Punta Cana weather by month & the best time to visit
Dominican Republic · beach resort · semi-arid climate
The best time to visit Punta Cana is February — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 91/100), with March and January close behind. Punta Cana averages about 2,882 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 26°C / 79°F and roughly 26 mm of rain in February.
When is the best time to visit Punta Cana?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Punta Cana is February, then March and January. The dullest month is May (82/100, 75 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Punta Cana?
Punta Cana gets a lot of sun: around 2,882 hours a year. Conditions barely change through the year — only 9 Sunshine Score points separate February from May. It ranks #2 of 7 destinations in Dominican Republic for annual sunshine, above the national median of 2,867 hours. The year's 650 mm of rain spreads fairly evenly across the months, with no pronounced dry season.
Sunshine Score by month
| Month | Score | Day high | Night low | Rain | UV | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 89 | 26° / 79°F | 25° / 77°F | 38 mm | 8 | 28° / 82°F |
| February | 91 | 26° / 79°F | 25° / 77°F | 26 mm | 9 | 27° / 81°F |
| March | 91 | 26° / 79°F | 25° / 77°F | 26 mm | 10 | 27° / 81°F |
| April | 88 | 27° / 81°F | 26° / 79°F | 46 mm | 11 | 28° / 82°F |
| May | 82 | 27° / 81°F | 27° / 81°F | 75 mm | 11 | 29° / 84°F |
| June | 87 | 28° / 82°F | 27° / 81°F | 50 mm | 10 | 29° / 84°F |
| July | 86 | 29° / 84°F | 28° / 82°F | 55 mm | 11 | 30° / 86°F |
| August | 84 | 29° / 84°F | 28° / 82°F | 67 mm | 11 | 30° / 86°F |
| September | 82 | 29° / 84°F | 28° / 82°F | 74 mm | 10 | 30° / 86°F |
| October | 84 | 29° / 84°F | 28° / 82°F | 68 mm | 9 | 30° / 86°F |
| November | 82 | 28° / 82°F | 27° / 81°F | 79 mm | 8 | 29° / 84°F |
| December | 88 | 27° / 81°F | 26° / 79°F | 46 mm | 7 | 28° / 82°F |
Sea temperature in Punta Cana by month
The sea off Punta Cana is warmest in July at around 30°C / 86°F, and coolest in February at 27°C / 81°F. The water sits at a comfortable 21°C or warmer roughly all year round. Month-by-month sea-surface temperatures are in the Sea column of the table above.
Nearest destinations
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Head-to-head
How Punta Cana compares month by month: Punta Cana vs San Juan · Punta Cana vs Santo Domingo · Punta Cana vs Cancún · Punta Cana vs Puerto Plata · all comparisons
Punta Cana: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Punta Cana?
Punta Cana is a beach resort in Dominican Republic with a semi-arid climate — the sea reaches 30°C at its warmest and is swimmable (21°C+) year-round.
How many hours of sunshine does Punta Cana get a year?
Punta Cana gets about 2,882 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around February.
When is the best time to visit Punta Cana?
The sunniest time to visit Punta Cana is February, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 91/100 (with March and January close behind). Expect daytime highs around 26°C / 79°F.
What is the least sunny month in Punta Cana?
May is the least sunny month in Punta Cana, scoring 82/100 with about 75 mm of rain.
What is the sea temperature in Punta Cana?
The sea in Punta Cana ranges from about 27°C (February) to 30°C (July). Month-by-month sea temperatures are on this page.
How strong is the sun in Punta Cana?
The typical midday UV index in Punta Cana peaks around 11 (extreme) in April, easing to about 7 (high) in December. Month-by-month midday UV values are in the UV column of the table on this page.
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