Bora Bora · French Polynesia
December
Wet season and Christmas — heavy rain and cyclone risk, Christmas demand spike, but warmest water and manta ray season.
Worth considering
#12 of 12 months
There are better months for Bora Bora — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
30°C
Low
23°C
Rain
235mm
Sun
6.5hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How December scores in Bora Bora
Weather
Below average
Value
Good
Crowds
Above average
Events
Above average
Atmosphere
Very good
What you gain in December
- ↑Christmas and New Year create a demand spike that pushes Bora Bora December prices toward peak levels despite the wet season — for those committed to a December visit, booking 3–4 months in advance is essential; the festive atmosphere in the resorts (Polynesian dance performances, special beach dinners, New Year's Eve fireworks over the lagoon) is genuinely distinctive
- ↑Water temperature peaks in December at 29–30°C — the warmest swimming and snorkelling conditions of the year; the lagoon's tropical fish are most active in the warmest months, and the December-start manta ray season is in full swing
- ↑The New Year's Eve experience in Bora Bora is among the most unusual in the world: the island crosses midnight ahead of most of the world due to its position west of the International Date Line; a midnight swim in the warm lagoon with Mount Otemanu silhouetted against a firework sky is available in no other timezone
What you sacrifice
- ↓December is deep wet season — 235mm of rain and the heaviest tropical downpours of the year; the turquoise lagoon colour that defines Bora Bora is suppressed on overcast days, and consecutive fully grey days are possible
- ↓Christmas week prices are premium despite the wet season: the December 23 – January 2 period sees pricing similar to July at the main resort properties; the value rationale of visiting in the wet season is largely eliminated during Christmas week
- ↓Cyclone risk is at its maximum in December–January; adequate travel insurance and buffer flights before critical international connections are essential
How December compares to May (best month)
| Factor | December | May ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 3 | 8 |
| Value | 6 | 7 |
| Crowds | 5 | 6 |
December in other destinations
Lisbon (14.4°C)Barcelona (13.8°C)Tokyo (12°C)Bali (30.3°C)Santorini (14.5°C)Paris (6.9°C)New York (5.1°C)Marrakech (18.1°C)Amsterdam (6.4°C)Maldives (30°C)Rome (11.7°C)Bangkok (30.4°C)Istanbul (9.4°C)Vienna (3°C)Seoul (3.7°C)Dubrovnik (11.6°C)Rio de Janeiro (29.5°C)Kyoto (11.3°C)Phuket (31.8°C)Cape Town (25.6°C)Prague (3°C)Amalfi Coast (13°C)Mexico City (21°C)Medellín (28°C)Fiji (30°C)London (8°C)Sydney (26°C)Iceland (2°C)Tulum (28°C)Dubai (25°C)Singapore (30°C)Hoi An (24°C)Chiang Mai (27.5°C)Miami (25.6°C)Florence (9.8°C)Queenstown (21°C)Madrid (9.5°C)Porto (14°C)Edinburgh (7°C)Copenhagen (5°C)Budapest (5°C)Kraków (2°C)Tbilisi (7°C)Palawan (29°C)Hanoi (20°C)Osaka (11°C)Goa (32°C)Cusco (20°C)Buenos Aires (29°C)Mykonos (14°C)Zanzibar (31°C)Sri Lanka (30°C)Costa Rica (25°C)Cancun (28°C)Krabi (32°C)Athens (14°C)Seville (15°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (28°C)Havana (26°C)Split (11°C)Taipei (20°C)Kuala Lumpur (32°C)Valletta (16°C)Ho Chi Minh City (31°C)Hawaii (27°C)Cappadocia (6°C)Dominican Republic (28°C)Jamaica (30°C)Tanzania (27°C)Seychelles (30°C)Nepal (17°C)Jordan (14°C)Azores (18°C)Los Angeles (20.4°C)Cairo (20.8°C)Kenya (26°C)Jaipur (22.8°C)Las Vegas (14.7°C)San Francisco (13.8°C)Madeira (20°C)Vancouver (7.1°C)Muscat (27.8°C)Lima (24.2°C)Cinque Terre (12°C)Kotor (11°C)Tel Aviv (19°C)Santiago (29°C)Bogotá (18°C)Bruges (6.8°C)Penang (30.9°C)Lombok (30.9°C)Cape Verde (26.8°C)Fez (15.2°C)Kerala (31°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (19°C)Oslo (2°C)Auckland (22°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Bora Bora, not across destinations. Methodology →