When to Vacation in the Caribbean

Weather

Weather is usually a minor factor in planning a Caribbean vacation. It’s almost a boring topic, with day after day of spring-like conditions, sometimes punctuated by brief afternoon showers.

One weather topic that concerns most potential Caribbean travelers is hurricane season. These deadly storms are a threat officially from June through November, although the greatest danger is during the later months, basically August through October. (September is the worst.)

But don’t forget that the Caribbean is a huge region. Just as a blizzard in Connecticut wouldn’t influence travelers to Miami or Denver, a tropical storm doesn’t necessarily mean a risk to the whole region. We’ve been in the Western Caribbean when storms were picking up force in the eastern reaches and never felt a gust of wind or saw a wave over ankle high.

To minimize the chances of a hurricane ruining or postponing your trip, plan a vacation outside the hurricane season or outside the hurricane zone. In the far southern reaches, the islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao (also known as the ABC islands) and Trinidad and Tobago are below the hurricane zone and should be safer bets during the summer and fall months.

Overall, the weather in the Caribbean is predictably wonderful. In the summer, days peak at about 95, with lows in the 70s. In the winter, temperatures run about 5 to 10 degrees cooler. The sea remains warm enough for comfortable swimming year around. (Don’t forget: The Bahamas are technically not part of the Caribbean, and the temperatures there are slightly cooler.)