Bocas del Toro weather in January

In January, Bocas del Toro sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 181 mm of rain across 18.8 wet days and about 11.5 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% of the time in January, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 30 min at the start of January to 11 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Bocas del Toro's 2nd-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Bocas del Toro's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
12th warmest
Overnight low
24°
2nd coldest
Rainfall
181 mm
18.8 wet days
Daylight
11 h 30 min
6:53 AM – 6:24 PM
Cloud cover
54%
2nd clearest
Wind
11 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
4.49 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.3
out of 10

Bocas del Toro is human settlement in Panama.

Founded
1903

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month.

A typical January day in Bocas del Toro reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 24°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and on par with February.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12724
22724
32724
42724
52724
62724
72724
82724
92724
102724
112724
122724
132724
142724
152724
162724
172724
182724
192724
202724
212724
222724
232724
242724
252724
262724
272724
282724
292724
302724
312724

How January really feels in Bocas del Toro

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

January sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Bocas del Toro weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 24°18118.811.55.3
Feb27° / 24°1281711.75.3
Mar28° / 24°11818.311.95.2
Apr28° / 25°12219.412.24.4
May29° / 25°26425.612.43.4
Jun29° / 25°24927.912.53.0
Jul28° / 25°29128.612.53.1
Aug29° / 25°23127.612.33.2
Sep29° / 25°17826.112.13.3
Oct28° / 25°27127.511.83.3
Nov28° / 25°36225.311.63.9
Dec27° / 24°28521.711.54.7

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 27% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 40%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15248
25347
35347
45347
55545
65545
75545
85545
95743
105743
115743
125743
135842
145842
155941
165941
175941
186040
196139
206139
216238
226337
236436
246436
256634
266634
276634
286733
296733
306733
316733

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Bocas del Toro gets around 181 mm of rain over 18.8 wet days in January. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 61% and peaks near 69% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
169
269
368
467
567
666
765
864
964
1063
1162
1262
1361
1460
1560
1659
1759
1858
1958
2058
2158
2257
2357
2457
2557
2657
2757
2857
2957
3057
3157

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of January feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, January lands in the muggy band about 53% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 99% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
103862
203961
304060
404159
504258
604456
704555
804654
914752
1014851
1115050
1215049
1315247
1415346
1515445
1615544
1715643
1815742
1915742
2015841
2115940
2215940
2315940
2416039
2516039
2616039
2716138
2816138
2916138
3016237
3116237

Wind in January

Winds average 11 km/h in January, the windiest month of the year.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 10 km/h on the calmest days to 11 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
111calm
211calm
311calm
411calm
511calm
611calm
711calm
811calm
911calm
1011calm
1111calm
1211calm
1311calm
1411calm
1511calm
1611calm
1711calm
1811calm
1911calm
2011calm
2111calm
2211calm
2311calm
2411calm
2511calm
2611calm
2711calm
2811calm
2911calm
3010calm
3110calm

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 30 min at the start of January to 11 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 6 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 6:48 AM to 6:55 AM, and sunset from 6:16 PM to 6:30 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.56:486:16
211.56:496:17
311.56:496:17
411.56:496:18
511.56:506:18
611.56:506:19
711.56:506:19
811.56:516:20
911.56:516:20
1011.56:516:21
1111.56:526:21
1211.56:526:22
1311.56:526:22
1411.56:526:23
1511.56:536:23
1611.56:536:24
1711.56:536:24
1811.56:536:24
1911.56:546:25
2011.56:546:25
2111.56:546:26
2211.56:546:26
2311.56:546:27
2411.56:546:27
2511.66:546:28
2611.66:546:28
2711.66:556:28
2811.66:556:29
2911.66:556:29
3011.66:556:30
3111.66:556:30

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 4.49 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.66 kWh/m² to a high of 5.42 kWh/m² in March across the year — January's 4.49 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.2Bright
24.3Bright
34.3Bright
44.3Bright
54.3Bright
64.3Bright
74.3Bright
84.3Bright
94.4Bright
104.4Bright
114.4Bright
124.4Bright
134.4Bright
144.5Bright
154.5Bright
164.5Bright
174.5Bright
184.5Bright
194.5Bright
204.6Bright
214.6Bright
224.6Bright
234.6Bright
244.6Bright
254.7Bright
264.7Bright
274.7Bright
284.7Bright
294.7Bright
304.7Bright
314.8Bright
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Bocas del Toro?

Our two travel scores rate January for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

5.3
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
5.4
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit Bocas del Toro for sightseeing.

What to pack for Bocas del Toro in January

From January's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In January, Bocas del Toro sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. About 19 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Bocas del Toro in January

The nearest coast averages about 27°C in January — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 13 km away) is warmest in September at about 29°C and coldest in January near 27°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan27Warm
Feb27Warm
Mar28Warm
Apr28Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul28Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov28Tropical
Dec28Warm

UV index in Bocas del Toro in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 11 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Bocas del Toro peaks around March 19 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 10 (extreme).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 19UV 14Dec 16UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec10Very high

Air quality in Bocas del Toro in January

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where January falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Bocas del Toro is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.1× the cleanest month (January, 8 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1517 µg/m³Jan 108 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb9Good
Mar11Good
Apr15Moderate
May16Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep12Moderate
Oct11Good
Nov9Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Bocas del Toro?

Bocas del Toro sits at 9.3°N, 82.2°W, 0 m above sea level, in Panama. The nearest listed city is Changuinola, 32 km away.

BoquetePuerto ViejoLa ConcepciónDavidPedregalBoca Chica

Topography around Bocas del Toro

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Bocas del Toro.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Bocas del Toro has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 44 m around an average of 2 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 106 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,431 m.

The land around Bocas del Toro is covered by water (82%) within 3 km, water (76%) and trees (20%) within 16 km, and trees (52%) and water (45%) within 80 km.

3 km
44 m
16 km
106 m
80 km
3,431 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswaterwetlandmangroves
January weather nearby: Changuinola 32 km · Boquete 66 km · Puerto Viejo 66 km · La Concepción 101 km · David 104 km · Pedregal 109 km · Puerto Limón 113 km · Boca Chica 125 km

Panama travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type A / B
110 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 45% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$19,790
2025
Happiness
6.5 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
11.7
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
13.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 491
Religion
Evangelical 55%Roman Catholic 33%none 10%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Bocas del Toro (9.3403°, -82.242°, elevation 0 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).