Pascua, a musical tradition that began in the 16th century when groups would walk the streets singing to collect alms in November.
As time passed, this ritual extended until December, and the musicians sang with tambourines, castanets, and other instruments on Christmas Eve.
And if you want something other than Christmas activities, you can also visit the different amusement parks on the islands.
A good dip never hurt anyone!
5. Costa Rica
And if you want a beach holiday in 2023 with a tropical environment and a small, cozy destination, Costa Rica is a great option!
Hundreds of beaches surround you. They’ll help you escape a cold Christmas, and there are a wide variety of Christmas activities for the whole family that you can join in.
In December, the dry season takes over the entire country, and the vegetation is blooming after the rainy season.
Costa Rica is a Catholic country by tradition and history, so the Christmas celebration begins early in December and ends in January.
The Festival of Light inaugurates the Christmas season in Costa Rica. For it, the Municipality of San José organizes a parade of Christmas chariots accompanied by the best musical bands in the country.
Another celebration everyone looks forward to is Las Posadas, which lasts nine nights, starting on the 16th and ending on December 24, with the birth of Jesus.
This tradition commemorates the journey that Mary and Joseph took looking for an inn for the birth of Jesus. Costa Rican families go out to a different house every night, simulating this religious passage.
You can also enjoy this tradition in other Central American countries.
Los Pasitos Navideños is another way in which Ticos celebrate Christmas. In this case, families build a scale model of the city of Bethlehem and the house where Jesus was born.
These ornaments include figures of the Virgin Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, animals, Bethlehem inhabitants, and everything creativity allows. Then, on December 24, they place the image of the baby Jesus, and on January 6, they put images of the Three Wise Men.
And you can’t miss the Baile de la Yegüita Festival. It’s a mix of indigenous and Catholic traditions where they joyfully celebrate the day of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
In this dance, four people are in charge of all the activity. One person dresses up as a little mare, another plays the melody on the flute, another plays the drum, and the last one dances with the little mare and, at the same time, presents the image of the Virgin.
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Speak Spanish and Have a Better End-Of-Year Vacation
It is difficult to decide on a single destination for your holiday in 2023, right?
Whichever you choose, you should know that while it’s important to plan all the details, you should also consider learning to speak Spanish to communicate during your time away.
Learning basic Spanish for your trip is essential to interact with locals. It’s true that with gestures and English, you can communicate certain things, but it’s not the same when you can use their native language.
Learning Spanish will open many doors for you to enjoy experiences much better. You will connect in a better way with the locals, and it will give you more meaningful memories.
You must have a good vocabulary in Spanish so that if an emergency occurs or you face unforeseen scenarios, you can communicate your needs successfully.
At Homeschool Spanish Academy, we have the perfect team of Spanish teachers who will prepare you to fulfill your dream of an end-of-year vacation in a Spanish-speaking country.
We have first-rate, expert curriculum teachers from Guatemala ready to help you achieve your learning goals.
Sign up for a free trial class with us and let yourself experience our innovative, human-centered learning classes.
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