4 Warmest Caribbean Islands in January

Warm temperatures attract visitors to Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman. Credit: Wikimedia Creative Commons license

The warmest Caribbean island in January is Grand Cayman followed closely by Aruba and then a tie between Curaçao and St. Thomas.

Grand Cayman in the western Caribbean during January has an average high temperature of 87 degrees Fahrenheit or nearly 31 Celsius, according to the Cayman Islands National Weather Service.

Aruba in the southern Caribbean is next with an average daytime high of 86 degrees Fahrenheit or 30 Celsius. Nearby Curaçao averages 85 degrees Fahrenheit or 29 Celsius, their national weather services report. St. Thomas in the eastern Caribbean also has an average high of 85 degrees Fahrenheit or 29 Celsius, according to the U.S. National Weather Service.

Aruba and Curaçao are among the most southern islands in the Caribbean. They lie just off the coast of Venezuela.

The smaller nearby island of Bonaire also has average temperatures in the mid 80s Fahrenheit in January. But it is not nearly as popular with cruise and hotel visits as Curaçao and especially Aruba.

Water temperatures for these islands are somewhat cooler in January because of lower nighttime temperatures. In some cases, strong trade winds make water feel more chilly. The odds are good that swimmers will find warm seawater, but there is no guarantee during cooler than average weather.

It is important to keep in mind that these numbers are 30 year averages and may vary somewhat from year to year. But they offer patterns of what to expect.

January is the start of the dry season for all of the islands above. They each average about two inches of rain a month, which is low by Caribbean standards.

The Next 6 Warmest

Six more destinations are the warmest Caribbean destinations in January. They have daytime temperatures in the low 80s Fahrenheit or high 20s Celsius.

They are St. Lucia, Barbados, Cozumel, Cancun, St. Maarten and San Juan.

Their daytime temperatures are comfortable enough for most land activities. But their nighttime temperatures are low enough to make swimming uncomfortable at times.

For example, Cancun’s nighttime temperatures drop into the high 60s Fahrenheit. As someone who has visited there in the winter, I can say that nighttime temperatures plus trade winds sometimes keep visitors out of the water.

So anyone who visits the Caribbean in January and who loves spending time in the water will find that the warmest islands do matter.