Every December, Santa develops a curious habit: he moves house. Or at least, that’s what the world insists. One minute he’s in Lapland, the next he’s receiving letters in Greenland, popping up in Icelandic folklore, or reclining suspiciously close to the Mediterranean in southern Italy. By the time Christmas pudding is served, half the globe claims to have seen his red suit flapping on a washing line.
So where is Santa in 2025?
The short answer is: everywhere. The longer answer involves Arctic villages, remote postboxes, ancient saints, and a surprising amount of air miles.
If you’re determined to track him down this Christmas season — or at least meet one of his many incarnations — here are the places Santa can be visited in 2025, from the famous to the quietly eccentric.
Rovaniemi, Finland: Santa’s Head Office
Let’s start with the obvious.
Right on the Arctic Circle, Rovaniemi is home to Santa Claus Village, where Christmas does not politely wait until December. Santa receives visitors year-round, poses for photos, listens solemnly to wish lists, and runs what may be the world’s most efficient festive postal service. Letters addressed simply to “Santa Claus” are sorted here, stamped with an Arctic Circle postmark, and sent around the globe.
In late October 2025, the official Christmas season was ceremonially opened, and by mid-December the town was in full festive flow. Reindeer sleigh rides, illuminated forests, hushed snow underfoot, and the distinct sense that Santa is very much “at work” make this the safest bet for a guaranteed sighting.
Is it commercial? Yes.
Is it magical anyway? Also yes.
If you want Santa with polish, professionalism, and excellent infrastructure, Rovaniemi is the place to be. It is where Santa goes corporate.
Korvatunturi, Finland: Santa’s Real Home (Apparently)
Rovaniemi may be Santa’s public office, but many Finns insist his real home lies deeper in the wilderness at Korvatunturi, a remote, ear-shaped mountain near the Russian border.
No one can actually visit Korvatunturi — which only strengthens the claim. According to folklore, its unusual shape allows Santa to hear children’s wishes from across the world. It’s secretive, inaccessible, and inconveniently perfect for a man who prefers not to be interrupted while assembling toys.
You won’t meet Santa here.
But you can tell people you know exactly where he really lives — which is sometimes more satisfying.
Nuuk, Greenland: Santa’s Mailroom
Greenland doesn’t shout about Santa. It doesn’t need to. It simply provides him with something deeply practical: a giant red mailbox.
In Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, letters addressed to Santa Claus, North Pole arrive from all over the world. Locals collect them, read them, and — when possible — reply. Some are heartfelt, some hilarious, some heartbreaking. Wishes range from puppies to peace on earth.
There is no grotto, no queue to see Santa and no elves selling hot chocolate. Instead, there’s Arctic silence, pastel-coloured houses against ice and sky, and the sense that Santa might actually prefer it this way.
If Lapland is Santa’s showroom, Greenland feels like his quiet back office — where the real correspondence gets done.
Iceland: Santa Multiplied
Iceland doesn’t believe in one Santa. It believes in thirteen.
The Icelandic Yule Lads arrive one by one in the 13 nights before Christmas, each with their own eccentric personality: Spoon-Licker, Door-Slammer, Sausage-Swiper. They leave gifts for well-behaved children and rotten potatoes for the rest.
Reykjavík embraces them fully, with festive lights, markets, and mischievous Santas roaming the streets. Sightings of red suits on washing lines are less evidence of Santa’s residence and more a sign that Iceland has cheerfully outsourced Christmas to a gang of trolls in knitwear.
If Santa ever wants a holiday from being himself, this is where he can blend in.
Bari, Italy: Santa as a Saint
Now for the plot twist.
Santa — or rather Saint Nicholas — is buried in Bari, on Italy’s Adriatic coast. His relics rest beneath the Basilica di San Nicola, drawing pilgrims from both Western and Eastern Christian traditions.
Every December, Bari leans into this heritage. A Santa Claus Village appears in the city, Christmas markets fill the piazzas, and the old town glows with lights strung between ancient stone buildings. Here, Santa is less elf manager and more holy figure — a reminder that the red suit has deep roots.
There is something wonderfully disorienting about encountering Santa under palm trees, eating focaccia, with the sea a few streets away. But history is on Bari’s side. Before the sleigh, before the reindeer, Santa was a bishop — and this is where he rests.
If Santa has a spiritual home, it may well be here.
Myra, Turkey: Where It All Began
For the truly committed Santa-hunter, there is Myra (modern-day Demre) in Turkey — the birthplace of Saint Nicholas himself.
There’s no Christmas village, no reindeer, and very little tinsel. Instead, there are ruins, an ancient church, and a quiet dignity that reminds visitors that Santa’s story began not in snow, but in generosity.
It’s not festive in the traditional sense — but it’s arguably the most authentic Santa destination of all.
So Where Is Santa in 2025?
He’s in Rovaniemi, smiling for photographs.
He’s in Greenland, opening letters by lamplight.
He’s in Iceland, causing mild mischief.
He’s in Bari, lying in state beneath a basilica.
He’s in Turkey, at the origin of the legend.
And perhaps — inconveniently for travel planners — he’s in all of them at once.
Santa, it turns out, isn’t tied to a single place. He exists wherever people make space for generosity, wonder, and a bit of seasonal nonsense. Which may explain why sightings increase dramatically after mulled wine.
So if you’re looking for Santa in 2025, don’t worry too much about the address. Pick a destination, follow the lights, and trust that — somehow — you’re in exactly the right place.
After all, Santa always knows where you are.
