Aruba in December: Weather, Where to Go, Holiday Traditions and Snorkeling

On a December evening in Oranjestad, the harbor front is strung with lights, the trade wind rattles the palm fronds, and someone is always carrying a pan of ayaca, the leaf-wrapped holiday parcel of cornmeal and meat that Aruban families make for Christmas. Out on the beaches the water is still warm, and the island has begun to fill with winter visitors. December in Aruba means the start of the busy season, a month of holiday music, big dinners and long days at the shore.

A wind-bent fofoti tree on Eagle Beach in the showery months · Illustration

What is the weather like in Aruba in December?

December is warm, breezy and a little showery: hot afternoons on the beach, balmy nights, and a few short rain spells that pass quickly. The island’s rainy season runs from October to December, so this is the tail end of it, and a gray, damp day is possible even on a vacation week. The trade wind from the east keeps blowing, which makes the heat feel gentler than the thermometer says.

Place	Region	Average high (°F)	Average low (°F)	Rain (in)	Rain days	Sea (°F)
Oranjestad	Leeward coast	87.3	77.5	3.15	11.0	82.4

The island is small, so the numbers for Oranjestad tell most of the story, but the coasts do not feel alike. The leeward side, home to Oranjestad, Palm Beach and Eagle Beach, faces away from the wind and carries the resort beaches. The windward side to the north and east takes the full force of the east wind and the open sea, and that coast is rough.

The sea stays warm all month. Off Palm Beach it runs about 82.3°F, and off San Nicolas in the south about 82.1°F, both a touch cooler than in November.

That is comfortable for a long snorkel without a wetsuit, and the water holds the day’s warmth well into the evening. Rain comes on roughly one day in three, usually as a brief shower between stretches of sun, and the wind blows steadily at about 15 mph, enough to keep you cool at lunch on a terrace.

Where to go in Aruba in December

Palm Beach and Eagle Beach

The west-facing strip of the leeward coast is where December feels most festive. Palm Beach, the long run of resorts in the Noord district, glitters in the evenings, with restaurants setting out holiday menus and hotel lobbies decorated for the season. Eagle Beach, a short way along the coast, is wider and quieter in feel, and its leaning fofoti trees make a good landmark for an afternoon.

Both beaches are public, as every beach in Aruba is. They suit anyone who wants a classic winter beach vacation with the sea close at hand and plenty to eat nearby. Snorkelers can head to Malmok Beach, one of the best spots for snorkeling on the island. Showers in December are short, so a gray hour is rarely worth rearranging your day.

Oranjestad

The capital is the place to see how Aruba celebrates. Its harbor, with Dutch-colonial buildings painted in sherbet pinks, yellows and blues, takes on a holiday look, and the evening streets are busy with shoppers and diners. Walk the waterfront at dusk, when the lights come on and the boats rock in their berths.

Oranjestad is also where you taste home cooking. Look for pastechi, the fried pastry filled with cheese or meat, and for keshi yena, a hollowed round of cheese stuffed with spiced chicken or beef and baked. In December you may also find ayaca and the rum-spiked ponche crema, a creamy holiday drink, on local menus. Mornings are the pleasant time for wandering before the afternoon heat sets in.

San Nicolas and the south coast

At the island’s southern end, San Nicolas is an old refinery town that has turned itself into an open-air gallery, with large murals covering walls along its streets. It has a different mood from the resort strip, slower and more local, and a stroll among the murals fits a morning in the cooler hours. The mural tour is in San Nicolas, and the sea off the town runs about as warm as elsewhere.

Baby Beach, in the south near San Nicolas, is among the beaches to snorkel, along with Mangel Halto. Savaneta, a fishing village along the same southern stretch, is the place for a plate of fresh fish. This side of the island suits travelers who prefer a quieter day to a resort scene.

Arikok National Park and the windward coast

The north and east shores are the island’s wild face. Waves pound the rock, the wind is strongest, and the landscape turns to cactus, limestone and scrub. Arikok National Park covers a large part of it, and the ruins of the Bushiribana gold smelter stand on the north coast, a stone shell above the surf. December afternoons are hot, so these outings reward an early start.

The California Lighthouse at the northwest tip gives a long view over the island’s edge, and Hooiberg, the lone hill in the middle of the island, rises over the flat interior. The windward coast is rough, so treat it as a place to look at rather than a beach day. The wind is part of the experience here, so a hat that stays on is helpful.

What to do in Aruba in December

Christmas and New Year’s traditions

Christmas is the big moment of the month, on December 25, and Aruba celebrates it with a mix of Dutch and Caribbean customs. Families cook ayaca, ham, and pan bati, a soft Aruban pancake-style bread, while carols and local music fill shops and plazas. Churches hold services on Christmas Eve, and the lights across Oranjestad and the hotel strip stay on well into the new year.

New Year’s Eve is louder. Fireworks go up over the water as midnight arrives, and the island’s tradition of dande, in which small groups of musicians play from house to house to welcome the year, sounds through neighborhoods around the turn of the year. Restaurants and hotels along Palm Beach hold special dinners, and the beach parties run late.

Snorkeling and diving

Aruba’s water stays warm year-round and clear enough to see reefs and wrecks. December is no exception, with the sea at its late-year warmth. Malmok Beach, Boca Catalina, Mangel Halto and Baby Beach are the top snorkeling spots, spread between the northwest and the south.

The famous WWII shipwreck called Antilla draws snorkel tours, and divers explore wrecks and reefs around the island. On a rainy-looking day, the water below the surface does not much care, so a brief shower should not scare you off a boat trip. Go on a calm morning if the east wind picks up in the afternoon.

Eating and exploring

Aruban cooking mixes Amerindian, European, African and Asian influences, and the first Caquetio inhabitants ate fresh fish and conch, both of which are still on menus. December is a good month for sampling them at a seaside table, with a rum punch or a cold local beer.

Between beach days, drive out to Arikok National Park, look at the murals in San Nicolas, or climb the lighthouse area at the northwest tip for views. On a showery day, Oranjestad’s shops, cafés and harbor front are a pleasant substitute.

Is Aruba busy in December?

Yes, December opens the peak season, which runs from December to April, so the island is livelier than it was in the autumn off-season. The change is gradual, building toward the holiday weeks around Christmas and New Year’s, when families and couples from the United States and other countries arrive for a winter break.

The strip along Palm Beach and the beaches near the resorts are where that energy is felt most, with busy restaurants, lively evenings and sunbeds in use from morning. Eagle Beach shares some of it, and Oranjestad’s waterfront fills with diners at night. The island is less than 70 square miles, so it is never far from the busier areas to somewhere with more room.

The quieter pockets are in the south and on the wild windward side. San Nicolas, Savaneta and the trails of Arikok National Park have a more local, open feel, and the rugged north coast attracts far fewer people than the resort beaches. Early mornings anywhere on the island are calmer than the afternoons.

Early December, before the holiday rush, tends to feel more relaxed than the days around Christmas and the New Year, a pattern you can plan around if you have flexible dates. Holiday week is the time of full music, full dinner tables and the most energy.

What to pack for Aruba in December

The whole island is hot, so packing is nearly the same everywhere, with small differences. On the leeward resort beaches you need mostly beach clothing, while the windward coast and Arikok call for sturdier shoes and something to keep sun and wind off. The east wind and short showers mean one light layer is useful even in the heat.

Light cotton or linen clothes for hot days and warm nights
Swimsuits and a cover-up, plus snorkel gear if you prefer your own
A light rain jacket or packable poncho for the short showers
Sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat with a strap for the wind
Closed shoes for Arikok National Park and the rocky windward coast
A nicer outfit for holiday dinners in Oranjestad or on Palm Beach

Good to know before you go

The U.S. State Department rates Aruba Level 1, ‘Exercise normal precautions,’ and says Aruba is generally a safe destination for travelers, with petty crime the main concern in popular tourist areas.

December falls outside the official hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. The island sits on the southern fringes of the hurricane belt, where damaging storms are rare. Showers are still part of the picture in December, because the rainy season lasts through the month.

For entry, U.S. citizens do not need a visa. They need a passport valid for the whole stay, the Aruba ED Card (Embarkation and Disembarkation Card) completed within 7 days before travel, proof of return or onward travel, and enough money to cover the stay.

Is December a good time to visit Aruba?

Yes, December is a good month for beach travelers, couples and families who want warm water, holiday atmosphere and a full calendar of restaurants and nightlife. The best base is the leeward coast around Palm Beach, Eagle Beach and Oranjestad, where the resorts and most of the beaches lie. Travelers who prefer a quiet, local experience can do very well in the south around San Nicolas and Savaneta.

Compared with November, the days are a shade cooler, with a slightly lower high and a sea that has lost a few degrees from its autumn peak. The rain is similar, and the autumn off-season gives way to the busier season. November is the quieter month, December is the livelier one, and the difference shows in dinner tables and beach chairs rather than in the thermometer.

January is slightly cooler again, with noticeably less rain, since the dry season runs from January to April. The sea is cooler by a few degrees but still warm. The island stays in peak season, but the holiday lights and festive spirit fade after the New Year. If you want the driest weather, January or later suits better, while December suits those who want the festive mood.

The general best time to visit Aruba runs from February to August, so December is not at the top of that list for weather alone. What it offers instead is Christmas ayaca on the table, dande music in the streets and fireworks over the water at midnight on New Year’s Eve, with a warm sea waiting the next morning.

Sources

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Open-Meteo Marine API, average 2015-2024, checked October 9, 2026
sunrise-sunset.org, sunrise and sunset calculated for the 15th of the month, checked October 9, 2026
Aruba Tourism Authority, Weather and climate (https://www.aruba.com/us/our-island/island-facts/weather-and-climate), checked October 9, 2026
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