Varkala weather in December

December in Varkala: sweltering, a little rain, with muggy air — fine if you can take sticky heat.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Varkala🇮🇳 India · South India · Beach87
  1. 92Jan
  2. 93Feb
  3. 89Mar
  4. 83Apr
  5. 61May
  6. 66Jun
  7. 68Jul
  8. 70Aug
  9. 76Sep
  10. 69Oct
  11. 73Nov
  12. 87Dec

#4 of 12 months in Varkala · #245 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 87/100 (tier A)

Days
30°C
Nights
24°C
Wet days
9
Sun
9.8 h
Humidity
77%
Daylight
12 h
Varkala, India
Photo: Livio David · Pexels

Traveller notes on Varkala in December

December opens the Kerala dry season and regulars put November to February down as the good stretch, pleasant and clear, with at least one visitor calling it remarkably hot rather than pleasant. Our row leans their way: 29.7C reading as 34C over nights that stay at 23.5C. The advice worth carrying is about the water rather than the sky. The sea off this cliff is rough at the best of times and never really calm, rain or no rain, so swimming means staying inside the area the lifeguards have flagged. Rain is not the issue in any case - 77.3mm across 8.6 days. The record: humidity 77 percent, 9.8 hours of sun, a 29.2C sea and AQI 70, the figure here most worth checking before a long stay.
SwimBetweenTheFlags · December · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Other months in Varkala

Regulars are specific hotels and restaurants across the region reopen for the season right around the end of August, this month also capturing the Onam festival in its first ten days for anyone whose trip lines up. Our row backs that hot, genuinely wet read, 28C reading as a scorching 33C, over 24C nights feeling 28C, with a substantial 190.9mm of rain across 23.1 days and humidity at 87 percent. Regulars are honest experiences genuinely vary, most describing mostly sunny days with random afternoon showers while one visitor's own trip turned out very wet with hardly a dry day the whole time. The sea stays genuinely rough for most of the month, not pleasant for swimming regardless of how sunny a given day looks. The sea sits at 27.2C. The record: 9.5 hours of sun, a 18.5 kph wind and AQI 39.
ReopensLateAugustOnamFirstTenDays · September · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Regulars are consistent that this month runs genuinely hot and humid, with the standard advice built around timing rather than avoidance: resort pools or the sea for relief during the worst of it, roughly noon to 3pm, with sightseeing shifted to the cooler hours either side. Our row backs the intensity directly, 32C reading as a real 38C at 78 percent humidity, over 25.5C nights, with 91.9mm of rain across 17.2 days. Regulars who've returned multiple Aprils describe the heat as real but not a dealbreaker, with air-conditioned accommodation making the difference between an uncomfortable trip and a manageable one. The sea holds a very warm 30.1C. The record: 11 hours of sun, a 14.8 kph wind and AQI 74.
PoolAndSeaAreTheAnswerToTheHeat · April · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
March closes the Kerala season - regulars say come between November and February or March, because April is another thing entirely and the heat runs March to May. Our row reads 32.8C as 38C at 73 percent humidity, one of the hottest figures in this collection, over nights of 24.8C that feel like 29C. Their practical rule is a time of day rather than a packing list: after about eleven in the morning it is hot enough that even a short walk is work. Being on the coast softens it compared with inland Kochi, and the cliff catches a slight breeze, which is why that is where everyone sits. The sea offers no relief at 29.2C. The record: 34.2mm across 9.5 precipitation days, 11.1 hours of sun, a 15.7 kph wind and AQI 81.
NothingAfterElevenAM · March · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Varkala's season runs November to January and January is the heart of it - no rain, days in the low 30s, and the cliff-top strip of cafes, yoga shalas and shops full of visitors from everywhere. The date the forum flags is New Year, described as hectic and chaotic: rooms are hard to get at short notice and the cliff at night is packed. Outside those hours the beach itself stays manageable. Our row adds one number worth knowing - AQI 86, which is the haze of the Kerala dry season rather than anything local to the beach. The record: 31.3C days that feel like 35C, 23.3C nights, 4 precipitation days carrying 23.2mm, 10.4 hours of sun and a 28.1C sea.
CliffPackedAtNight · January · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

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

Varkala climate normals — December

Daytime high30°C / 85°F🔥 sweltering
Nighttime low24°C / 74°F
Feels like (high)34°C / 93°F
Sea temperature29°C / 85°F♨️ bath-warm
Rainfall77 mm / 3 in🌦 some rain
Rainy days9 days
Humidity77%💦 very humid
Dew point22°C / 71°F
Sunshine9.8 h/day
Daylight11.6 h
Wind12 km/h / 8 mph
Air quality (US AQI)70🙂 moderate

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

Crowds in Varkala 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 crowdsCliff season, Christmas and New Year peak, Winter break in India(estimated)

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Varkala'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 weatherVarkala's weather peaks January–March, best around February.

JFMAMJJASOND

Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Varkala in December

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

  • Season

    Cliff season

    15 Oct – 31 MarDry seasonCrowded

    The cafes and the yoga shalas reopen along the cliff path, the sea flattens off and the sunset walk from the helipad to the north end is the whole day's plan for most people here.

  • Holiday

    Christmas and New Year peak

    20 Dec – 5 JanChristmas & New YearCrowdedBook early

    Rates on the cliff triple and the beach is shoulder to shoulder by four. Book weeks ahead or take the middle of January, when it is nearly as good and half the price. Source ↗

  • Festival

    Sivagiri pilgrimage

    30 Dec – 1 JanPilgrimage seasonCrowded

    Thousands of pilgrims in yellow walk up to the Sivagiri Mutt over three days at the turn of the year, for the guru who preached one caste and one religion. The town looks entirely different for it. Source ↗

What's on around the world in December →

Nearby, and something's on

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

Where is Varkala?

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Varkala in December — FAQ

Is December a good time to visit Varkala?
December in Varkala: sweltering, a little rain, with muggy air — fine if you can take sticky heat. It ranks #4 of 12 months for Varkala on SeasonMap's comfort score (87/100).
What is the weather like in Varkala in December?
In December, Varkala averages a daily high of 29.7°C and a low of 23.5°C, with about 77.3 mm of rain over roughly 8.6 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Varkala in December?
Varkala has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 70 in December.

Within 300 km: Alleppey's Champions Boat League around 15 Sep – 10 Dec, and Kochi's Thripunithura Vrischikolsavam around 10 Nov – 5 Dec.