The best time
to visit Puerto Rico with kids.
December through April: the dry season, outside hurricane season and the summer sargassum peak, and inside both New England school vacation weeks. The trade-off is that every other Northeast family knows this too.
December through April.
Lower humidity, abundant sunshine, and 70 to 85 degree days make this the easiest window for a family trip. February and April school vacation weeks both fall inside it, which is exactly what makes Puerto Rico one of the strongest February vacation picks on the whole site: no flight seasonality to work around, and weather that cooperates. The same window is the best time to visit San Juan, Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico in January and March sits in the same dry season, outside the February and April vacation weeks.
Puerto Rico hurricane season, and the sargassum peak.
Hurricane season in Puerto Rico runs June 1 through November 30, entirely outside this window. Sargassum, seaweed that can wash up and affect swimming conditions, peaks around June and July, also outside it. One nuance worth knowing: the tourist board describes April as the start of a rainy-season transition, so short afternoon showers become a bit more common than in December or January, though it rarely derails a trip.
Puerto Rico in December: we went, and we’d go again.
Our daughters were five and seven at the time. Early December is right at the tail end of hurricane season, which officially closes November 30, and nobody can predict a storm months ahead. Ours was a gorgeous week. Puerto Rico weather in December usually means highs in the mid 80s, lows around 72, and ocean water near 80 degrees. If you can go then, we really recommend it.
It is also about as easy as a beach trip gets from Boston. The flight from Logan is about four hours nonstop, it counts as a domestic trip so the kids don’t need passports, and our hotel was only 15 minutes from the San Juan airport. No second flight, no long transfer, no customs line on the way home.
Where we stayed: the San Juan Marriott on Condado Beach
We stayed at the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino, right on Condado Beach, and it was amazing. The shallow pool was perfect for the girls, they both loved the waterslide, and when they wanted the ocean we just walked out onto the beach. It is worth spending a little more than you normally would on a hotel for this one: the location is perfect.
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The San Juan Marriott, or a Condado rental
The hotel we stayed in, right on Condado Beach. If you would rather have a kitchen, there are two-bedroom rentals on the same strip.
The hotel link opens Expedia for 2 adults and 2 kids. The rental link opens Vrbo for the same family, two bedrooms minimum. No dates are set.
What families ask us.
What is the best time to visit Puerto Rico with kids?
December through April, the dry season: lower humidity, abundant sunshine, and 70 to 85 degrees. Both February and April school vacation weeks fall inside this window.
What is Puerto Rico weather in December like with kids?
Warm and mostly dry: highs in the mid 80s, lows around 72, and ocean water near 80 degrees. We went in early December with our daughters, then 5 and 7, and had gorgeous beach weather. It is right at the tail end of hurricane season, which officially closes November 30, so a late storm is possible but unlikely, and no one can predict one months ahead. It also sits before the Christmas and February vacation crowds.
When is hurricane season in Puerto Rico?
June 1 through November 30, with the peak from August through October. December through April sits entirely outside it, which is part of why that window works so well for a family trip.
What is sargassum and when does it peak?
A seaweed that can wash up on beaches and affect swimming conditions, peaking around June and July. December through April sits well outside that peak too.
Is April a fully safe bet for good weather?
Mostly, with one nuance: the tourist board describes April as the start of the rainy season transition, so short afternoon showers become more common than in the deep winter months. It rarely derails a trip, just worth knowing ahead of time.