Ilha Grande weather in December
December in Ilha Grande: nice, soaked, with muggy air — fine if you can take 22 rainy days.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#11 of 12 months in Ilha Grande · #552 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 77/100 (tier B)
- Days
- 20°C
- Nights
- 17°C
- Wet days
- 22
- Sun
- 10.2 h
- Humidity
- 84%
- Daylight
- 14 h

Traveller notes on Ilha Grande in December
Forum posters are direct that December and January are the wettest months of the year here, with real rain likely especially by the end of the month, though posters consistently describe it as short, heavy tropical showers rather than sustained all-day rain - often just a couple of quick downpours a week around sunset. Posters describe December heat as genuinely intense, with temperatures around 40C not uncommon. Posters consistently recommend starting beach days early, since rain becomes more likely later in the afternoon, and note early December specifically as both cheaper and drier than the back half of the month. Posters flag December as Brazil's high season, so booking accommodation well ahead is standard advice given the real demand.
Other months in Ilha Grande
Regulars are specific this counts as the coolest, driest part of the year here, genuine winter in Rio state though nothing close to actually cold, pleasant temperatures the norm throughout. Our row backs that cool, genuinely wet read, 16.8C over 13C nights feeling 12C, with 76.7mm of rain across 9.7 days and humidity at 78 percent. Regulars are consistent most bars, restaurants and pousadas stay open despite the island being noticeably quieter, prices running lower and weekends specifically more lively than weekdays. Windy conditions can make scuba diving less reliable this month even though most other activities stay unaffected. The sea sits at a mild 22.9C. The record: 8.5 hours of sun, a 14 kph wind and AQI 65.
Regulars genuinely disagree on this month: one names it great weather, with the heaviest rain confined to December through March and already behind by now, while another calls it a poor choice specifically for a beach-and-forest island because tropical rain is still a real risk. Our row backs the wetter view more than the drier one, a real 145.3mm of rain across 14.5 days, alongside mild-for-Brazil temperatures, 19.3C over 16.4C nights. Regulars broadly agree this and the other shoulder months, April through June and September through November, offer the best balance of decent weather, thinner crowds and lower prices compared with the December-March peak. The sea holds a warm 25.9C regardless of the air. The record: humidity 80 percent, 9.3 hours of sun, a 12.2 kph wind and AQI 62.
Regulars say May and June are not much of a rainy season on this stretch of coast, with one caveat attached: you can be unlucky and land on a cold front, which brings overcast and drizzle for its duration. One visitor here from late April into May reported the rain confined to a few days and the sunny ones hot but not excessively. Our row is cooler than that suggests - 17.9C days over 14.8C nights, the sea still holding 24.7C from the summer - with 77.6mm across 10.8 days and 9 hours of sun. On crowds, this is the quiet half of the year, mostly travellers rather than holidaymakers, though weekends fill and mid-May is the sweet spot. No cars on the island, so the trails are the point. The record: humidity 79 percent, a 12.1 kph wind and AQI 57.
September is the end of the cooler, drier winter run regulars date from June, and a first-week visitor describes good atmosphere without crowds. A caution about our own figures: the 17.8C here reads far cooler than anyone describes the beaches, because the grid square takes in the island's forested high ground rather than the shore - the 24.1C sea is the number to trust for Lopes Mendes and Abraao. What the month does carry is 76mm across 11.2 precipitation days, and the island's best day out depends on it: the four-beach boat trip runs to Praia do Pouso and then a forest trek to Lopes Mendes, and needs decent conditions. Abraao is where you wait one out. The record: humidity 81 percent, 9.5 hours of sun and AQI 76.
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Ilha Grande climate normals — December
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Ilha Grande in December
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.
Peak crowdstravelers describe it as peak season, Southern summer peak, Summer holidays in Brazil
Sourced from traveler notes: “…e back half of the month. Posters flag December as Brazil's high season, so booking accommodation well ahead is standard advice giv…” — Tripadvisor community
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Ilha Grande'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).
Fair weatherIlha Grande's weather doesn't swing hard through the year — comfort stays fairly steady in every month.
What's on in Ilha Grande in December
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Season
Sea warm enough to swim
1 Dec – 30 Apr · usuallyThe water on the Angra side is comfortable without a wetsuit from December to April, which is also when the visibility is worst after a storm. Late March is the sweet spot.
- Season
Summer storms and mud
1 Dec – 31 Mar · usuallyMonsoonRiskClosuresAfternoon storms come off the Serra do Mar most days, the forest trails turn to mud and the steep ones close after heavy rain. This coast has a history of landslides in the worst weeks.
- Season
Southern summer peak
26 Dec – 28 FebSchool holidaysCrowdedBook earlyBetween the new year and carnival the boats from Angra and Conceicao run full, Abraao's few hundred beds go early and the trail to Lopes Mendes is a procession. Nothing on the island is quick.
- Season
Wet season
MonsoonRisk22 rainy days and about 229 mm in the month — the real kind of rainy season, not afternoon showers.
from the climate normals
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Ilha Grande — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Ilha Grande?
Ilha Grande in December — FAQ
- Is December a good time to visit Ilha Grande?
- December in Ilha Grande: nice, soaked, with muggy air — fine if you can take 22 rainy days. It ranks #11 of 12 months for Ilha Grande on SeasonMap's comfort score (77/100).
- What is the weather like in Ilha Grande in December?
- In December, Ilha Grande averages a daily high of 19.8°C and a low of 17°C, with about 228.6 mm of rain over roughly 22.2 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Ilha Grande in December?
- Ilha Grande has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 56 in December.
Within 300 km: Rio de Janeiro's Reveillon on Copacabana on 30 Dec – 1 Jan, and São Paulo's Christmas and Réveillon on 24 Dec – 1 Jan.