Best time to visit Plettenberg Bay
The best time to visit Plettenberg Bay is January–December, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Plettenberg Bay, Western Cape, South Africa
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23.2 °C / 74 °F | 17.7 °C / 64 °F | 43 mm / 1.7 in | best month |
| February | 23.2 °C / 74 °F | 17.7 °C / 64 °F | 43 mm / 1.7 in | best month |
| March | 22.4 °C / 72 °F | 16.9 °C / 62 °F | 43 mm / 1.7 in | best month |
| April | 20.4 °C / 69 °F | 14.4 °C / 58 °F | 43 mm / 1.7 in | best month |
| May | 19.5 °C / 67 °F | 12.8 °C / 55 °F | 40 mm / 1.6 in | best month |
| June | 17.8 °C / 64 °F | 11.2 °C / 52 °F | 53 mm / 2.1 in | best month |
| July | 17.2 °C / 63 °F | 10.3 °C / 51 °F | 51 mm / 2 in | best month |
| August | 17.3 °C / 63 °F | 10.6 °C / 51 °F | 58 mm / 2.3 in | best month |
| September | 17.8 °C / 64 °F | 11.7 °C / 53 °F | 48 mm / 1.9 in | best month |
| October | 19 °C / 66 °F | 13.3 °C / 56 °F | 55 mm / 2.2 in | best month |
| November | 20.1 °C / 68 °F | 14.4 °C / 58 °F | 60 mm / 2.4 in | best month |
| December | 21.8 °C / 71 °F | 16.3 °C / 61 °F | 40 mm / 1.6 in | best month |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: best
- FFebruary: best
- MMarch: best
- AApril: best
- MMay: best
- JJune: best
- JJuly: best
- AAugust: best
- SSeptember: best
- OOctober: best
- NNovember: best
- DDecember: best
- Best
- January–December
Why these months
January · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 24.7 °C / 76 °F, average daily high 23.2 °C / 74 °F, precipitation 43 mm / 1.7 in, share of daylight that is sunny 89%, days with heavy rain 1 days, wet days 8.1 days, average daily low 17.7 °C / 64 °F.
Against: relative humidity 78%.
February · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 24.7 °C / 76 °F, average daily high 23.2 °C / 74 °F, precipitation 43 mm / 1.7 in, share of daylight that is sunny 90%, days with heavy rain 1.1 days, wet days 8.1 days, average daily low 17.7 °C / 64 °F.
Against: relative humidity 79%.
March · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 23.3 °C / 74 °F, average daily high 22.4 °C / 72 °F, precipitation 43 mm / 1.7 in, share of daylight that is sunny 89%, days with heavy rain 1.1 days, wet days 8.3 days, average daily low 16.9 °C / 62 °F.
Against: relative humidity 78%.
April · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 20 °C / 68 °F, average daily high 20.4 °C / 69 °F, precipitation 43 mm / 1.7 in, share of daylight that is sunny 88%, days with heavy rain 1 days, wet days 7.8 days, average daily low 14.4 °C / 58 °F.
Against: relative humidity 77%.
May · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 18.1 °C / 65 °F, average daily high 19.5 °C / 67 °F, precipitation 40 mm / 1.6 in, share of daylight that is sunny 87%, wet days 6 days, days with heavy rain 1.1 days, average daily low 12.8 °C / 55 °F, relative humidity 74%.
June · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 15.5 °C / 60 °F, precipitation 53 mm / 2.1 in, share of daylight that is sunny 84%, average daily high 17.8 °C / 64 °F, days with heavy rain 1.4 days, wet days 7.8 days, average daily low 11.2 °C / 52 °F, relative humidity 69%.
July · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 14.7 °C / 58 °F, precipitation 51 mm / 2 in, share of daylight that is sunny 86%, average daily high 17.2 °C / 63 °F, days with heavy rain 1.3 days, wet days 8.7 days, average daily low 10.3 °C / 51 °F, relative humidity 70%.
August · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 15.1 °C / 59 °F, precipitation 58 mm / 2.3 in, share of daylight that is sunny 91%, average daily high 17.3 °C / 63 °F, days with heavy rain 1.4 days, wet days 8.2 days, average daily low 10.6 °C / 51 °F, relative humidity 71%.
September · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 16.4 °C / 62 °F, precipitation 48 mm / 1.9 in, share of daylight that is sunny 87%, average daily high 17.8 °C / 64 °F, days with heavy rain 0.9 days, wet days 8 days, average daily low 11.7 °C / 53 °F, relative humidity 74%.
October · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 18.6 °C / 65 °F, average daily high 19 °C / 66 °F, precipitation 55 mm / 2.2 in, share of daylight that is sunny 87%, days with heavy rain 1.5 days, wet days 9.4 days, average daily low 13.3 °C / 56 °F, relative humidity 76%.
November · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 20.3 °C / 69 °F, average daily high 20.1 °C / 68 °F, precipitation 60 mm / 2.4 in, share of daylight that is sunny 89%, days with heavy rain 1.6 days, wet days 8.8 days, average daily low 14.4 °C / 58 °F, relative humidity 76%.
December · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 22.7 °C / 73 °F, average daily high 21.8 °C / 71 °F, precipitation 40 mm / 1.6 in, share of daylight that is sunny 89%, days with heavy rain 0.7 days, wet days 9.1 days, average daily low 16.3 °C / 61 °F.
Against: relative humidity 77%.
Beach and swimming
Hot, dry and sunny. Penalises the monsoon hard.
- JJanuary: good
- FFebruary: best
- MMarch: good
- AApril: neither
- MMay: neither
- JJune: neither
- JJuly: neither
- AAugust: neither
- SSeptember: neither
- OOctober: neither
- NNovember: neither
- DDecember: good
- Best
- February
- Good
- March, December–January
Why these months
January · good
In its favour: precipitation 43 mm / 1.7 in, share of daylight that is sunny 89%, days with heavy rain 1 days, average daily high 23.2 °C / 74 °F, feels like (high) 24.7 °C / 76 °F, wet days 8.1 days, average daily low 17.7 °C / 64 °F, wind (daily max) 22 km/h / 14 mph.
February · best
In its favour: precipitation 43 mm / 1.7 in, share of daylight that is sunny 90%, days with heavy rain 1.1 days, average daily high 23.2 °C / 74 °F, feels like (high) 24.7 °C / 76 °F, wet days 8.1 days, average daily low 17.7 °C / 64 °F, wind (daily max) 21 km/h / 13 mph.
March · good
In its favour: precipitation 43 mm / 1.7 in, share of daylight that is sunny 89%, days with heavy rain 1.1 days, wet days 8.3 days, feels like (high) 23.3 °C / 74 °F, wind (daily max) 20 km/h / 13 mph, average daily low 16.9 °C / 62 °F.
Against: average daily high 22.4 °C / 72 °F.
December · good
In its favour: precipitation 40 mm / 1.6 in, share of daylight that is sunny 89%, days with heavy rain 0.7 days, wet days 9.1 days, wind (daily max) 23 km/h / 14 mph, average daily low 16.3 °C / 61 °F.
Against: average daily high 21.8 °C / 71 °F, feels like (high) 22.7 °C / 73 °F.
Hiking and trekking
Cool enough to climb in, dry enough to enjoy, long enough days.
- JJanuary: best
- FFebruary: best
- MMarch: best
- AApril: best
- MMay: best
- JJune: best
- JJuly: best
- AAugust: best
- SSeptember: best
- OOctober: best
- NNovember: best
- DDecember: best
- Best
- January–December
Why these months
January · best
In its favour: precipitation 43 mm / 1.7 in, average daily high 23.2 °C / 74 °F, days with heavy rain 1 days, wet days 8.1 days, share of daylight that is sunny 89%, daylight per day 14.1 h, feels like (high) 24.7 °C / 76 °F, wind (daily max) 22 km/h / 14 mph.
Against: average daily low 17.7 °C / 64 °F.
February · best
In its favour: precipitation 43 mm / 1.7 in, average daily high 23.2 °C / 74 °F, days with heavy rain 1.1 days, wet days 8.1 days, share of daylight that is sunny 90%, daylight per day 13.3 h, wind (daily max) 21 km/h / 13 mph, feels like (high) 24.7 °C / 76 °F.
Against: average daily low 17.7 °C / 64 °F.
March · best
In its favour: average daily high 22.4 °C / 72 °F, precipitation 43 mm / 1.7 in, days with heavy rain 1.1 days, wet days 8.3 days, share of daylight that is sunny 89%, daylight per day 12.3 h, feels like (high) 23.3 °C / 74 °F, wind (daily max) 20 km/h / 13 mph, average daily low 16.9 °C / 62 °F.
April · best
In its favour: average daily high 20.4 °C / 69 °F, precipitation 43 mm / 1.7 in, days with heavy rain 1 days, wet days 7.8 days, feels like (high) 20 °C / 68 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 88%, average daily low 14.4 °C / 58 °F, daylight per day 11.2 h, wind (daily max) 20 km/h / 12 mph.
May · best
In its favour: average daily high 19.5 °C / 67 °F, precipitation 40 mm / 1.6 in, wet days 6 days, days with heavy rain 1.1 days, feels like (high) 18.1 °C / 65 °F, average daily low 12.8 °C / 55 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 87%, wind (daily max) 19 km/h / 12 mph, daylight per day 10.4 h.
June · best
In its favour: average daily high 17.8 °C / 64 °F, precipitation 53 mm / 2.1 in, wet days 7.8 days, days with heavy rain 1.4 days, feels like (high) 15.5 °C / 60 °F, average daily low 11.2 °C / 52 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 84%, wind (daily max) 22 km/h / 13 mph.
Against: daylight per day 9.9 h.
July · best
In its favour: average daily high 17.2 °C / 63 °F, precipitation 51 mm / 2 in, days with heavy rain 1.3 days, wet days 8.7 days, feels like (high) 14.7 °C / 58 °F, average daily low 10.3 °C / 51 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 86%, wind (daily max) 21 km/h / 13 mph, daylight per day 10.1 h.
August · best
In its favour: average daily high 17.3 °C / 63 °F, precipitation 58 mm / 2.3 in, days with heavy rain 1.4 days, wet days 8.2 days, feels like (high) 15.1 °C / 59 °F, average daily low 10.6 °C / 51 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 91%, daylight per day 10.9 h, wind (daily max) 22 km/h / 14 mph.
September · best
In its favour: average daily high 17.8 °C / 64 °F, precipitation 48 mm / 1.9 in, days with heavy rain 0.9 days, wet days 8 days, feels like (high) 16.4 °C / 62 °F, average daily low 11.7 °C / 53 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 87%, daylight per day 11.9 h, wind (daily max) 22 km/h / 14 mph.
October · best
In its favour: average daily high 19 °C / 66 °F, precipitation 55 mm / 2.2 in, days with heavy rain 1.5 days, wet days 9.4 days, feels like (high) 18.6 °C / 65 °F, average daily low 13.3 °C / 56 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 87%, daylight per day 12.9 h, wind (daily max) 23 km/h / 14 mph.
November · best
In its favour: average daily high 20.1 °C / 68 °F, precipitation 60 mm / 2.4 in, days with heavy rain 1.6 days, wet days 8.8 days, feels like (high) 20.3 °C / 69 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 89%, daylight per day 13.9 h, average daily low 14.4 °C / 58 °F, wind (daily max) 23 km/h / 14 mph.
December · best
In its favour: average daily high 21.8 °C / 71 °F, precipitation 40 mm / 1.6 in, days with heavy rain 0.7 days, wet days 9.1 days, share of daylight that is sunny 89%, daylight per day 14.4 h, feels like (high) 22.7 °C / 73 °F, wind (daily max) 23 km/h / 14 mph, average daily low 16.3 °C / 61 °F.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Cerro Castor, 7063 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | 24.7 °C | 24.7 °C | 23.3 °C | 20 °C | 18.1 °C | 15.5 °C | 14.7 °C | 15.1 °C | 16.4 °C | 18.6 °C | 20.3 °C | 22.7 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 1 days | 1.1 days | 1.1 days | 1 days | 1.1 days | 1.4 days | 1.3 days | 1.4 days | 0.9 days | 1.5 days | 1.6 days | 0.7 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 8 am | 6 pm | 2 pm | 8 am | 7 pm | 2 am | 10 pm | 3 pm | 6 pm | 8 am | 2 pm | 7 am |
| Sunshine per day | 12.5 h | 11.9 h | 10.9 h | 9.9 h | 9 h | 8.3 h | 8.7 h | 9.9 h | 10.4 h | 11.3 h | 12.4 h | 12.8 h |
| Relative humidity | 78% | 79% | 78% | 77% | 74% | 69% | 70% | 71% | 74% | 76% | 76% | 77% |
Sea temperature
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature 2022–2025 | 20.7 °C | 20.4 °C | 18.4 °C | 16.5 °C | 17 °C | 16.5 °C | 16.2 °C | 16.7 °C | 17.2 °C | 16.7 °C | 18.3 °C | 20.4 °C |
| Sea temperature (daily max) 2022–2025 | 21.2 °C | 20.9 °C | 18.9 °C | 16.9 °C | 17.2 °C | 16.6 °C | 16.4 °C | 16.8 °C | 17.4 °C | 17 °C | 18.8 °C | 20.8 °C |
- Very cold 10 °C or less
- Cold 10 to 15 °C
- Cool 15 to 20 °C
- Comfortable 20 to 25 °C
- Warm 25 to 28 °C
- Very warm over 28 °C
The words describe how the water feels to swim in. They are ours, not an official standard.
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 6.1 µg/m³ | 5.9 µg/m³ | 5.7 µg/m³ | 5.2 µg/m³ | 4.8 µg/m³ | 4.1 µg/m³ | 4 µg/m³ | 5.4 µg/m³ | 6.4 µg/m³ | 6.9 µg/m³ | 6.2 µg/m³ | 6.2 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 8.7 µg/m³ | 8.6 µg/m³ | 8.8 µg/m³ | 8.1 µg/m³ | 7.9 µg/m³ | 7.1 µg/m³ | 6.8 µg/m³ | 8.9 µg/m³ | 10 µg/m³ | 10.3 µg/m³ | 9.1 µg/m³ | 9 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.