Guide CLXVII — Caribbean — Calendar
Best Time to Visit the Caribbean: A Month-by-Month Calendar
High season, hurricane season and the two shoulder months that give you the same sea for half the rate. Month by month across the islands we know.
Book a stay in Caribbean
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 Caribbean
Sandy Lane, St James, Barbados
$12,800 / night
Flamands, St Barths
$11,500 / night
Gouverneur, St Barths
$6,900 / night
Hotels and other rentals
Partner rates are indicative and confirmed at checkout. Some links are affiliate links.
The short version
The Caribbean year is simple: December to April is dry, breezy and expensive; June to November is hot, humid and cheap, with a real hurricane risk from mid-August to mid-October. The trick is the shoulder. Late April, May and early June give you the same sea and the same houses at a third to a half off the February rate, before the weather turns.
Risk is not uniform. The southern islands — Barbados, Grenada, Trinidad, the ABC islands — sit largely below the main hurricane track, which is why they stay bookable when the northern islands quieten.
The Caribbean month by month
| Month | Weather | Sea & beaches | Crowds | Rate character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Dry, breezy, warm days and cool nights | Clear water; trade winds on east coasts | High | High |
| February | The most reliable weather of the year | Perfect | Peak | Peak |
| March | Dry and warm; Easter can fall late | Excellent | Peak | Peak |
| April | Warming, still dry; Easter spike | Sargassum can begin on east coasts | Busy to easing | High easing after Easter |
| May | Hot, first short rains, very quiet | Calm and warm | Low | The best value of the year |
| June | Hot and humid; season opens 1 June | Warm, calm; sargassum possible | Low | Low |
| July | Hot, brief heavy showers | Warm; carnival on several islands | Moderate — European summer | Shoulder |
| August | Hottest and wettest; risk rising | Warm but watch the forecast | Low | Low |
| September | Peak hurricane month; many hotels close | Unreliable | Lowest | Lowest |
| October | Still risky, easing late in the month | Improving | Lowest | Lowest |
| November | Season ends 30 November; weather turns good | Clearing and calm | Building | Low to shoulder |
| December | Dry season proper; the year's best-known weeks | Superb | Peak from mid-month | Highest of the year at New Year |
Booking windows that actually matter
- Christmas and New Year villas in St Barts, Mustique and Barbados: book by March; the best houses rebook before they are listed, often with two-week minimums.
- February half-term: six months, with Saturday-to-Saturday terms on most islands.
- May and early June: three to six weeks is plenty, and the rate difference is the largest of the year.
- Travelling August to October: take refundable rates and travel insurance that covers named storms.
- Ask which coast a house faces — east-facing beaches catch both the trade winds and the sargassum.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best month to visit the Caribbean?
- February for the most reliable weather, and May for the best combination of weather and value. Both give warm, dry days; May does it at a fraction of the February rate.
- When is hurricane season in the Caribbean?
- 1 June to 30 November, with the highest risk between mid-August and mid-October. Most storms miss any given island, but rates, closures and flight schedules all reflect the season.
- Which Caribbean islands are outside the hurricane belt?
- The southern islands are least exposed: Barbados, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. They are the usual answer for a September or October trip.
- When is sargassum seaweed worst in the Caribbean?
- Typically April through August, and almost entirely on east and south-east-facing coasts. West-facing beaches — the Caribbean side of most islands — are usually clear.
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.