Best time to visit La Serena

Re-score for me — drag the dial — every chart recolours live for your heat & sea limits 27°C · sea 29°C
I'm comfortable up to 27°C feels-like
22° heat-averse 30° heat-loving

Default 27 °C is the upper edge of the Holiday Climate Index "ideal comfort" band (Scott, Rutty, Amelung & Tang, 2016). Above this, most warm-tourism travellers report measurable discomfort.

Sea feels bathtub at 29°C
26° strict 31° tolerant

Default 29 °C is the Beach Climate Index "bathtub" line (Morgan et al.) — where the sea stops being refreshing and starts feeling like a warm bath.

Saved to this browser. Changes update the strips below.
Sea temp cold <18° chilly 18–21° ideal 22–26° warm 27–28° bathtub 29–30° too warm ≥31°
Recent · 2020-2024
Interest Google Trends 2021-2025 searches, not arrivals (?)
Sea Nov 2022 – Dec 2024 (?)
Day · avg daily high (?)
Night · avg overnight low (?)
UV index · On a typical day around midday, UV is about this (?)
13121074335791112
On the sunniest 1 in 10 days, UV reaches this — and even higher
118691113
PM2.5 air quality · on a typical day (?)
898101213131211988
On the worst 1 in 10 days, PM2.5 reaches this — and even higher
111212172023202117141111
January 10/10 feels 22°C (−4°C vs 1991-2020) · HCI 98/100
Day 22° · Night 15° ☀ UV 13.2 (extreme) 60% humidity 16 km/h wind 0 rain days (12h) 306h sun sea 18°C
Thermal 9
Sky 10
Rain 10
Wind 10

Higher = better, including rain & wind (green = "doesn't hurt the score", not "lots of it").

How is this scored? HCI / Steadman / CCI gate — full methodology and citations below.

Compare with another destination

Add as many as you like — stacked below the main strips above. Each row is just the recent-window score strip and (for beach destinations) sea-temperature strip.

Tours in La Serena

6 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you. Map locations are approximate (centred on La Serena).

  1. 1Elqui Valley Tour: History and Flavors4.86★ (146)from $40
  2. 2Night walk with astro photography4.80★ (5)4hfrom $130
  3. 3Wellness Hike in Elqui Valley — Sound Healing & Andean Meditation5.00★ (1)4hfrom $70
  4. 4Hot springs in the Andes mountains5.00★ (1)12hfrom $500
  5. 5Activity in Fray Jorge National Park5.00★ (3)7hfrom $80
  6. 6Valley of Charm: Slopes, Petroglyphs and Shamanic Rituals5.00★ (1)7h 30mfrom $295

Last refreshed 2026-06-15.

Similar climatesViña del Mar90% · Cape Town84% · Perth82%

Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to La Serena (apparent temperature, rain hours, sunshine — matched within the same trip-profile). The ±N chip compares each match's typical score for the current month against La Serena's. Based on the 2020-2024 climatology, not this year's actual weather.

Month-by-month

Month Temp °C Feels °C Rain days Rain h Rain h/day Humidity Wind km/h Sun h UV Interest Score
Jan 15–22 22 0 12 — 60% 16 306 13 Quiet 10
Feb 16–23 23 0 15 — 61% 15 254 12 Quiet 10
Mar 15–22 22 0 13 — 64% 14 271 10 Quiet 10
Apr 12–20 19 0 12 — 67% 13 236 7 Quiet 10
May 10–18 17 2 24 12.0 69% 11 221 4 Quiet 9
Jun 9–16 16 3 38 12.7 72% 11 189 3 Quiet 9
Jul 8–16 15 2 28 14.0 72% 11 214 3 Quiet 9
Aug 9–17 15 2 25 12.5 68% 13 225 5 Busy 9
Sep 9–18 16 1 9 9.0 61% 14 243 7 Moderate 9
Oct 10–19 17 0 23 — 60% 15 274 9 Moderate 9
Nov 12–20 19 0 21 — 60% 16 277 11 Peak 10
Dec 13–21 20 1 25 25.0 59% 15 299 12 Moderate 10

UV Index in La Serena by Month

UV index in La Serena peaks at 13 (extreme) in January, dropping to 3 (moderate) in June. January, February, March, October, November, December reach very high or extreme levels — apply SPF 50+, wear a hat and protective clothing, and limit direct sun between 11:00 and 17:00.

Best months in detail

January

10/10

15–22°C · 0 rain days (12h) · 306 sun hours · 60% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 13 (extreme)

December

10/10

13–21°C (feels 20°C) · 1 rain days (25h) · 299 sun hours · 59% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 12 (extreme)

February

10/10

16–23°C · 0 rain days (15h) · 254 sun hours · 61% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 12 (extreme)

Every month

Show the other 9 months in detail

March

10/10

15–22°C · 0 rain days (13h) · 271 sun hours · 64% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 10 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 11 (extreme)

April

10/10

12–20°C · 0 rain days (12h) · 236 sun hours · 67% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 7 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 8 (very high)

May

9/10

10–18°C · 2 rain days (24h) · 221 sun hours · 69% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 4 (moderate)

June

9/10

9–16°C · 3 rain days (38h) · 189 sun hours · 72% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 3 (moderate)

July

9/10

8–16°C (feels 15°C) · 2 rain days (28h) · 214 sun hours · 72% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 3 (moderate)

August

9/10

9–17°C (feels 15°C) · 2 rain days (25h) · 225 sun hours · 68% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (high)

September

9/10

9–18°C (feels 16°C) · 1 rain days (9h) · 243 sun hours · 61% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 7 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 9 (very high)

October

9/10

10–19°C (feels 17°C) · 0 rain days (23h) · 274 sun hours · 60% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 9 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 11 (very high)

November

10/10

12–20°C (feels 19°C) · 0 rain days (21h) · 277 sun hours · 60% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 11 (extreme) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 13 (extreme)

Frequently asked questions about visiting La Serena

When is the best time to visit La Serena?

January is the highest-scoring month (10/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 15–22°C (0 rainy days). The top three months by score are January, December, February.

What is the worst time to visit La Serena?

June is the lowest-scoring month (9/10). Typical conditions: 9–16°C (3 rainy days).

When are crowds lowest in La Serena?

Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in January and peaks in November. Interest tracks both in-trip visitors and lead-time planners, so treat it as a "destination is on people's minds" signal rather than literal arrivals.

Which months in La Serena have good weather but fewer tourists?

January (climate 10/10, crowd index 0) and February (climate 10/10, crowd index 0) — shoulder months with above-average climate and below-median search-interest. Often the best value-for-weather trade.

What is the UV index in La Serena by month?

UV peaks at 13 (extreme) in January and is lowest in June at 3 (moderate). Monthly peak values: Jan 13, Feb 12, Mar 10, Apr 7, May 4, Jun 3, Jul 3, Aug 5, Sep 7, Oct 9, Nov 11, Dec 12. January, February, March, October, November, December reach very high or extreme levels — apply SPF 50+, wear a hat and protective clothing, and limit direct sun between 11:00 and 17:00.

What is the UV index in La Serena in January?

January is the peak UV month in La Serena, with a daily-peak UV index of 13 (extreme). At this level, sunburn can occur in under 20 minutes on unprotected fair skin. Apply SPF 50+, wear protective clothing and a hat, and avoid direct midday sun (11:00–17:00).

How high can UV get in La Serena on the sunniest days?

Most days look like the monthly average, but on the sunniest ~1 in 10 days UV climbs higher than the mean suggests. November is the worst case: typical days average UV 11 (extreme), but the top 10% of days reach UV 13 (extreme) — and even higher. Months where the sunniest days routinely exceed the typical reading: March, April, August, September, October, November. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.

Is air quality in La Serena bad for travelers?

PM2.5 (fine-particle pollution) exceeds the WHO sensitive-group guideline (15 µg/m³) in 6 months: April, May, June, July, August, September. The worst month is June with a typical-day mean of 13 µg/m³ (moderate); on the worst 10% of days PM2.5 reaches 23 µg/m³ (unhealthy for sensitive) and higher. People with asthma, heart conditions, or sensitive children may want to avoid these months or limit outdoor activity. Source: CAMS via Open-Meteo.