Your December weather guide
MildWeather in La Palma in December
La Palma in December suits a mild-weather break, not a holiday built around hot beach days. Average highs of 18°C make daytime exploring comfortable, while nights around 16°C call for a light layer rather than a summer-only suitcase. There are about 6 rainy days, so leave room to change your plans. For a UK traveller, the appeal is gentler weather and time outdoors; the catch is that neither strong heat nor uninterrupted sunshine is part of the deal.
Long-term climate averages for Los Llanos de Aridane, not a forecast · 1991-2020
La Palma, month by month
Your snapshot
At a glance
The useful details for Los Llanos de Aridane.
- Average daytime high
- 18.3°C
- 9 in 10 days stay below 20°C
- Average night-time low
- 16.1°C
- coldest 10% of nights: 14°C or lower
- Compared with London
- +10.6°C
- London averages 7.7°C in December
- Sea temperature
- 21.1°C
- year to year: 21°C to 22°C
- Sunshine per day (est.)
- 5.8h
- 57% of 10.2 h of daylight
- Rainy days (1 mm+)
- 6
- 40 mm over the month
- Humidity
- 73%
- Days over 25°C
- 0%
- none over 30°C
- Record high 1991-2020
- 26.1°C
- 2018-12-07
- Record low 1991-2020
- 8.7°C
- 2017-12-25
- Flight from London
- ≈ 4 h 24 min
- 2906 km, short-haul (estimate for a direct flight)
Records are observed extremes within 1991-2020, not typical holiday conditions. Warm-day percentages are shares of days, not day counts.
How December compares
December is the 8th warmest month of the year in La Palma and ranks 57th of 134 destinations we compare for December - see where else is hot in December. Within Spain it is 26th of 87 (Spain in December). Against London's average high of 7.7°C in December, La Palma is 10.6°C warmer by day and 13.4°C warmer at night.
Daytime and night-time in December
The typical December day in La Palma peaks at 18.3°C, but that is an average: the warmest 10% of days reach 20.0°C or more. Roughly 1 in 333 days top 25°C. Nights average 16.1°C; one night in ten drops to 14.1°C or lower, so pack a layer for evenings. Between 1991 and 2020 the hottest December day here reached 26.1°C (2018-12-07) and the coldest night 8.7°C (2017-12-25).
Rain in December
Some rain (4-8 rainy days): about 6 days with 1 mm or more, 40 mm in total. Year to year it varies a lot - the wettest December was 2002 with 134 mm, the driest 2011 with 0 mm. Humidity averages 73%.
Sea temperature in December
The sea averages 21.1°C - bracing (18-22°c). Depending on the year it ranges from 20.7°C to 21.6°C. For the warmest sea here, come in September (24.1°C).
Sunshine and daylight
Around 5.8 hours of sunshine a day (estimated from cloud cover), 10.2 hours of daylight: the sun rises about 07:57 and sets about 18:17 local time in mid-December. Average cloud cover is 43%.
Is December a good time to visit La Palma?
December is not the strongest month here: mild days. The best months for La Palma on our scoring are August, September, July.
Comfortable outdoors, but not reliably warm for sunbathing
December is better suited to being active outdoors than lying still waiting to feel hot. The warmest 10% of days reach 20°C or more, but that is a bonus rather than the temperature to build your plans around. Pack light clothes for milder spells, with a jumper or jacket for evenings; the coldest 10% of nights fall to 14°C or below. The sea averages 21°C and feels bracing rather than comfortably warm. Swimming is an option if you tolerate cooler water, but it should not be the main reason to book. If warm water and dependable beach heat matter most, December is a compromise.
Plan around daylight and leave room for rain
You get about 5.8 hours of sunshine within 10.2 hours of daylight, so there is useful time outdoors without an all-day sunshine guarantee. Put weather-dependent plans in the brighter spells and avoid leaving everything until late in the day. About 6 rainy days means a light waterproof earns its space in your bag, although rain need not define the whole trip. Keep your schedule flexible rather than treating every day as a beach day. December works well if you are happy to walk, sit outside when conditions suit and adjust when they do not. It is less convincing if your holiday depends on consistently dry, sunny weather.
A little perspective
La Palma through the year
December is highlighted. See how it compares with the rest of the year.
| Month | Day | Night | Sea | Sun/day | Rain mm | Rainy days | Days 25°C+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17.3°C | 14.9°C | 20.0°C | 6.2 | 21 | 4 | 0% |
| February | 17.1°C | 14.7°C | 19.4°C | 6.9 | 30 | 4 | 1% |
| March | 17.6°C | 14.9°C | 19.3°C | 7.3 | 24 | 4 | 1% |
| April | 18.2°C | 15.5°C | 19.7°C | 7.9 | 12 | 3 | 0% |
| May | 19.6°C | 16.7°C | 20.4°C | 8.7 | 3 | 1 | 1% |
| June | 21.5°C | 18.7°C | 21.6°C | 10.4 | 2 | 1 | 3% |
| Julybest | 23.0°C | 20.2°C | 22.4°C | 11.5 | 0 | 0 | 10% |
| Augustbest | 24.0°C | 21.2°C | 23.3°C | 10.8 | 1 | 0 | 14% |
| Septemberbest | 23.7°C | 20.9°C | 24.1°C | 8.8 | 4 | 1 | 13% |
| October | 22.1°C | 19.6°C | 23.8°C | 6.9 | 20 | 4 | 4% |
| November | 19.9°C | 17.7°C | 22.6°C | 5.8 | 26 | 5 | 2% |
| DecemberSelected | 18.3°C | 16.1°C | 21.1°C | 5.8 | 40 | 6 | 0% |
Day = average daytime high, night = average night-time low, 1991-2020.Sun is hours per day; rainy days count 1 mm or more.
Day, night and sea
Monthly average temperatures, 1991-2020
- Day
- Night
- Sea
Best months here
On warmth, low rainfall and sunshine, start with these.
Keep exploring
Similar in December
Closest matches on daytime temperature, sea temperature and sunshine, in other countries.
A little more detail
La Palma in December FAQs
Plain answers, grounded in the averages.
Is La Palma hot in December?
La Palma is mild in December: the average daytime high is 18.3°C and nights average 16.1°C. Roughly 1 in 333 December days reach 25°C.
Can you swim in the sea in La Palma in December?
The sea around La Palma averages 21.1°C in December, which is bracing - fine for a quick dip, cool for long swims. Between 1991 and 2020 it ranged from 21°C to 22°C depending on the year.
How much does it rain in La Palma in December?
La Palma sees about 6 rainy days (1 mm or more) and 40 mm of rain in a typical December. The wettest December between 1991 and 2020 was 2002 (134 mm) and the driest was 2011 (0 mm).
How sunny is La Palma in December?
La Palma gets around 5.8 hours of sunshine a day in December out of 10.2 hours of daylight (estimated from average cloud cover).
How does La Palma compare with the UK in December?
La Palma is on average 10.6°C warmer than London by day in December (18.3°C against 7.7°C).
What is the hottest December on record in La Palma?
Between 1991 and 2020 the hottest December day in La Palma reached 26.1°C on 2018-12-07, and the coldest night dropped to 8.7°C on 2017-12-25.
How much warmer is La Palma than London in December?
La Palma's average daytime high is 18.3°C, compared with 7.7°C in London: a difference of 10.6°C. That is a substantial lift for time outdoors, but it still means mild weather rather than summer heat.
How long is the flight from London?
The flight from London takes about 4 h 24 min, making La Palma a short-haul option for milder December weather. The trade-off is clear: you can reach gentler temperatures without a long-haul flight, but you should not expect tropical heat.
Should I choose December or go in summer?
Choose December if mild days suit you and you can accept some rain and bracing sea temperatures. August, September and July are the better-rated months overall, so consider those instead if December's weather sounds too much of a compromise.
About these averages
ERA5-Land climate reanalysis via Open-Meteo (11 km grid) and NOAA Coral Reef Watch 5 km sea temperatures, 1991-2020
Averages computed from daily values at Los Llanos de Aridane. Sea temperature from the nearest 5 km sea cell, 3.8 km from that point. Sunshine hours are estimated from average cloud cover.Records are the highest and lowest daily values in that 30-year period, not all-time records. These are climate averages, not a forecast for your trip. How we measure holiday weather
- Hot · 25°C+
- Warm · 20°C to below 25°C
- Mild · 15°C to below 20°C
- Cool · below 15°C