Cayman Islands in December

When to go

December comes just after the Atlantic hurricane season, which the National Hurricane Center ends with November, though it notes that storms sometimes form outside those dates, and the islands mark its passage with Cayman Thanksgiving on the first Sunday of the month. It falls in the dry season, but the Cayman Islands National Weather Service says winter cold fronts can bring strong winds and rough seas, especially to the western and northern coasts, so compare the highs, lows and rainfall above with your plans. Christmas Day and Boxing Day are public holidays, so check the government's list for the days they fall on.

Trip facts

• The World Meteorological Organization's World Weather Information Service lists the Cayman Islands' December mean daily maximum temperature as 28.6 °C (83.5 °F) and its mean daily minimum as 21.2 °C (70.2 °F), from monthly averages for 1981-2010 supplied by the Cayman Islands National Weather Service. (worldweather.wmo.int, checked 2026-10-16)
• The World Meteorological Organization's World Weather Information Service lists the Cayman Islands' December mean total rainfall as 71 mm and its mean number of rain days as 9 (days with at least 0.1 mm of rain), from monthly averages for 1981-2010 supplied by the Cayman Islands National Weather Service. (worldweather.wmo.int, checked 2026-10-16)
• The Cayman Islands National Weather Service says the islands have a dry season of relatively mild winters (November to April), and that cold fronts are the main winter system from late October through early April, with the stronger ones, locally called 'Northwesters', tending to bring strong north to northwest winds and rough seas, especially along the western and northern coasts. (www.weather.gov.ky, checked 2026-10-16)
• The National Hurricane Center says the official hurricane season for the Atlantic basin is from June 1 to November 30, but tropical cyclone activity sometimes occurs before and after these dates, respectively. (www.nhc.noaa.gov, checked 2026-10-16)
• The Cayman Islands Government's public holidays page lists Christmas Day on 25 December 2026 and Boxing Day on 28 December 2026, and says Cayman Thanksgiving, celebrated on the first Sunday in December to commemorate the passage of the Atlantic hurricane season, is officially recognised but not a public holiday. (gov.ky, checked 2026-10-16)
• Cayman Islands Customs and Border Control says a visitor must have a passport or other appropriate documentation valid beyond the date of their return ticket and a paid-up return ticket or ticket to their next destination, may be required to show sufficient funds for their stay, and, in an important notice, tells travelers not to travel with illegal drugs, saying possession or importation of drugs like marijuana (in all forms), including THC and CBD derivatives such as gummies, vapes and edibles, is illegal. (gov.ky, checked 2026-10-16)
• The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism says travelers need an Immigration Card and a Customs Declaration Card, both provided by airline staff, and advises keeping the immigration card with your travel documents because you may be required to present it upon departure. (www.visitcaymanislands.com, checked 2026-10-16)
• The Cayman Islands Airports Authority says Owen Roberts International Airport is located in the capital, George Town, approximately five minutes from downtown and the cruise ship terminal, and within close proximity of Seven Mile Beach, the heart of the islands' tourism industry. (www.caymanairports.com, checked 2026-10-16)
• The Cayman Islands Airports Authority says taxis at Owen Roberts International Airport are dispatched from the arrival greeting area on a first-come, first-served basis, and that most major rental companies operate a short walk across the street from the terminal. (www.caymanairports.com, checked 2026-10-16)
• The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism says visitors can get a temporary driver's license at any rental car counter or at the police station, that visitors applying for one to rent a car must be 21 years of age, and that you drive on the left side of the road; it also says the bus terminal is on Edward Street in George Town, that daily services commence around 6 am and fares start at CI $2.50, that licensed buses have blue number plates, accept both US and Cayman Islands dollars and can be flagged down from the side of the road, and its route table lists routes from George Town to West Bay/Seven Mile Beach, Bodden Town, East End and North Side. (www.visitcaymanislands.com, checked 2026-10-16)