5 Warmest Caribbean Islands in December

Aruba monthly temperatures above show the island is one of the warmest in the Caribbean in December. © Scott S. Bateman

The warmest Caribbean islands in December include southern destinations such as Aruba and Curaçao. But a few other choices are worth a look.

Historically, Aruba and Curaçao have average high temperatures in the upper 80s Fahrenheit or about 30 Celsius in December. Both islands are among the most southern islands in the Caribbean. They lie about 78 miles apart near the coast of Venezuela.

The smaller nearby island of Bonaire has similar temperatures in December. But it is not nearly as popular with cruise and hotel visitors as Curaçao and especially Aruba.

Aruba has an average daytime temperature in December of 87 degrees Fahrenheit or 30 Celsius over a 30-year period, according to the Meteorological Department of Aruba. It has an average nighttime temperature of 79 degrees Fahrenheit or 26 Celsius. Water temperatures are usually balmy and comfortable.

However, the average rainfall for Aruba in December is higher than normal at about three inches, although three inches is somewhat low compared to other Caribbean islands..

Curaçao has average daytime temperatures of 86 degrees Fahrenheit or 30 Celsius, according to the Meteorological Department of Curaçao. But it averages slightly more rain than Aruba at nearly four inches.

We have been to both Aruba and Curaçao multiple times. Both islands are good choices for hotel and cruise visitors. Aruba is the more commercial and more popular of the two.

3 More Warm Islands

Grand Cayman

Several other destinations rank among the warmest Caribbean islands in December.

Surprisingly, Grand Cayman averages the same daytime temperatures in December as Aruba even though Grand Cayman is quite a bit farther north.

December is a transition month for Grand Cayman from the hurricane season to the dry season. Average rainfall is about three inches compared to more than seven in November and less than two from January through April, according to the National Meteorological Service of the Cayman Islands.

But Grand Cayman’s weather has one bigger negative: nighttime temperatures. The average nighttime temperature is only 67 degrees Fahrenheit or 19 Celsius. It will bring water temperatures way down, especially in the mornings. Swimmers may find that water temperatures plus trade winds will sometimes make seawater chilly for swimming.

St. Thomas

The hugely popular cruise destination of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin islands is another warm Caribbean island during December.

It has an average daytime temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit or 30 Celsius, according to the U.S. National Weather Service. The average low is 73 degrees Fahrenheit or 23 Celsius. So water temperatures are warmer than Grand Cayman.

Guadeloupe

The quiet French island of Guadeloupe takes fifth place as the warmest Caribbean island in December with an average daytime temperature of 85 degrees Fahrenheit or 29 Celsius, according to historical data from France Meteo.

Like other Caribbean islands, December is a transition month for Guadeloupe between the rainy and dry seasons. It has an average rainfall of about five inches during the month, which makes it the rainiest of the five warmest islands.

If the risk of rain sounds unappealing, vacation planners may consider other islands that are slightly less warm and have a lower risk of rain. They include Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Maarten.