On an island that enjoys 52 weeks of sunshine a year, as they themselves describe, it is difficult to define the best time to travel to Aruba.
The country has a stable climate throughout the year and almost every month can be a good time to visit the island.
When is the best time to travel to Aruba?
The best time to travel to Aruba is between May and September. During this period, the traveler avoids the high season prices and manages to enjoy his days without any threat of rain.
Aruba, however, has a very stable climate and even outside these months it remains a great tourist destination.
So, if that flash sale of tickets appears that makes you have to decide without thinking too much whether or not the dates offered are the best time to travel to Aruba, the answer is always: yes!
You can buy with peace of mind that, regardless of the month of the year, the weather in Aruba will be great and your trip will run smoothly.
Below we will explain a series of points about the different times of the year and how each one relates to tourism in the country.
- How is the weather in Aruba?
- The seasons of the year in Aruba
- The rains in Aruba
- Hurricane season in the Caribbean
- The high and low tourist season in Aruba
Following the topics above, we will be able to better understand the climate of the island and know in detail which is the best way to travel to Aruba.
The weather in Aruba
Aruba has a semi-arid tropical climate, with very little temperature and precipitation variations throughout the year.
Located in the south of the Caribbean Sea, but very close to the South American coast, Aruba follows the climate regime of this part of the continent. Like the La Guajira and Paraguaná Peninsulas in Colombia and Venezuela, Aruba has endless summer weather.
With its sparse vegetation, it appears to be a large desert surrounded by the Caribbean Sea.
So, considering just the weather, the best time to travel to Aruba is… any time.
Regardless of the month chosen, Aruba will always be warm and sunny. You don't even have to worry about the weather forecast.
The seasons of the year in Aruba
Aruba is in the Northern Hemisphere, but only 12 degrees above the equator.
In Aruba, the year begins and ends in winter, while summer is between May and October.
These denominations, however, are given more in theory than in practice, since the temperature variation between “winter” and “summer” is not usually greater than 3°C.
In this way, the summer will even be a little hotter and drier than the winter, but with such stability, it is not possible to say that one or the other is the best time to travel to Aruba.
The island is one of the few destinations that manage to attract tourists all year round and this is perhaps its greatest advantage.
The rains in Aruba
Summer is the driest period of the year in Aruba.
And this does not mean that winter is wet and rainy. Aruba is a desert island where it rains very little even in the wettest months.
The wind on the island is constant and, with the terrain almost entirely flat, it carries moisture away quickly without rain clouds forming.
This does not mean that it does not rain on the island.
It rains, but very little.
The heaviest period of rainfall runs from October to January, with November and December being the wettest months. Even so, rainfall does not exceed 100mm per month, even in the wettest months.
(As a reference, I tend to avoid months with levels above 150mm when planning my trips. In Aruba this never happens.)
Hurricane season in the Caribbean
The hurricane season in the Caribbean runs from June to November.
The period is always in mind when planning a trip to the region, as a time to be avoided. It is normal for everyone to associate the Caribbean countries with big storms, but believe me, they are not a problem when determining the best time to travel to Aruba.
Aruba is located in the extreme south of the Caribbean, in a region that is outside the hurricane circle.
Aruba and its sister islands of Bonaire and Curaçao, the islands off the coast of Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados form a group of tourist destinations that are virtually immune to Caribbean storms.
In numbers: the chances of Aruba being hit by a hurricane in the year are around 2%. The island suffers from a severe storm, on average, only once every 28 years.
The last hurricane to pass near Aruba was there in 2007 as a level 2, causing little damage, which in my opinion is nothing compared to the region's potential.
The high and low tourist season in Aruba
Aruba's economy is heavily dependent on the tourism industry.
According to official government statistics, 58% of the country's visitors are Americans.
Their majority presence makes tourism on the island very focused on visitors coming from the United States:
- There is a terminal at Rainha Beatriz airport exclusively for flights to/from the USA;
- The US dollar is widely accepted on the island;
- There are several American standard hotel chains, especially in Palm Beach.
Thus, it is not surprising that periods of high and low tourist season in Aruba occur according to the greater and lesser presence of Americans on the island, respectively.
For those who live in the US, Aruba is a great destination to escape the winter, enjoying the country's beaches. This makes the island overcrowded during the coldest months in the United States, between Christmas and Easter.
For those looking for the best time to travel to Aruba thinking of escaping the high prices charged in high season, the tip is to avoid the months between December and the beginning of April.
For those who want to save a little, it is best to travel during the low season, which runs from May to the end of the year – or until September, since from October onwards there is some chance of rain.
In short,
Aruba in January: some chance of rain, high season
Aruba in February, March and April: no rain, high season
Aruba in May, June, July, August and September: no rain, low season
Aruba in October and November: with rain, low season
Aruba in December: some chance of rain, high season
