El Tunco weather in January

January in El Tunco: sweltering, dry, with clean air — fine if you can take 35°C afternoons.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

El Tunco🇸🇻 El Salvador · Northern Central America · Beach95
  1. 95Jan
  2. 94Feb
  3. 91Mar
  4. 87Apr
  5. 74May
  6. 61Jun
  7. 77Jul
  8. 69Aug
  9. 65Sep
  10. 66Oct
  11. 85Nov
  12. 93Dec

#1 of 12 months in El Tunco · #5 of 1413 destinations to visit in January · comfort 95/100 (tier S)

Days
32°C
Nights
23°C
Wet days
1
Sun
10.4 h
Humidity
64%
Daylight
11 h
El Tunco, El Salvador
Photo: Edu Raw · Pexels

Traveller notes on El Tunco in January

Notes from nearby Suchitoto (63 km away)

El Tunco doesn't have its own notes for January yet — these are about Suchitoto, close enough to share the season.

El Salvador forum threads describe the dry season here as genuinely excellent - sunny, comfortably warm days with little to no humidity, a pattern that holds from around November through the following April. One specific seasonal trade-off worth knowing for anyone visiting Suchitoto in January: Los Tercios Waterfall, a popular nearby attraction known for its unusual hexagonal basalt rock formations, runs essentially dry this time of year - the rocks themselves stay beautiful and worth seeing, but visitors expecting flowing water should time a visit for the wetter months instead if that's the priority.
CuscatlanDepartmentRegular · January · 1 month ago · about Suchitoto · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Other months in El Tunco

El Tunco-focused surf guides call December and January the pick of the year: the region's soggier months have just ended, so it's dry-season sunshine and low crowds by Central American standards, with swell still consistent enough to keep the reef breaks at El Sunzal working most days. Waves run a touch smaller than the peak swell months, but clean rather than blown-out, and the water stays warm enough that a rash guard covers it for most visitors. The trade-off for the good weather is a busier stretch right around Christmas and New Year, when domestic tourists from San Salvador fill the town's hostels and beachfront bars. Outside that holiday spike, regulars describe December as close to the year's most reliable combination of sun, manageable waves, and thin crowds. The record: 30.9C days feeling like a sticky 35C, 23.1C nights, just 9.2mm across 2.2 days, a 29C sea, 68 percent humidity and 10.3 hours of sun.
SunzalDecemberRegular · December · 1 month ago · Read more on 360-surf.com ↗

Add your own note from El Tunco's card on the map.

El Tunco climate normals — January

Daytime high32°C / 89°F🔥 sweltering
Nighttime low23°C / 73°F
Feels like (high)35°C / 95°F
Sea temperature28°C / 83°F♨️ bath-warm
Rainfall1 mm / 0.1 in☀️ dry
Rainy days1 days
Humidity64%💧 humid
Dew point19°C / 66°F
Sunshine10.4 h/day
Daylight11.4 h
Wind16 km/h / 10 mph
Air quality (US AQI)43🍃 good

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in El Tunco in January

How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.

Busyschool holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather(estimated)

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for El Tunco's weather

Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).

Best weatherEl Tunco's weather peaks December–February, best around January.

JFMAMJJASOND

Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in El Tunco in January

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Season

    Dry season

    1 Nov – 15 Apr · usually

    The rain stops and the waves drop to a size beginners can handle, which is when surf schools do their best business. Outside Christmas and Easter the town is at its most relaxed.

What's on around the world in January →

Nearby, and something's on

Within 300 km of El Tunco — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.

Where is El Tunco?

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El Tunco in January — FAQ

Is January a good time to visit El Tunco?
January in El Tunco: sweltering, dry, with clean air — fine if you can take 35°C afternoons. It ranks #1 of 12 months for El Tunco on SeasonMap's comfort score (95/100).
What is the weather like in El Tunco in January?
In January, El Tunco averages a daily high of 31.5°C and a low of 22.7°C, with about 1.4 mm of rain over roughly 0.5 rainy days.
What is the air quality in El Tunco in January?
El Tunco has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 43 in January.

Within 300 km: Antigua Guatemala's Dry season around 1 Nov – 30 Apr, and Lake Atitlán's Dry season around 1 Nov – 30 Apr.