Best Time to Travel to Puerto Rico

Ready to start planning a Puerto Rico Vacation? Before jetting off, you’ll want to make sure you have planned some activities and sights you want to see. Another consideration is when to travel to Puerto Rico. This typically depends on your personal trip expectations and preferences (and how much you are willing to spend!).

Do you thrive on hot summer beach days or prefer cooler winter evenings and less crowded attractions? Have you dreamed of night snorkeling in bioluminescent waters off Puerto Rico beaches or salsa dancing in the streets of Old San Juan? From nightlife to nature, history and eco-wonders, a Puerto Rico vacation ticks all the boxes.

But choosing the best time to travel to Puerto Rico for a solo adventure, family vacation, friends’ trip, or couple’s honeymoon often comes down to weather, affordability, available excursions, travel restrictions, and special events and festivals. Let's not forget hurricane season either! Though major storms are relatively rare, they do occur and are important to consider when planning a visit. 

When Is the Best Time to Go to Puerto Rico?

Busy travel periods can seem like the worst time to travel Puerto Rico, but that's not always the case. Here’s what you need to know to decide when to visit Puerto Rico.

What to Expect: March Through June

If possible, avoid school spring break periods (typically in March) when partying is rampant, bars overflow, and jam-packed beaches diminish the beauty of those famous clear Caribbean waters. Prices during these weeks also skyrocket in popular tourist enclaves, including at Puerto Rico resorts. 

Those curious about the best time to visit Puerto Vallarta should consider holding out until April, May, and June when rain is scarce and rates become more affordable. In fact, sojourners typically cite April and May as the best time to go to Puerto Rico. The winter and holiday crowds have dwindled, rains have yet to arrive, prices are trending lower, and breezy afternoons tease the coming summer heat.

What to Expect: June Through November

Because of the Atlantic hurricane season, heavy rains and high humidity, the months of June through November are considered low season in Puerto Rico. As expected, it's also the cheapest time to go to Puerto Rico. You'll find bargains on Puerto Rico hotels, flights, and some attractions, but you'll also relish less crowded restaurants, shops, and public transportation.

Coffee aficionados find this the perfect time to visit coffee haciendas in the cooler mountain elevations spreading from Orocovis to Rincon. The mountain town of Jayuya, the highest peak in Puerto Rico, harbors some of the best coffee plantations as well as indigenous Taino culture.

Beach lovers and boaters often claim summer as the best time to go to Puerto Rico due to warmer waters, cool sea breezes, and plenty of water space for surfing and jet skiing.

What to Expect: November Through January

Holidays can be busy, but many seasoned travelers consider them the best time to visit Puerto Rico. The reason quickly becomes evident: some of the best parades and festivals take place in the extraordinarily long Puerto Rican holiday season. Known as La Navidad, this season runs for about 45 days from the end of November through mid-January.

Some of the most cherished modern cultural symbols of Puerto Rico include prominent rum distilleries that are open to the public year round. A scenic ferry ride from Old San Juan takes you to the sleek Bacardi Hacienda that offers mixology classes, rum tasting, and historical tours.

Outdoor music festivals at Bacardi are popular in the cooler winter months, while summer travelers head up to Jayuya to cool off while discovering the much stronger PitoRico, a legal version of the former moonshine cured with fruits underground.

Puerto Rico Weather

It's no secret that Puerto Rico has one of the most consistent tropical climate patterns for travelers. Puerto Rico weather temperatures range from 76 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit in coastal regions and 72 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit in the mountains. This results in an average annual temperature of about 80°F.

Even summer, with its sometimes torrential rains, flash flooding, tropical storms, and hurricanes, is ironically predictable.

Though devastating when storms become hurricanes, it's accepted as a possibility every year between the months of June and November. This is one of the reasons that winter and spring are chock-full of travelers seeking warm weather and rich cultural experiences.

In a simplified nutshell, Puerto Rico weather can be divided into three seasons, with some overlapping months:

• Rainy Season – April through November
• Dry Season – December through March
• Hurricane Season – June to November

May routinely gets the highest precipitation during the rainy season with almost 6 inches, compared to only 4 inches in the hottest month of June. Temperatures stay in the high 80s through July, August, September, and into October, which is also when you risk encountering stormy days, including hurricanes.

On Puerto Rico's beaches, vacationers have much to embrace in these summer and autumn months, enjoying warm sea temperatures averaging 84 degrees Fahrenheit. This compares with water temps in the high 70s from roughly January through April.

When Is Hurricane Season in Puerto Rico?

As with any Caribbean destination, travelers often wonder: When is hurricane season in Puerto Rico? It's important to consider, as hurricanes can greatly impact your long-planned getaway. The Puerto Rico hurricane season 2023 lines up with those of most Caribbean islands and falls within the official Atlantic hurricane season of June 1st – November 30th. Peak months for Puerto Rico's tropical storms and hurricanes in the 21st century have been August, September, and October, so extra awareness should be part of your travel planning for those months.

Also known as typhoons and tropical cyclones, hurricanes in Puerto Rico can pack a powerful punch with strong winds, inland flooding, and storm surges, as well as tornadoes and dangerous currents for swimmers and boaters. Expect both minor inconveniences and prepare for major ones, including power interruptions, damaged structures, discontinued transportation services, and shuttered businesses.

Be mindful of the weather, pay attention to hurricane predictions, and be familiar with evacuation procedures when visiting Puerto Rico.

Since flights and cruises may be delayed or canceled, make basic preparationsfor weathering a storm. Keep a bag filled with essentials such as medications, first-aid supplies, a flashlight, local currency and a battery-operated clock and radio. Cell phone coverage and electricity may be interrupted, so carry a small portable power bank. Keep printed contact numbers and directions in your wallet.

Learn what to do if you face a delay or cancellation and discover how to travel during hurricane season.