MEXICO · ISLA MUJERES · DECEMBER
By December the Atlantic hurricane season is over: it ran June 1 to November 30. What is left on Isla Mujeres is 84.9°F on an average afternoon, 82.2°F in the sea and 10 hours 53 minutes of light on December 15.
Arriving in December instead of November costs 1.6 degrees off the afternoon high, 2.3 degrees off the night low and 1.8 degrees off the sea temperature. It saves 1.37 inches of rain.
THE MONTH AT A GLANCE · ISLA MUJERES · DECEMBER
December is the first full month after hurricane season: 84.9°F highs, 82.2°F sea and rain on just over one day in three, so pack swim gear and one light layer for the evening.
HIGHS 84.9°F · SEA 82.2°F · 11.7 RAIN DAYS · HURRICANE SEASON ENDED NOV 30
Go for: swimming in 82.2°F water, a walkable town covered by golf cart or bicycle, and a hurricane season that has already closed.
Think twice if: you want November’s 84.0°F sea. December’s is 82.2°F, and nights fall to 69.8°F.
December is the first month after the hurricane season closes on November 30.
Climate: SMN (CONAGUA) · Sea: Open-Meteo Marine API · Ferry: Ultramar · Taxes: Quintana Roo Congress · full sources at the end of this guide
On this page
- Isla Mujeres weather in December84.9°F highs, 69.8°F lows and 3.80 inches of rain
- Can you swim in December?Sea at 82.2°F and where Playa Norte sits
- Crowds and prices in DecemberThe 5% lodging tax and the Visitax fee in pesos
- Things to do in DecemberPlaya Norte, Punta Sur, Isla Contoy and Garrafón
- A two-day itineraryFerry, beach and lighthouse, then a water day
- December vs November and JanuaryHighs, rain and sea temperature for three months
- Should I go in December?Who it suits and which month to pick instead
Isla Mujeres sits a short ferry ride off Cancun and Puerto Juarez. The U.S. State Department rates Quintana Roo Level 2, “Exercise increased caution,” in its Mexico Travel Advisory reissued May 29, 2026. That rating covers the whole state, not one month of it.
Isla Mujeres weather in December
| Measure | December average |
|---|---|
| Average high | 84.9°F |
| Average low | 69.8°F |
| Precipitation | 3.80 inches |
| Rain days (SMN count) | 11.7 days |
| Sea surface (Open-Meteo Marine API) | 82.2°F |
| Daylight on December 15 | 10 hours 53 minutes |
Every figure here for air comes from Mexico’s national weather service, the SMN (CONAGUA), and its 1991-2020 normals for station 23155 in Cancun. That station sits on the mainland about 8 miles across the channel. It is the nearest official one, and no station on the island has published normals, so read the numbers as the mainland’s. December averages a high of 84.9°F, a low of 69.8°F and 3.80 inches of precipitation.
The SMN counts 11.7 days of measurable rain in an average December, a little over one day in three. Its station sheet does not publish the threshold for a rain day, so the count does not line up against a U.S. one. Put the boat day and the beach day in separate blocks so a single shower cannot cancel both.
Afternoons average 84.9°F and nights 69.8°F, a gap of 15.1 degrees. Pack breathable clothes and swimwear for the day, and one light layer for the evening.
On December 15 the sun is up for about 10 hours 53 minutes. Sunrise is at 7:15 a.m. and sunset at 6:09 p.m. Cancun time (the source gives 12:15 and 23:09 UTC). Plan outdoor stops so the last one ends before 6:09 p.m., and check the last ferry back before you commit to a late afternoon.
Can you swim in Isla Mujeres in December? Sea temperature
Sea surface off Isla Mujeres averages 82.2°F in December, from the Open-Meteo Marine API over 2015-2024. That number is a mean of daily maxima, so it runs a shade warmer than a 24-hour average. It is also a gridded API value, not a thermometer at the shore.
Against the 84.9°F afternoon air, the water is 2.7 degrees cooler, so the first step in feels mild. After dark the order flips: nights average 69.8°F, which is 12.4 degrees under the sea.
We found no wind or wave data for December, so we say nothing about chop. The island’s shape gives one clue. Playa Norte, its calmest beach, faces the north tip, where the current running along the east side breaks. Start your swimming there, and ask locally about conditions before entering the water on the exposed east side.
How busy is Isla Mujeres in December? Crowds and prices
We found no occupancy series and no monthly room-rate data for Isla Mujeres, so we rank no month for price and place December in no cycle. Check nightly rates for your dates in November and January before deciding whether shifting is worth it.
We also found no source on how many weeks ahead to book, so we name none. Read the cancellation terms before paying. Ultramar ferry tickets are non-refundable, though they stay valid for six months from purchase.
Quintana Roo’s lodging tax, the Impuesto Sobre Hospedaje, is 5% of the billed accommodation value, or 6% when a host or booking platform collects payment for a short-term rental (Ley del Impuesto al Hospedaje, Quintana Roo Congress). Every foreign visitor entering the state also owes Visitax, a state fee of 2.50 UMA, about 293 pesos at the 2026 UMA daily value (Ley de Derechos). Look for both in your total before you pay.
The one line where paying more changes December is the day on the water, a boat to Isla Contoy or a snorkeling pass at Garrafón, because that is where the 82.2°F sea gets used. We quote no price for either.
Things to do in Isla Mujeres in December
December gives you swimming water at 82.2°F, 0.8°F warmer than January’s 81.4°F, and 10 hours 53 minutes of light on the 15th. That is enough for one water day and one land day at the speed of a golf cart.
Playa Norte is the swim stop, the calm side of the island at the north tip. Punta Sur, at the southern tip, is a clifftop park with a sculpture garden and a lighthouse overlooking open water. Most visitors cover the ground between them by golf cart, scooter or bicycle, since the island is small and its main town is walkable. We could not verify Punta Sur’s hours or entry fee, so check both before you go.
Boat trips to Isla Contoy, a national park and bird sanctuary north of the island, are commonly sold from Isla Mujeres. CONANP’s own page did not load for us, so we state no visitor limits or fees. Garrafón, a private reef park at the south end, is commonly sold as a snorkeling and activities day pass, and its site did not load either, so no admission price appears. Either day puts you in 82.2°F water, with air between 69.8°F and 84.9°F depending on the hour.
We found no source for free admission at any of these places, so we mark none as free. The one confirmed zero fare is on the ferry: infants under 12 months travel free with a boarding pass, and children under 1.20 meters ride at a reduced fare. We quote no adult fare.
Isla Mujeres itinerary for December
Take an early Ultramar crossing and be at the pier 30 minutes before departure, as Ultramar asks. You land at the Terminal Maritima APIQROO. Pick up a golf cart, give midday to Playa Norte while the air nears its 84.9°F average high, and save Punta Sur for the late afternoon so you are done before the 6:09 p.m. sunset.
Day two belongs to the water: a boat to Isla Contoy or a snorkeling day at Garrafón, booked once you have read the terms on each. Rain is measurable on about one December day in three. If the weather turns, swap the boat for the walkable town and move the water day into the next dry block. Nights fall to 69.8°F, so keep the layer in your bag.
Isla Mujeres in December vs November and January
| Measure | November | December | January |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average high | 86.5°F | 84.9°F | 83.7°F |
| Average low | 72.1°F | 69.8°F | 68.0°F |
| Precipitation | 5.17 inches | 3.80 inches | 4.09 inches |
| Rain days (SMN count) | 12.9 | 11.7 | 10.9 |
| Sea surface (Open-Meteo Marine API, daily maxima) | 84.0°F | 82.2°F | 81.4°F |
December’s high of 84.9°F sits between November’s 86.5°F and January’s 83.7°F, and the lows follow the same slope: 72.1°F, 69.8°F, 68.0°F. Rain runs 5.17 inches in November, 3.80 in December and 4.09 in January, on 12.9, 11.7 and 10.9 rain days. The air figures share one SMN station and period. The sea reads 84.0°F, 82.2°F and 81.4°F on the marine API.
Shift to November and you gain 1.8 degrees of sea temperature and 1.6 degrees on the afternoon high. You also add 1.37 inches of rain and land inside hurricane season, which runs to November 30. Shift to January and the sea loses 0.8 degrees and the high 1.2 degrees. Rain days fall by 0.8 days, while rainfall rises by 0.29 inches.
Is December a good time to visit Isla Mujeres?
Yes, for anyone who wants swimming water and afternoons around 84.9°F: the sea holds 82.2°F and rainfall is 3.80 inches. No, for anyone who wants November’s 84.0°F water or nights warmer than 69.8°F.
If the answer is no, pick November for warmer water if you accept the last weeks of hurricane season, or January if you prefer 10.9 rain days to 11.7. Our month-by-month destination guides set other places against Isla Mujeres for the same month.
December is the first month after hurricane season closes with the sea still at 82.2°F, and its 3.80 inches of rain is the lowest of the three months compared here.
The last word
December on Isla Mujeres comes down to a noon swim at Playa Norte and a lighthouse visit at Punta Sur before the 6:09 p.m. sunset on the 15th. Choose your Ultramar departure by where you sleep: Puerto Juarez, Playa Tortugas at kilometer 6.5 of Boulevard Kukulcan or Playa Caracol at kilometer 9.5.
Sources & data for this guide
- Air normals for December, November and January (1991-2020), rain days · Servicio Meteorologico Nacional (CONAGUA), station 23155, Cancun · checked Sep 30, 2026
- Sea surface temperature, 2015-2024 mean of daily maxima · Open-Meteo Marine API · checked Sep 30, 2026
- Daylight, sunrise and sunset on December 15 · sunrise-sunset.org · checked Sep 30, 2026
- Hurricane season dates · NOAA National Hurricane Center · checked Sep 30, 2026
- Ferry terminals and ticket rules · Ultramar · checked Sep 30, 2026
- Lodging tax · Ley del Impuesto al Hospedaje del Estado de Quintana Roo, Congreso del Estado de Quintana Roo · checked Sep 30, 2026
- Visitax · Ley de Derechos del Estado de Quintana Roo, Congreso del Estado de Quintana Roo · checked Sep 30, 2026
- Travel advisory · U.S. Department of State · checked Sep 30, 2026
- CONANP’s page for Isla Contoy and Garrafón’s own site did not load, so we quote no fees or limits for either. We found no occupancy or room-rate series. Descriptions of the island’s places are editorial, and ferry schedules and opening hours change, so check operators when you book.