What's the best time to visit Curacao?
The best time to visit Curacao is during the peak season from December to mid-April, offering pleasant weather, festivals, and attractions. Expect temperatures around 87 Fahrenheit with occasional short showers, especially in February, March, and April. Prices may be slightly higher due to tourist demand, but it remains affordable compared to other Caribbean destinations.
What’s the best time to visit Curacao? See the overall best, cheapest, least busy, and worst time to go in our guide along with travel tips to make the most of your trip!
The Overall Best Time to Visit Curacao
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The best time to visit Curacao is during Peak season, from December to mid-April. Here, you’ll experience great weather, lively festivals, and lots of attractions to check out.
The peak season from December to mid-April sees highs from 87F to 89F, but constant ocean breezes and lower humidity make it feel a little cooler and very pleasant.
Rainfall isn’t unusual during this time of year, but showers tend to be short and sweet so you can get back to your beach time, water sports, excursions, and strolls through town. February, March, and April see the least rainfall of this period.
Visiting during these months can ensure lots of sunshine and clear skies! The month-long Curacao Carnival takes place during this time, both starting and ending in massive street parades (Gran Marcha and Marcha di Despedida) that tourists love watching.
Tourists are clamoring to get to Curacao during this ideal time of year, so prices will be slightly higher than the shoulder and low seasons. Still, it’s more affordable than many Caribbean destinations, even during peak season.
Cheapest Time to Visit Curacao
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May to October is the cheapest time to visit Curacao as the low season for the island when rates drop as much as 50% from summertime highs.
From May to October, Curacao experiences a small rise and fall in heat with the lowest daily highs around 90F and the highest around 92F.
Since this period is right after the peak season from December to April, fewer tourists arrive in Curacao and more hotel rooms and resorts have vacancies to fill.
As a result, hotels and resorts drop their rates and offer special discounts and deals to entice tourists to stay with them. You can reap the benefits of traveling during this shoulder and low season, staying on the island for as much as 50% off the summer price!
We found rooms in Curacao during May for $49-$150/night. That’s an amazing deal to stay on a beautiful Caribbean island.
Since Curacao is outside of the Hurricane Belt in the Caribbean, you won’t have the same weather worries when visiting at this time of year as you would with other Caribbean destinations.
Least Busy Time to Visit Curacao
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The least busy time to visit Curacao is usually from May to September, when temperatures hover around 90F and the weather is very dry.
If you’re all about avoiding the peak season crowds and feeling like you’ve got the island to yourself, come from May to September. It’s right after the peak summer season, so you can expect not only smaller crowds but also lower prices as a result. It’s a win-win!
Sandals found that the months with the fewest tourists arriving to their resort in Curacao are May, June, July, August, and September. Of those months, June and September see the fewest visitors while May, July, and September have slightly more travelers arriving.
July and September get a little more rain than May, June, and August, but it’s still under 2″ per month and not at all a “deal-breaker” for visiting at this time of year.
Worst Time to Visit Curacao
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The worst time to visit Curacao may be from July to November, when the heat and humidity are highest and cool ocean breezes die down.
July and August see highs in the 90F-91F range with little rainfall, so they may be the most bearable months to go if you have to visit during this period.
Of these months, September is the hottest with highs averaging 91F. October and November bring a lot of rain, with up to 5.3″ per month.
November is the most humid month of the year in Curacao, with humidity levels reaching 80%. You can see why visiting from July to November might not be the best call. It’s sure to be hot, humid, and either bone-dry or rainy!
Things to Consider
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What else should you keep in mind to plan the best possible trip to Curacao? Here are some helpful travel tips to get you started:
- Don’t miss the diving opportunities. Curacao has some of the best diving spots in the Caribbean, with diving destinations for all skill levels from beginners to advanced scuba divers. Snorkeling is great here, too. Unlike other Caribbean islands, where you may need to get on a boat to dive the best spots, you can enter the water right from the shore in Curacao. It’s so much more convenient and affordable this way!
- There’s no hurricane season to worry about. Curacao is sheltered from hurricanes due to its location outside of the Hurricane Belt. This means you won’t have to cancel your trip last-minute due to an unexpected hurricane – always a relief! Tropical storms come within 150 miles of Curacao only about once every 4 years.
- You can fly directly to Curacao. Flight price aggregator app Skyscanner notes that American Airlines, United, Qatar Airways, Iberia, jetBlue, and British Airways all offer direct, nonstop flights to Curacao. U.S. travelers can head out from New York City, Charlotte, Miami, and Newark. That can save you a lot of time and hassle in getting here!
- Beach hop around the 2 islands. There are 34 amazing beaches on the 2 Curacao islands for you to enjoy, so don’t settle for the first beach you visit. Soft white sand, calm water, and native cacti on the beaches are common, but the scenery is different at each beach.
- Try spearing and eating lionfish. The Caribbean Sea is inundated with the invasive lionfish, which choke out native fish populations and harm coral reefs. You can spearfish these baddies and eat them (they’re quite tasty) to do your part in keeping the ecosystem intact here!
Frequently Asked Questions
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Get answers to all your burning questions about the best time to visit Curacao by taking a look at the most frequently asked questions below.
What is the rainy season in Curacao?
There's no true rainy season in Curacao, but October, November, and December see the most rainfall with 3.9" to 5.3" of rainfall each month.
Although December does see increased rainfall, it's actually the start of the very popular peak season for tourists with moderate temperatures and lots of sunshine.
Is there a hurricane season in Curacao?
Curacao doesn't have a hurricane season and lies outside of the Hurricane Belt, but it's still possible for tropical storms and cyclones to affect the area from June 1 to November 30.
Is Curacao as windy as Aruba?
Curacao is slightly less windy than Aruba, but it does experience near-constant ocean breezes throughout the year. Trade winds in Curacao blow in from the northeast and make the hottest temperatures feel more comfortable.
So, What’s the Best Time to Visit Curacao?
Overall, the best time to visit Curacao is during the peak season from December to mid-April. It’s a little pricier and more crowded, but that’s because the weather is great, activities are in full swing, and there are cool ocean breezes to enjoy.
Truthfully, visiting Curacao at any time of year isn’t going to be a bad choice. This island nation experiences pretty consistent weather throughout the year and temperature differences between the hottest and coolest months are usually only a few degrees.
So pack your bags (don’t forget the reef-safe sunscreen) and get ready to adventure, relax, and explore Curacao in all its tropical beauty whenever it fits your schedule. You’re sure to have an incredible trip!