Curacao is an island in the Caribbean, so you quickly assume that the weather there is always nice and the sun shines every day. But is it true?
365 days of sunshine
Curacao has a tropical savanna climate, which means, among other things, that it is almost equally warm all year round. You can assume that it is actually always between 27 and 32 degrees, with the occasional outlier(s) up or down. What does show a difference throughout the year is the amount of precipitation that falls on average. The period February through June can be described as “dry,” with rarely any precipitation. August and January are slightly wetter, but usually that is not something to worry about either. September through December is considered the rainy season in Curacao and there may be occasional heavy showers. Nevertheless, you can say that it is really very rare that the sun does not show itself for an entire day on Curacao.
Clear climate
Actually, it’s a pretty easy climate in Curacao. There is little difference between the seasons in terms of temperature and sun hours: around 30 degrees all year round and 8 to 9 hours of sunshine every day. Even during the rainy season, it is really an exception that you will not see sunshine all day.
Average weather for all year in Curaçao:
- The average daily temperature is 30 to 33 degrees
- The number of sun hours per day is 8 in winter and 9 in summer (Note: even in summer, it does get dark by 7 p.m.!).
- The sea is about 29 degrees in summer and still a lovely 26 degrees in winter.
- Average of about 70 days per year when rainfall is 0.1 mm or more
- The humidity is relatively high, 75 to 80%
- In the evening and night it remains warm (even in winter), averaging about 24 to 27 degrees.
Current weather on Curacao:
Isn’t it too hot in Curacao?
Some people are quick to think it’s too hot on a Caribbean island, but it isn’t that bad actually. Of course, especially for the first few days of your vacation, you will have to get used to the heat and you will start to sweat with each run. But fortunately there is a lot of cooling on Curacao due to the wind, usually there is always a nice sea breeze blowing over Curacao. And of course there is plenty of protection from the sun at the accommodations, restaurants and on the beaches by means of umbrellas, palapas, etc. and air conditioning is installed in every building. And a tip for when you really want to cool off: dive into a shopping mall (e.g. Sambil), it’s always nice and cool there!
Temperature in the evening
If you’ve ever been on vacation to sunny southern Europe, then you know that it can be pretty warm during the day, but you still sometimes need a sweater in the evening. On Curacao, this is really not necessary: all year round on Curacao it will also be a lovely temperature in the evening. Long pants or long sleeves are not necessary to bring on vacation to Curacao! At least, not for the temperature. Even in the evening, you will still be comfortable in short summer clothes and bare feet in your flip-flops. Note: “long clothing” may be desirable for certain entertainment venues and/or as protection from mosquitoes. But then take a thin sweater or the like; a thick vest is really not necessary.
Coldest night ever on Curacao
To indicate that even in the evening it is always nice and warm on Curacao: January 2014 saw the coldest night ever recorded on Curacao: with 19.7 degrees the temperature only dipped just below 20 degrees. But to be clear, that was at the end of the night, in winter, measured on the open plains near the airport (so no ‘city heat’). So you can say that on Curacao it never gets colder than 20 degrees at night and on average it will be about 24 to 27 degrees.
Early dark
What you do have to take into account: all year long, it get’s dark early in Curacao. Just assume it’s dark outside from 7 p.m. at the latest, even in the middle of summer.
Too hot to do anything?
We regularly get asked if it is not too hot to do activities on Curacao. Definitely not! Many activities are geared to summer weather, so plenty of cooling by water and/or shade. For example, the city walks are always held early in the morning, when the sun is not yet burning full blast.
Handy: activity check
At Weerplaza they have created a handy activity check, where you can check for some typical vacation activities to see if the weather is suitable for them. This includes temperature, wind, precipitation, etc. So if you want to play golf, fish, or explore the island on foot, you can see here if the weather is suitable for that activity.
Rain on Curacao
Even in the rainy season, most days in Curacao are still considered ‘sunny’. This is because the rain usually falls in short bursts. Outside the rainy season, of course, there may be occasional showers, but they are often at night or early in the morning. So if you even notice anything then it’s not much more than seeing some wet spots on the street after waking up. But then when you look up you already see the sun shining again and wonder where the rain clouds are.
Rain radar
If you go to Curacao during the rainy season, it is useful to have the Curacao rainfall radar on your phone, so you can check whether it is okay to go to the beach, or whether it is better to wait another half hour.
Be carefull in traffic!
Because it rarely rains on Curacao, the infrastructure here is not well equipped for this everywhere. The street may have fairly deep pits and holes in it. You can see them fine in dry weather and drive around them easily, but when it has rained you don’t know if it is a shallow puddle or a deep pothole. In addition, due to the dry weather, the roadside drainage system will be fouled/clogged with sand and litter in some places, so the rain may not drain easily. Be careful when driving shortly after a rain shower, the roads can be slippery!
Seawater temperature
If it is nice and sunny all year round, you can also assume that the sea is wonderfully warm all year round, about 26 to 29 degrees. Or just nice and cooling, of course, in an air temperature of over 30 degrees. Anyway, the sea is very pleasant to swim in all year round. That offers another perk: If you happen to be vacationing in Curacao around New Year’s Eve, you can take a real New Year’s dive at Jan Thiel at noon on January 1st, including an original orange wool Unox hat and pea soup. So if you find the New Year’s Day dive in the Netherlands really too cold, this is your chance. 😉
Curacao weather per month
But then, what is the best time of year, weather-wise, to vacation in Curacao? A quick description of what to expect on average through the year:
- January/February: the “winter” months in Curacao. Occasional chances of a cloudy and/or stormy day, but in general definitely doable and not too hot for the tourists. Don’t worry, it stays nice and warm, even in the evening.
- March/April: Spring in Curacao is pleasant weather, though a bit more likely to be quite windy.
- May/June: In terms of weather, perhaps the best time of the year. Not too hot, a nice breeze but not too much: lovely.
- July/August: generally warmer; locals also find it too hot at times now.
- September/October/November/December: rainy season in Curacao. Occasional daytime showers, usually short but heavy; half an hour later, bright blue skies again and almost no more wetness on the streets. Occasional prolonged heavy showers also causes some streets to flood. But generally it is still quite tolerable, and such a shower of rain is sometimes quite refreshing.
The best time of year for vacation
With this you can see that actually all year round is fine weather to go on vacation to Curacao. The difference is in the details. If you really want it to be as warm as possible then go in August. If you don’t mind occasional showers in between all the sunshine, then October/November is the better period of time for you. Tip: Because the phrase “rainy season” sounds a bit negative, that is precisely the period when tour operators offer their vacations to Curacao cheaper. Take advantage of it if you don’t mind an occasional shower. Staying away because of the weather is not an issue in Curacao all year round!
