The best time
to visit Puerto Rico with kids.
December through March: the dry season after hurricane season ends, well before the summer sargassum peak, with Christmas week and February vacation inside it. The trade-off is that every other Northeast family knows this too.
December through March.
Lower humidity, abundant sunshine, and 70 to 85 degree days make this the easiest window for a family trip. February vacation week falls right in the middle of 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, along with Christmas week. April vacation is on the edge: early April is usually still dry, and short afternoon showers pick up later in the month.
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.
We went in November.
We’d book Puerto Rico in December.
Our daughters were five and seven, and we went in early November, the last weeks of hurricane season, which officially closes November 30. Ours was a gorgeous week, but that was luck: nobody can predict a storm months ahead. For a family flying from Boston, the window we would actually book is December through March. 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.
The links below are affiliate links. If you book through them, NOE may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend what we would book for our own family. Our disclosure.
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 March, the dry season after hurricane season ends: lower humidity, abundant sunshine, and 70 to 85 degrees. February vacation week falls inside it. April vacation sits on the edge of the rainy season, so early April is the safer half.
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 November with our daughters, then 5 and 7, and had gorgeous beach weather, but that is still hurricane season, which officially closes November 30. December is the safer bet because the season is over. Early December 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 March 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 March 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.