Guide CLXXI — The Americas — Calendar
Best Time to Visit the Americas: A Month-by-Month Calendar
North America, Mexico and the Caribbean read as one calendar once you line them up. What each month delivers across the US, the Mexican Pacific and the islands — and where to move when a month turns against you.
At a glance
- Late November to early April for the tropics; May–June and September–October for the US
- Best overall Source
- 1 June to 30 November across the Caribbean, Gulf and Mexican coasts
- Hurricane season Source
- Late November to early April in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah
- Ski season Source
- May, June and early December in the islands; late January to March in the cities
- Best value Source
- February for Christmas and New Year anywhere in the Americas
- Book by Source
Book a stay in Americas
Set your dates to see what the week costs — our own houses first, then live rates with our booking partners for this destination.
Our houses in Americas
East Hampton, New York
$18,000 / night
Starwood, Aspen, Colorado
$15,500 / night
Kaupulehu, Kona, Hawaii
$12,000 / night
Hotels and other rentals
Partner rates are indicative and confirmed at checkout. Some links are affiliate links.
The short version
Treat the Americas as two calendars running against each other. The tropics — the Caribbean, Los Cabos, Punta Mita, Careyes — are at their best from late November to April, dry, calm and sold out at Christmas. The mainland United States is at its best in the shoulders, May to June and September to October, when the cities are warm, the mountain roads are open and the school holidays are over. Winter sends you south or to the ski towns; high summer sends you to the parks, the Hamptons and the Pacific Northwest.
The months that look weakest on paper are often the best buys. June and early December in the islands are warm, quiet and materially cheaper, and the storm risk in those specific weeks is low. September is the one month to treat with respect in the tropics, and the one month connoisseurs choose in the Northeast.
Read alongside, and see what is actually available:
The Americas month by month
| Month | United States | Mexico & the Pacific coast | The Caribbean | Rate character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Cold cities at their cheapest; deep winter in the Rockies | Dry, warm, whale season opens off Los Cabos | High season proper — dry, breezy, reliable | Tropics high, US cities low |
| February | Peak ski weeks; desert at its best | Peak — whales, dry heat, sold-out weeks | Peak; the driest, busiest month of the year | Peak in the tropics and the mountains |
| March | Spring skiing; thaw in the Northeast | Warm and dry; spring break crowds in places | Still dry; Easter weeks book out early | High |
| April | Blossom in the Northeast; mountain season closes | Hot, dry, quieter after Easter | End of high season; excellent conditions, softening rates | High easing to shoulder |
| May | One of the two best US months | Hot and dry before the rains | Warm, calm and the first honest bargain of the year | Shoulder |
| June | Warm, busy; the Hamptons season opens | Rains begin; green, humid, very good value | Hurricane season opens but risk is still low; quiet and cheap | Low in the tropics, high in the US |
| July | Peak — parks, beaches, 4 July | Wet afternoons, warm sea, lowest rates of the year | Warm, wet spells, low rates; sargassum possible on east coasts | US peak, tropics low |
| August | Peak; hot cities, full coast | Wettest weeks; storm watching begins | Storm risk rising; many houses and hotels at their cheapest | US peak, tropics lowest |
| September | The connoisseur's month in the Northeast | Peak storm month on both coasts | Peak hurricane month; some properties close entirely | Tropics at their lowest, US easing |
| October | Foliage, crisp air, the best month in Los Angeles | Rains ease late; green landscape, low rates | Storm risk falls through the month; reopening begins | Shoulder |
| November | Quiet until Thanksgiving; ski season opens | Dry season returns — one of the best months | Season reopens; excellent value before mid-December | Shoulder rising to high |
| December | Festive cities and the hardest ski weeks to book | Dry, warm, festive; Christmas books a year out | Christmas and New Year at the highest rates of the year | Peak |
Where to move when a month turns against you
- September in the Caribbean: move to the southern islands outside the main belt, or to the Mexican Pacific's late-October reopening, or take New England foliage instead.
- August heat in the US cities: the Rockies and the Pacific Northwest are the reliable substitutes, with the best hiking weeks of the year.
- Mud season in the mountains, late April to May: Napa, the desert and the Caribbean's quiet shoulder all read better in those weeks.
- Christmas sold out in the islands: Los Cabos and Punta Mita hold late availability more often than St Barts or Mustique, at comparable weather.
Booking windows that actually bind
- Christmas and New Year anywhere in the Americas: book by February for the following season; the best houses rebook with last year's guests first.
- February in the Caribbean and Los Cabos: six to nine months, and longer for beachfront with staff.
- August in the Hamptons: enquire in March, and expect full-month terms at the top of the market.
- July and August park-gateway houses in the Rockies: six months, sometimes a year for the best addresses.
- Storm-season travel, June to November: book refundable rates, read the change policy before you pay, and insure the trip.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best time to visit the Americas?
- It depends which half you want. For the Caribbean and Mexico's Pacific coast, late November to April is dry, calm and reliable. For the United States, May to June and September to October give warm cities, open mountain roads and rates below the summer and Christmas peaks.
- When is hurricane season in the Americas?
- The Atlantic season runs 1 June to 30 November across the Caribbean, the Gulf and Florida, with the real risk concentrated from mid-August to mid-October. The Mexican Pacific runs a parallel season peaking in September. The US Pacific coast, the Rockies and the Northeast are unaffected.
- When is the cheapest time to travel in the Americas?
- August and September in the Caribbean and on Mexico's coasts, when rates fall furthest, and late January to March in the US cities. Early December and May are the best compromises between price and weather.
- Which month works for both the US and the Caribbean?
- Late November and early December. The islands are dry and reopened at shoulder rates, the US cities are quiet between Thanksgiving and the festive weeks, and the ski season has just opened in Colorado and Wyoming.
Editorial note & limitations
Rate character describes how prices behave in a month relative to the rest of the year, not a quotation. Houses in the Collection are priced live by the partner holding those dates; hotels and rentals are searched live through our booking partners. Weather and season dates are drawn from official climate and park sources, assembled September 2026.