It is always important to consider the climate when planning a holiday, but perhaps never more so than when beach time is central to your travel plans.

To help you find out when you can expect the best weather conditions in your chosen beach destination, we have put together an easy-to-follow guide to Latin America’s coastal climate patterns. One tick indicates a good time to travel, while two ticks designate the very optimum months. We have placed a cross against the months when the area will not be at its best (purely from a climate perspective) – this usually coincides with the rainy season or cooler temperatures and does not necessarily mean you should avoid a visit altogether. Indeed, as tropical rain typically falls in short bursts in between sunshine, it is very rare for a visit to Central or South America to be a complete wash-out at any time of year.

As usual with our climate advice, this information is intended as a general guide only – weather conditions may vary from seasonal norms and some areas, such as Costa Rica, have a number of microclimates.

Brazil - south (including Rio and Florianopolis)

See Brazil climate graphs for more detailed information.

Brazil – Bahia and the northeast

See Brazil climate graphs for more detailed information.

Central America and Caribbean

(Mexican Yucatán, Cuba, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela)

See climate graphs for Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela.

Easter Island

Galápagos Islands

See Galápagos climate graph

Mexico – Pacific Coast (for Yucatán, see Central America and Caribbean above)

See Mexico climate graph

Uruguay

See Uruguay climate graph