Your December weather guide
WarmWeather in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in December
December is a good time to visit Santa Cruz de Tenerife if you want mild weather rather than strong heat. Daytime highs average 20°C, with nights around 18°C, so light clothes and an extra layer are a sensible combination. The sea averages 21°C: bracing rather than comfortably warm. For a UK traveller, the appeal is spending time outdoors without summer heat; the catch is that neither uninterrupted sunshine nor warm-water swimming is guaranteed.
Long-term climate averages for Santa Cruz de Tenerife, not a forecast · 1991-2020
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, month by month
Your snapshot
At a glance
The useful details for Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
- Average daytime high
- 20.2°C
- 9 in 10 days stay below 22°C
- Average night-time low
- 17.5°C
- coldest 10% of nights: 16°C or lower
- Compared with London
- +12.5°C
- London averages 7.7°C in December
- Sea temperature
- 20.8°C
- year to year: 20°C to 21°C
- Sunshine per day (est.)
- 5.3h
- 52% of 10.2 h of daylight
- Rainy days (1 mm+)
- 7
- 33 mm over the month
- Humidity
- 74%
- Days over 25°C
- 0%
- none over 30°C
- Record high 1991-2020
- 26.1°C
- 2019-12-25
- Record low 1991-2020
- 11.7°C
- 2017-12-27
- Flight from London
- ≈ 4 h 18 min
- 2857 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 Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Within Spain it is 17th of 87 (Spain in December). Against London's average high of 7.7°C in December, Santa Cruz de Tenerife is 12.5°C warmer by day and 14.8°C warmer at night.
Daytime and night-time in December
The typical December day in Santa Cruz de Tenerife peaks at 20.2°C, but that is an average: the warmest 10% of days reach 22.3°C or more. Roughly 1 in 250 days top 25°C. Nights average 17.5°C; one night in ten drops to 15.5°C or lower, so pack a layer for evenings. Between 1991 and 2020 the hottest December day here reached 26.1°C (2019-12-25) and the coldest night 11.7°C (2017-12-27).
Rain in December
Some rain (4-8 rainy days): about 7 days with 1 mm or more, 33 mm in total. Year to year it varies a lot - the wettest December was 2013 with 119 mm, the driest 2018 with 1 mm. Humidity averages 74%.
Sea temperature in December
The sea averages 20.8°C - bracing (18-22°c). Depending on the year it ranges from 20.2°C to 21.4°C. For the warmest sea here, come in September (23.7°C).
Sunshine and daylight
Around 5.3 hours of sunshine a day (estimated from cloud cover), 10.2 hours of daylight: the sun rises about 07:50 and sets about 18:10 local time in mid-December. Average cloud cover is 48%.
Is December a good time to visit Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
December is not the strongest month here: warm days. The best months for Santa Cruz de Tenerife on our scoring are August, July, September; months averaging 25°C or more: Aug, Sep.
Comfortable for being out, not a hot-weather holiday
The temperatures favour travellers who enjoy walking around without getting too hot. Light clothing should suit many afternoons, but pack a jumper or light jacket for evenings and cooler spells. The warmest days reach 22.3°C or more, while colder nights can fall to 15.5°C or below, so packing only summer clothes would be optimistic. Midday is a sensible time to make the most of the warmth rather than something you need to avoid because of intense heat. December suits a relaxed outdoor trip, but if your main aim is reliably hot afternoons, it is not the strongest choice.
Allow for showers and shorter days
There are about 7 rainy days in December, so leave some flexibility in your plans rather than assuming every day will stay dry. A light waterproof is a sensible addition to your bag, though the rainfall figures do not mean you should expect a washout. Average sunshine is about 5.3 hours within 10.2 hours of daylight: enough to make outdoor time appealing, but not a promise of clear skies from morning to evening. Plan longer outings for daylight and use brighter spells when they arrive. If you need dependable sunshine throughout your stay, December comes with more compromise than its mild temperatures might suggest.
A little perspective
Santa Cruz de Tenerife 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 | 19.1°C | 16.3°C | 19.6°C | 5.5 | 25 | 5 | 0% |
| February | 19.0°C | 16.0°C | 18.9°C | 5.9 | 26 | 6 | 2% |
| March | 19.5°C | 16.2°C | 18.9°C | 6.4 | 22 | 5 | 1% |
| April | 20.1°C | 16.9°C | 19.3°C | 6.6 | 15 | 4 | 1% |
| May | 21.2°C | 18.0°C | 20.1°C | 7.2 | 7 | 2 | 3% |
| June | 22.9°C | 19.7°C | 21.3°C | 8.0 | 5 | 2 | 7% |
| Julybest | 24.2°C | 21.0°C | 22.1°C | 7.8 | 5 | 2 | 20% |
| Augustbest | 25.2°C | 22.0°C | 23.0°C | 8.0 | 5 | 1 | 50% |
| Septemberbest | 25.1°C | 22.0°C | 23.7°C | 7.5 | 8 | 2 | 51% |
| October | 24.0°C | 20.9°C | 23.5°C | 6.3 | 23 | 6 | 21% |
| November | 21.9°C | 19.1°C | 22.3°C | 5.2 | 32 | 7 | 6% |
| DecemberSelected | 20.2°C | 17.5°C | 20.8°C | 5.3 | 33 | 7 | 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
Santa Cruz de Tenerife in December FAQs
Plain answers, grounded in the averages.
Is Santa Cruz de Tenerife hot in December?
Santa Cruz de Tenerife is warm in December: the average daytime high is 20.2°C and nights average 17.5°C. Roughly 1 in 250 December days reach 25°C.
Can you swim in the sea in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in December?
The sea around Santa Cruz de Tenerife averages 20.8°C in December, which is bracing - fine for a quick dip, cool for long swims. Between 1991 and 2020 it ranged from 20°C to 21°C depending on the year.
How much does it rain in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in December?
Santa Cruz de Tenerife sees about 7 rainy days (1 mm or more) and 33 mm of rain in a typical December. The wettest December between 1991 and 2020 was 2013 (119 mm) and the driest was 2018 (1 mm).
How sunny is Santa Cruz de Tenerife in December?
Santa Cruz de Tenerife gets around 5.3 hours of sunshine a day in December out of 10.2 hours of daylight (estimated from average cloud cover).
How does Santa Cruz de Tenerife compare with the UK in December?
Santa Cruz de Tenerife is on average 12.5°C warmer than London by day in December (20.2°C against 7.7°C).
What is the hottest December on record in Santa Cruz de Tenerife?
Between 1991 and 2020 the hottest December day in Santa Cruz de Tenerife reached 26.1°C on 2019-12-25, and the coldest night dropped to 11.7°C on 2017-12-27.
Is the sea warm enough for swimming in December?
The sea averages 20.8°C, which is bracing rather than comfortably warm. Swimming may appeal if you do not mind cooler water, but this is not a warm-sea holiday. If you dislike that initial chill, do not make swimming the main reason to go.
How much warmer is it than London?
Santa Cruz de Tenerife has an average daytime high of 20.2°C, compared with 7.7°C in London. That is a difference of 12.5°C, making it a substantial step up in daytime warmth without taking you into hot-weather territory.
How long is the flight from London?
The flight from London takes about 4 h 18 min, making this a short-haul option for milder December weather. The trade-off is straightforward: a relatively short flight brings warmer afternoons, but not guaranteed heat or comfortably warm seas.
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 Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Sea temperature from the nearest 5 km sea cell, 3 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