From December to March, Aruba is warmer at night, much drier from January and windy all day. Cancun's nonstops are shorter from every US airport we checked except Boston, a tie; it shares New York's clock until mid-March and has calmer mornings, with the odd cold front. Neither is in hurricane season then.
We are a Cancun studio, so we are not neutral. This comparison sticks to official numbers, checked on November 14, 2026, then shows how we would plan winter family photos on our side of the Caribbean.
Weather, December to March
| Month | Aruba | Cancun |
|---|---|---|
| December | 87 / 78°F 31 / 25°C 80 mm, 3.2 in | 85 / 70°F 29 / 21°C 97 mm, 3.8 in |
| January | 87 / 77°F 30 / 25°C 44 mm, 1.7 in | 84 / 68°F 29 / 20°C 104 mm, 4.1 in |
| February | 87 / 77°F 31 / 25°C 20 mm, 0.8 in | 86 / 69°F 30 / 21°C 59 mm, 2.3 in |
| March | 88 / 78°F 31 / 25°C 10 mm, 0.4 in | 89 / 71°F 32 / 21°C 39 mm, 1.5 in |
Days tie in the mid to high 80s°F. Nights do not: Cancun's lows run 68 to 71°F (20 to 21°C), while Aruba's stay at 77 to 78°F (25°C). December is closer than Aruba's dry reputation suggests: its weather service puts the rainy season from September to January, with 11 days of at least 1 mm of rain in an average December. From January the gap opens, and Aruba's outlook through March 2027 leans drier and warmer than normal. More on our side in Cancun in December.
Hurricanes and Cold Fronts
Hurricanes are not part of this decision: NOAA's Atlantic season runs June 1 to November 30, so a December to March trip misses it in both places. Aruba's weather service places the island on the southern fringes of the hurricane belt, which matters more in summer and fall.
Cancun's winter variable is the cold front, which Mexico's weather service describes as cold air pushing under warmer air, with clouds that can bring showers and a quick drop in temperature. It forecasts 9 fronts entering Mexico in December, 8 in January, 7 in February and 6 in March, counted nationwide, not for Cancun alone. Our guide to the coolest time to visit Cancun shows a front day and a plan for kids.
The Wind, Hour by Hour
Aruba's weather service describes sustained moderate to fresh easterlies, averaging 24 to 28 km/h (15 to 18 mph) from December to March in its 1991 to 2020 normals. To see when it blows, we averaged NOAA's hourly records at both airports for the five winters from December 2020 to March 2025.
| Time | Aruba | Cancun |
|---|---|---|
| Around 7 am | 21 km/h, 13 mph | 9 km/h, 6 mph |
| Noon | 32 km/h, 20 mph | 18 km/h, 11 mph |
| 5 pm | 31 km/h, 19 mph | 17 km/h, 10 mph |
Aruba's calmest hour, around 7 am, still averaged more wind than Cancun's windiest, in mid-afternoon; at that hour, 60% of Cancun's readings were under 10 km/h, against 5% of Aruba's. Airports are not beaches, so read it as a pattern: Aruba's trade wind barely rests, while Cancun's builds by late morning and eases after sunset.
Flights and Clocks
| From | To Aruba | To Cancun |
|---|---|---|
| New York (JFK) | 4 h 35 | 4 h 20 |
| Boston (BOS) | 4 h 50 | 4 h 50 |
| Philadelphia (PHL) | 4 h 30 | 4 h 10 |
| Washington (IAD) | 4 h 25 | 3 h 45 |
| Charlotte (CLT) | 4 h 00 | 3 h 05 |
| Atlanta (ATL) | 3 h 50 | 2 h 45 |
| Miami (MIA) | 2 h 55 | 2 h 05 |
| Chicago (ORD) | 5 h 10 | 3 h 50 |
| Minneapolis (MSP) | 5 h 45 | 4 h 10 |
| Houston (IAH) | 4 h 40 | 2 h 20 |
Cancun saves about 15 minutes from New York, an hour from Atlanta, Charlotte or Miami and over two hours from Houston; from Boston it is a tie. In those four months, 41 US airports had at least ten nonstops to Cancun, the West Coast included, and 15 to Aruba, none west of Dallas. The data covers US airports only; from Canada, see Cancun with kids from Canada, and for a third option, Punta Cana or Cancun.
Neither place changes its clocks. Until March 14, 2027, Cancun matches New York and Toronto and Aruba runs an hour ahead; once the US and Canada spring forward, Aruba matches them and Cancun runs an hour behind.
Entry Forms, Fees and Safety
Each traveler, children included, needs an online ED card from edcardaruba.aw: one form per person, within 7 days before arrival, with a 20 USD Sustainability Fee per person by credit card; children under 8 are exempt from the fee. Aruba also asks for a passport valid for your stay and a return or onward ticket.
Mexico. Per Canada's travel advice, air arrivals get a passport stamp or use an e-gate kiosk, and complete the digital FMMD form on arrival. Quintana Roo adds its Visitax for every foreign visitor, infants included, paid online.
Safety. On paper, Aruba rates safer: the US State Department puts it at Level 1, exercise normal precautions, and Mexico at Level 2, exercise increased caution, noting that conditions vary widely by state. Canada advises normal precautions in Aruba and a high degree of caution in Mexico, and Quintana Roo is not among its regional advisories. More in our Cancun safety guide for families.
What Kids Can Do
Aruba's tourism authority calls Baby Beach, a shallow half-moon beach on a calm lagoon near San Nicolas, ideal for families with small kids; it is about a 45-minute drive from the Palm Beach hotels, whose water it also calls calm. Most of Aruba's sea turtle nests are on Eagle Beach. Cancun's day trips include cenotes, Maya ruins, the Xcaret parks and the ferry to Isla Mujeres; Cozumel's ferries leave from Playa del Carmen, as our guide to Cozumel or Isla Mujeres explains.
Family Photos: Wind and Light
The coasts face opposite ways. Palm Beach and Eagle Beach line Aruba's western shore, so the sun sets over the water, and the trade wind keeps hair and dresses moving all session: lovely in a few frames, harder with little ones and blowing sand. Aruba's tourism authority even lists windscreens among the Baby Beach rentals.
Cancun's long Hotel Zone beach faces east, so the sun rises out of the sea in what were the calmest hours at the airport. How we would plan a winter session:
- Mornings. Our online slots at 6:30, 7:00 and 7:30 am fall around sunrise all winter: 7:16 am on December 15, 7:27 am on January 15, 6:56 am on March 15.
- Evenings. The 5:00 and 5:30 pm slots run toward sunset, at 6:08 pm on December 15 and 6:26 pm on January 15; other times we arrange on WhatsApp.
- If a front is forecast. Cancellation is free until a day before, so you can rebook a calmer day.
- Delivery. A sneak peek within 24 hours, the full gallery in 1 to 3 business days.
Wind need not spoil a session. As one family wrote:
“patient with our family, especially with two little kids during a windy beach session”
Ashley H., Google review
Our six collections cost 295 to 895 USD, with no per-person charge; for families we recommend The Chapter, 60 minutes and 35 edited photos for 475 USD. No deposit: you pay at the end, by card or cash.
Our team, led by Vianey Díaz, brings more than 20 years of photography experience and has photographed thousands of families and couples; IVAE Studios has delivered more than 500 sessions since 2023 and holds 5.0 across 75 Google reviews. See our Cancun family photographer page or book online.
Our Verdict, Family by Family
- End of year and New Year. The weather is close, so let your airport decide: Cancun from the South, Midwest or West; either from New York or Boston, with warmer nights in Aruba.
- February and March. For the driest trip, Aruba, with about a third of Cancun's February rain and a quarter of its March rain. Pack hair ties: its winter wind peaks then.
- Babies and toddlers. Cancun for most US families: a shorter flight, the East Coast's clock until mid-March and calmer mornings.
Sources Checked
Read on November 14, 2026; schedules, rules and forecasts change.
- Aruba weather: Departamento Meteorologico Aruba, climate data, 1991 to 2020 normals and seasonal outlook.
- Cancun weather: SMN, Cancun normals, 1991 to 2020 and glossary; Conagua, cold-front forecast (September 4, 2026); NOAA, hurricane climatology.
- Wind: NOAA, Integrated Surface Database, hourly records for both airports; our averages.
- Flights: US Department of Transportation, T-100 International Segment, all carriers; our average per departure.
- Time and light: IANA time zone database 2026f; NIST; US Naval Observatory for Cancun's Hotel Zone.
- Entry and advice: Aruba online ED card and FAQ; Visitax FAQ; US State Department advisories feed; Government of Canada, Aruba (October 14, 2026) and Mexico (October 19, 2026).
- Beaches and ferries: Aruba Tourism Authority, Baby Beach, Palm Beach, Eagle Beach; Ultramar ferry routes.
From our Google reviews
29 of our 75 Google reviews mention the kids. Two parents, in their words:
“quickly fit us into her schedule, and met us promptly for a morning shoot”
Gautami C., Google review
“Despite the rain on the day of our shoot, they still managed to capture beautiful photos”
Linh K., Google review
Frequently Asked Questions
It is close. December's 1991 to 2020 normals give Aruba 80 mm of rain and Cancun 97 mm, with similar highs and warmer nights in Aruba. Cancun is the shorter flight from most US airports.
On paper, yes. The US State Department rates Aruba Level 1 and Mexico Level 2, with conditions varying by state. Canada advises normal precautions in Aruba and a high degree of caution in Mexico, where Quintana Roo is not among its regional advisories.
Yes. Aruba's normals average 24 to 28 km/h (15 to 18 mph) from December to March. In NOAA's airport records for five winters, Aruba's calmest hour, around 7 am, averaged 21 km/h, against 9 km/h in Cancun.
Yes. Every traveler needs an online ED card, one form per person, within 7 days before arrival, with a 20 USD Sustainability Fee per person; children under 8 are exempt from the fee.
Early morning, when the sun rises over the sea and the wind is usually lightest: our online slots at 6:30, 7:00 and 7:30 am fall around sunrise all winter. You can cancel free until a day before.