The short answer
December is hot and dry. Expect daytime highs around 28C and nights around 24C, with humidity dropping and rainfall becoming minimal as the dry season starts on the Caribbean coast. It is, on paper, about as good as the weather gets here.
The part the forecast won't tell you is the wind. The northeast trade winds build through December, and out here that matters more than temperature, because it decides what the sea does. We're 25 minutes offshore on Tierra Bomba and everything we do starts with a boat, so we've learned to read the wind before we read the rain.
What the numbers actually look like
| December | |
|---|---|
| Daytime high | around 28C |
| Night-time low | around 24C |
| Rain | minimal, the start of the dry season |
| Humidity | falling from the rainy season peak |
| Wind | northeast trades, building through the month |
Compare that to September and October, when the rain is the story, and December's problem is the opposite: relentless sun. Shade is the resource you'll be managing, not umbrellas.
The wind is the December variable
A windy day in Cartagena is a gift in the city and a negotiation at sea. On land the breeze takes the edge off 28C, which is why the Walled City is far more walkable in December than in October. On the water it means chop.
Our crossing is usually smooth, and much calmer than the infamous Rosario Islands run. In windy weather the sea can be choppy, but it isn't white-knuckle. What does change is where we land you: if the tide is very high or the sea is unusually rough, we use the dock in Bocachica village, about a mile from us, and you'll ride pillion on a motorbike taxi from there to our gate. Plenty of guests decide that was the best part of the day.
If you're prone to seasickness, take the earlier boat. Mornings are calmer than afternoons here almost every day in December.
Our beach in the dry season
Our beach has volcanic sand, which is grey rather than white, and it faces open ocean instead of a sheltered bay. In December that means a real swell on the windier days and a wide, clean, mostly empty stretch of sand the rest of the time. The sea changes with her mood. If it's rough, the pool is right there, and nobody has ever been sad about that trade.
The beach club runs 10:30 to 6pm daily, day visitors from 11am, and Saturdays there's a DJ from one until five. Midweek in early December is our favourite time of year to be here: dry, quiet, and nobody has arrived for Christmas yet.
December is high season, so book like it
The dry season is when everyone comes, and the second half of December is the busiest stretch of the Cartagena year. Rooms, boats and restaurant tables all tighten well before Christmas. Two practical consequences:
- Reserve the boat, not just the room: our boat has limited capacity, and if you're not reserved and there's no space, the wait for the next one is long.
- Early December is the value window: the weather has already turned dry but the holiday crowd hasn't landed. If you have any flexibility, use it on the first two weeks.
What to pack for December specifically
Sun protection over rain protection, this month. A hat you can keep on in a breeze, which is not the same as a hat that looks good in photographs, because the trades will take the wrong one straight into the sea. Reef-safe sunscreen. A light layer for the boat back after sunset, when the wind plus wet swimwear is genuinely cool. And a dry bag, because spray on a choppy crossing finds phones.
One more thing: we have no signal on the island, so if you need to reach us about a December booking, WhatsApp is the way. We reply to reservations enquiries between 9am and 9pm.
See you on the boat.