Season and weather in the Dominican Republic: everything a tourist needs to know. There will be answers to all the main questions of travelers that interest everyone. We will give advice and recommendations on how to choose the perfect time to relax.
Table of contents:
- Weather in the Dominican Republic: general facts
- When is the high season in the Dominican Republic?
- Dominican Republic temperature monthly
- Water temperature in Dominican Republic
- Rainy season in the Dominican Republic: what you need to know
- When is the best time to fly
Season and weather in the Dominican Republic: general facts
You probably already know that the country is located in the Western Hemisphere on the Antilles archipelago. The Dominican Republic is located at 16 degrees north latitude, relatively close to the equator.
This means that the whole country has a tropical climate. Thus, the Dominican Republic is located in the real tropics with all the consequences:
- all year round summer
- there is a long, as expected, rainy season, but with its own characteristics
- Gulf Stream flowing near the shores makes the water temperature very comfortable throughout the year.
Separately, I recommend reading the article Is the Dominican Republic open now? There will be up-to-date information on the situation in the country due to covid. We hope the world will open soon and this article will not be relevant.
When is the holiday season in the Dominican Republic?
The official high season in the Dominican Republic runs from October to April. But my personal opinion is that it is comfortable to relax at any resort in September and May. Only the summer months remain, and even at this time you can have a great rest here, the main thing is to know some points. This will be discussed below.
In the high season in the Dominican Republic:
- Daily high temperature of about 28-30 degrees. But not as hot as during the summer months.
- Warm sea or ocean. Water will be higher than +26. Yes, there is the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
- No strong winds.
- Zero risk of falling into destructive hurricanes, which have become much more frequent here over the past 10 years.
- The amount of rain is minimal and they do not disturb and do not interfere with rest.
About one of the most beautiful beaches in the entire Caribbean – Fronton, you can read separately at the link.
It is important to know:
The best time to come in the Dominican Republic is approximately from mid-January to mid-March. At this time, every year, real humpback whales come to the shores of the country. How to see them live, how much it costs in the article at the link.
There are not many places in the world where you can see real humpback whales in their natural environment as scheduled, right near the coast, for very reasonable money. And these, by the way, are the largest mammals on the planet.
Season and weather in the Dominican Republic: temperature by months
Below is a table with average temperatures by month. The data reflects the daily air temperature. There will be two resorts in the table for understanding: Sosua (North), La Romana (South).
| Sosua (North) | La Romana (South) | |
| January | 26,8 | 28,0 |
| February | 26,9 | 28,4 |
| March | 27,2 | 29,0 |
| April | 28,5 | 29,8 |
| May | 29,3 | 30,3 |
| June | 30,7 | 31,5 |
| July | 31,1 | 32,0 |
| August | 31,1 | 31,9 |
| September | 30,7 | 31,1 |
| October | 30,2 | 30,7 |
| November | 28,6 | 29,4 |
| December | 27,3 | 28,5 |
The table shows the main trends that are important for tourists:
- All year round the air temperature in the Dominican fluctuates literally within 5 degrees: from +26 to +32
- The temperature is above +30, in the summer months, not as comfortable as in the winter. Therefore, European and American tourists prefer to relax here from December to March, when the heat is not so exhausting.
- In the southern resorts, the air temperature is always 1-2 degrees higher than in the north.
- Also, here (in the south) there are less winds, clouds and throughout the year there is less rainfall and more hours of sunshine. If this does not matter in the high season, then in the rainy season in the Dominican it is very useful to think about it when choosing a resort.
Monthly water temperature in the Dominican Republic
The second important factor for everyone, after the air temperature, is the temperature of the water.
I am sure you already know that the north of the Dominican Republic is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, and the south by the Caribbean Sea. It would seem that the sea should be much warmer than the ocean, and the cold Atlantic. But it was not there.
Interesting fact:
As already mentioned above, both the north and south of the Dominican Republic are washed by the Gulf Stream. It is the largest and warmest current in the world. Thanks to it, the water off the coast has a comfortable temperature all year round. And most importantly, almost the same temperature in the north and south.
| Sosua (North) | La Romana (South) | |
| January | 26,6 | 27 |
| February | 26,2 | 26,7 |
| March | 26,1 | 26,6 |
| April | 26,4 | 27,1 |
| May | 26,9 | 27,7 |
| June | 27,6 | 28,3 |
| July | 27,9 | 28,5 |
| August | 28,3 | 28,9 |
| September | 29,0 | 29,2 |
| October | 29,1 | 29,3 |
| November | 28,5 | 28,6 |
| December | 27,5 | 27,8 |
The most important thing to highlight:
- The difference between north and south in water temperature throughout the year is less than 1 degree.
- All year round the temperature does not drop below 26 degrees, which is just insanely cool for those who like to swim.
It is important to know:
If you are not interested in whales, but you are ready not to get out of the water for hours, this indicator is the most important for you. The best months to visit the Dominican Republic are September and October. The rainy season has already ended or almost ended, and the water is still like fresh milk, almost +30.
Rainy season in the Dominican Republic: what you need to know
Since these are the tropics, there is also a rainy season in the Dominican here and it is quite long. But the region itself and the climate helped the Dominican Republic, and in fact there are mild tropics here without such a rainy season when it rains non-stop for three months. This is not the case in the Dominican Republic.
The rainy season starts every year around mid-May and lasts until mid-September. But to be honest, May and September are still great for relaxing.
Good to know:
June, July and August are the wettest months of the year and also the hottest.
To understand how the rainy season goes in the Dominican Republic.
- It rains most often at night
- During the peak season, it can rain during the day
- They are very intense
- But the showers don’t last long.
- At night, more protracted, can go a couple of hours
- During the day, due to the warm earth, and the special movement of air masses, showers are usually transient. 30 minutes is all.
- Always after a rainstorm, the sun immediately comes out and it becomes very stuffy.
- Therefore, in summer, the hottest months of the year, along with high humidity
- Strong winds are also possible at this time, especially from the Atlantic, in the north.
- Often the water can be cloudy at this time, due to heavy rainfall and strong waves that rise due to the wind. But it’s not always the case.
- Well, about devastating hurricanes. They can be, but usually pass by.
- Over the past 10 years, only in 2017, the famous hurricane Irma of the highest category touched and passed along the edge of the resorts of Punta Cana and Bavaro and left towards Cuba and the USA.
Dominican resorts in the rainy season
Therefore, vacation in the summer is the place to be. At this time, also sunbathe. But just in the summer months, it is more important to choose the right resort.
In the center of the Dominican Republic there are mountains with the highest point of the entire Caribbean – Peak Duarte (3093m). You can read more about the mountains in a separate article. This mountain range delays most of the air masses coming from the north.
Therefore, in the southern resorts:
- Much less wind
- And most importantly, twice less rainfall
Author’s tip:
If you plan to go to the Dominican Republic in the summer months – choose the southern coast for relaxation. The Caribbean Sea is calmer, there is less rain, less wind and the risk of a hurricane is minimal even at this time.
Details about the resorts of the country, what they are, how they differ and where to fly in the article at the link.
When is the best time to come to the Dominican Republic?
Basically, this question has already been answered above. But if you missed it, or are only reading from here, I’ll sum it all up in three sentences:
- The most comfortable time for a holiday in the Dominican Republic is from October to April
- If you want to see real humpback whales, then plan your vacation from mid-January to mid-March
- If swimming in the sea or ocean is all you need, then the warmest water is between September and October.
In conclusion: I hope you have no questions left about the season and weather in the Dominican Republic. And remember, it’s summer all year round, the ocean is warm all year round, and the rainy season is not so scary. Therefore, if you do not find fault, then you can come here any month of the year.
Have a great weather, without rain and wind!
Resources to help you plan your dream trip to Dominican Republic
- Flights at the best prices with discounts
- Car rental: DiscoverCars – a largest international resource
- Hotels and apartments:
- Vacation packages:
- Tours, excursions and extreme activities:
- GetYourGuide – more than 800+ tours and water activities.
- Viator – 3500+ tours and excursions in Dominican.
- Comprehensive travel insurance: EKTA
- Internet and Calls:
- Airalo – eSIM with internet package.
- Drimsim – universal SIM card (or eSIM) in any country in the world.
- Taxi and airport transfers: Intui.Travel