General Overview

Curacao is listed as a Leeward Antilles island, along with some islands of Venezuela, Aruba, and Bonaire. This means that it has an arid climate, which is a huge contrast with the other Caribbean destinations that have a wet climate with quite a few downpours and rain showers throughout the year. You can easily tell this particular detail that makes Curacao stand out by noticing the local vegetation – it mainly consists of cacti and shrubs rather than lush hills and forested areas.

Other than that, Curacao enjoys an overall tropical climate throughout the year, with daytime temperatures ranging between 30oC (86oF) and 33oC (91oF) for the most part of the year. Apart from the hot weather, though, Curacao is the most sultry between the months of May and October. Nevertheless, this obstacle is also overcome thanks to the trade winds that blow constantly, making the heat feel less intense.

Now regarding the period between February through August and from October to January, the island is cooled down with the southeast winds that blow from South America and the northeast trade winds that sometimes even bring a little rain, respectively.

Average Temperatures in Curacao

Hurricane Season

Curacao sits under the Caribbean hurricane belt, which means that it is rarely hit or affected by a hurricane to a degree that would make visitors feel on edge or unsafe. Typically, the highest risk of hurricanes and tropical storms in Curacao lies between June and November, although the window is actually much smaller, as the months with the highest chances of hurricanes are August, September, and October. Again, the southern location of the island makes it far less likely for a hurricane to reach its shores even during this time, although not 100% out of the question. According to statistics, the island has been struck by a hurricane five times since 1971 - hurricanes Irene, Joan, Bret (that one was, in reality, a tropical storm rather than a hurricane), Ivan, and Felix, in 1971, 1988, 1993, 2004, and 2007, respectively.

Average Curaçao Rainfall

Curacao’s position on the map protects it from hurricanes as already explained before. However, the island can feel the effects of tropical storms and hurricanes that hit the region. The month of January, along with the period between July and September are the dry months of Curacao (as is the case with most Caribbean destinations), with a monthly average of 50.8mm (2 inches) of rain. From October through December, though, there is a change of scenery, as the island receives twice as much rainfall than in the previous months.

Average precipitation in Curacao

Although the monthly average of 101.6mm (4 inches) is nothing compared to the 381mm (15 inches) in Dominica and the 254mm (10 inches) in Cancun during the Caribbean hurricane season, it is still considered a wet season for Curacao. Nonetheless, it will not make your vacation any less enjoyable unless it is a prerequisite for you that you visit Curacao when the risk of rain is at its lowest. In this case, the best time to plan your Curacao vacations would be late spring to early summer, which is an excellent period for beach and cruise escapades.

Average precipitation in Curacao

Hours of Sunshine

Curacao pampers locals and visitors alike with plenty of sunshine almost year round. However, its sunniest month is August, which is when you can expect a daily average of around 9.3 hours of sunshine. Compared to other destinations, within the Caribbean, but also the USA and Europe, Curacao has more than two extra hours of sunshine than New York City (7 hours of sunshine per day), more than five hours of sunshine than London (4.1 hours of daily sunshine), and almost one extra hour of sunshine than Los Angeles (8.9 hours of sunshine on a daily basis) and Barbados (close to 8-9 hours of sunshine daily)!

Sunshine hours in Curacao

Curacao Windy Season

Compared to other Caribbean islands, such as Aruba, Curacao is far less windy. However, although it doesn’t have nearly the strong winds of its other counterparts, it does have not only one but two (very short, though) windy seasons. One refers to the month of February and the other to the month of June when the Curacao Meteorological Department mentions that the average wind speeds jump higher by a few knots or miles per hour (13 knots or 15mph from 10.4 knots or 12 mph during the rest of the year). This is still considered a moderate breeze, though, so nothing intense even at this point. That aside, June also has the maximum sustained winds, which means that it records high wind speeds whose duration is longer than a few moments. Again, you can’t characterise Curacao as windy even in June. Finally, wind-wise, March follows close behind June and February.

Sea Temperature

No matter the season, you can always enjoy a refreshing swim in the emerald waters of Curacao. The sea is pleasantly warm throughout the year, with water temperatures that drop to 26oC (80oF) in February and March (still very enjoyable), while the hottest it can get is around 29oC (84oF) in September and October.

The sea temperature in Curacao (average monthly)