Dominican Republic Sights

Caribbean Climate

Middle America

The Caribbean is the epitome of a paradise for many tourists. Located in the western marginal sea of ​​the Atlantic Ocean and north of the equator, the climate here is tropical . The Caribbean is large and consists of several islands and archipelagos in the Caribbean Sea and the marine area between the islands. It belongs to the Central American subcontinent. On average, the Caribbean islands have a rainforest climate of over 20 degrees Celsius throughout the year. In order to determine the best time to travel to the Caribbean , the region must be divided geographically. That’s why I’m giving you a little digression on the geographical location of the various Caribbean islands. Then I’ll show you using Climate tables showing the climate in the Bahamas, Cuba, Grenada and the ABC Islands. So I can show you when the best travel time is for the various islands and island states in the Caribbean. You will also find out when the best time to travel to a Caribbean cruise is and get other tips.

Location of the Caribbean islands and the influence on the climate

Geologists differentiate between the islands in the open Atlantic north, the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles, which in turn are differentiated between “islands above the wind” and “islands below the wind”, the open Atlantic south and the western Caribbean. The open Atlantic North includes the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Greater Antilles are made up of popular vacation spots like Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. The influence of the northeast trade winds is the reason that the Lesser Antilles are divided into two regions. Leeward Islands include St. Martin, Antigua and Barbuda, Guadeloupe, St. Lucia, Barbados, and Grenada, among others. The Leeward Islands include the ABC Islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. Trinidad and Tobago belong to the open Atlantic South , while San Andrés and Providencia, the Corn Islands, Islas de la Bahía and Cozumel belong to the western Caribbean . The Caribbean Sea is part of the American Mediterranean and reaches the Cayman Rift . This is a 7,680 meter deep and 965 kilometer long deep sea channel, which is located in the southeast on the Caribbean plate and in the northwest on the North American plate. The Cayman Rift lies between Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Honduras, the Gulf of Honduras and the Yucatan Basin. If the plate boundaries rub against each other, earthquakes occur and rarely to volcanoes on the Caribbean islands.

Climate table for the Bahamas (Open Atlantic North)

Jan Feb March Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Max. Temperature in ° C 25 25 26 27 29 31 31 32 31 29 27 26
Min. Temperature in ° C 18 18 19 21 22 23 24 24 24 23 21 19
Hours of sunshine per day 8 8 8 9 9 8 9 8 7 7 8 7
Water temperature in ° C 23 23 23 24 25 27 28 28 28 27 26 24
Rainy days per month 6 6 5 6 11 14 16 16 17 15 9 9

The best time to travel to the Bahamas

According to Countryaah.com, the island state of Bahamas stretches from the southeast coast of the USA along the northeast coast of Cuba to the northwest coast of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Geographically, the Bahamas are included in Central America, as they are south of Florida in the Atlantic. The climate is subtropical . The average temperature in the summer months from June to September is 28 degrees Celsius, with temperatures around 32 degrees Celsius being reached at midday. It’s not much colder in the winter months. Basically, the warm Gulf Stream in the Atlantic ensures a mild climate in winter. The daytime temperatures are between 25 and 26 degrees Celsius. In December, January and February 18 degrees can be reached at night. The reason for this is cool winds from North America . Thanks to the warm and pleasant weather, the Bahamas invites you to vacation all year round. However, the officially announced hurricane season on the islands is in the months of June to November . Tropical cyclones and storms can make vacations uncomfortable and, in the worst case, turn them into a risk. Therefore, this period is not recommended for traveling to the Bahamas. The months outside of the hurricane season: December to May are considered the best time to travel to the Bahamas. Daytime temperatures between 25 and 29 degrees Celsius and a fresh wind invite tourists from all over the world to enjoy a wonderful holiday. Overall, the Bahamas in the open North Atlantic has a more moderate climate than other Caribbean islands. The temperature differences are not great in the course of the year.

Bahamas Sights

The best months to travel to the Bahamas in the Caribbean:

  • December : 26 ° C, 7 hours of sunshine, 24 ° C water temperature, 9 rainy days, 48% humidity
  • January : 25 ° C, 8 hours of sunshine, 23 ° C water temperature, 6 rainy days, 44% humidity
  • February : 25 ° C, 8 hours of sunshine, 23 ° C water temperature, 6 rainy days, 44% humidity
  • March : 26 ° C, 8 hours of sunshine, 23 ° C water temperature, 5 rainy days, 45% humidity
  • April : 27 ° C, 9 hours of sunshine, 24 ° C water temperature, 6 rainy days, 47% humidity
  • May : 29 ° C, 9 hours of sunshine, 25 ° C water temperature, 11 rainy days, 52% humidity

Climate table for Cuba (Greater Antilles)

Jan Feb March Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Max. Temperature in ° C 26 27 28 30 31 32 32 32 31 30 28 27
Min. Temperature in ° C 17 17 18 19 21 23 23 23 23 22 19 18
Hours of sunshine per day 7 7 7 8 9 9 9 8 7 6 7 6
Water temperature in ° C 25 24 25 26 27 27 28 28 28 28 27 27
Rainy days per month 3 3 3 4 6 9 8 8 7 6 4 4

The best time to travel to Cuba

Cuba Sights

The largest Caribbean island, Cuba, belongs to the Greater Antilles and borders both the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The climate in Cuba is tropical and is characterized by the northeast trade wind. With average daytime temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius throughout the year, there are no major weather changes between summer and winter. It is tropical warm all year round and perfect bathing weather. However, an official hurricane season has also been noted for Cuba . Tropical cyclones can form in the months of June to November, which is why this time is not specified as the optimal travel time. The best time to travel to Cuba is from November to April when the dry season prevails. During these months there is hardly any rain and the humidity is pleasant. More information about the best time to travel to Cuba can be found here. Another tourist stronghold belongs to the Greater Antilles: the Dominican Republic. You can read here when the best travel time for the Dominican Republic is.

Dominican Republic Sights

The best months to travel to Cuba in the Caribbean:

  • November : 28 ° C, 7 hours of sunshine, 27 ° C water temperature, 4 rainy days, 80% humidity
  • December : 27 ° C, 6 hours of sunshine, 27 ° C water temperature, 4 rainy days, 81% humidity
  • January : 26 ° C, 7 hours of sunshine, 25 ° C water temperature, 3 rainy days, 77% humidity
  • February : 27 ° C, 7 hours of sunshine, 24 ° C water temperature, 3 rainy days, 77% humidity
  • March : 28 ° C, 7 hours of sunshine, 25 ° C water temperature, 3 rainy days, 72% humidity
  • April : 30 ° C, 7 hours of sunshine, 26 ° C water temperature, 4 rainy days, 72% humidity

Climate table for Grenada (Lesser Antilles above leeward)

Jan Feb March Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Max. Temperature in ° C 28 29 29 30 31 30 30 31 31 31 30 29
Min. Temperature in ° C 21 21 21 22 23 23 23 23 23 23 22 23
Hours of sunshine per day 9 8 8 8 8 7 7 8 7 7 7 7
Water temperature in ° C 26 26 27 28 27 28 28 28 28 28 28 27
Rainy days per month 21 17 18 19 21 24 27 25 23 23 22 23

The best time to travel to Grenada

Grenada is one of the Leeward Islands, the northern part of the Lesser Antilles. The island state of Grenada (officially the state of Grenada) consists of several small islands, the largest of which is the island of Grenada of the same name. The islands of volcanic origin are located between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is mountainous in the interior of the island of Grenada. Numerous small rivers have their source in the mountains. With a height of 840 meters, Mount Saint Catherine is the highest point on the island. As on the other Caribbean islands, the climate on Grenada is tropical . A distinction is made between the dry and rainy seasons. The dry season is from January to May; the rainy season from June to December. During the rainy season, it rains almost every day on the island of the Lesser Antilles. In addition, the risk of tropical cyclones is greater, which is why this period is also recorded as the official hurricane season in Grenada. On rainy days, however, it is by no means the case that it rains all day. The showers are usually in the morning or at noon and then go back again while the warm sun shines. Thus, if there is no risk of hurricanes, a Grenada vacation can also be wonderfully done in the rainy season. The months of January to May can be considered the best travel time for Grenada and overall for the Leeward Islands can be specified. Significantly less precipitation makes the climate in the dry season more pleasant and more suitable for a beach holiday, diving or deep-sea fishing.

The best months to travel to Grenada in the Caribbean:

  • January : 28 ° C, 9 hours of sunshine, 26 ° C water temperature, 21 rainy days, 77% humidity
  • February : 29 ° C, 8 hours of sunshine, 26 ° C water temperature, 17 rainy days, 77% humidity
  • March : 29 ° C, 8 hours of sunshine, 27 ° C water temperature, 18 rainy days, 78% humidity
  • April : 30 ° C, 8 hours of sunshine, 28 ° C water temperature, 19 rainy days, 79% humidity
  • May : 31 ° C, 8 hours of sunshine, 27 ° C water temperature, 21 rainy days, 80% humidity

Climate table for the ABC islands (Lesser Antilles under the wind)

Jan Feb March Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Max. Temperature in ° C 30 30 31 31 32 32 32 33 33 32 31 30
Min. Temperature in ° C 24 24 25 25 26 26 26 26 26 26 25 25
Hours of sunshine per day 8 9 9 8 8 8 9 9 9 8 8 7
Water temperature in ° C 26 25 26 26 27 27 27 28 28 28 28 27
Rainy days per month 7 3 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 6 8 9

The best travel time for the ABC islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao

In addition to the three ABC islands, a number of other islands and archipelagos belong to the Leeward Islands , the southern part of the Lesser Antilles . Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao owe their dry and warm climate with very little rainfall to their geographical location off the coast of Venezuela and their proximity to the equator . By protecting the Venezuelan coast, the northeast trade wind has little effect on the weather on the ABC islands. Therefore, compared to the other Caribbean islands, it is not humid here, but on average dry and warm. You can only expect a few rainy days per month in the months of October, November, December and January. The showers are very short, however, so that they hardly affect your vacation. The best travel time for the ABC Islands is therefore all year round . In every single month you can spend a fantastic vacation on the Caribbean dream islands. An average of eight to nine hours of sunshine per day and temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius make this possible. However, you don’t have to worry that it will get too hot and stuffy. The sea breeze makes for a pleasant and fresh wind.

The best months to travel to the ABC islands in the Caribbean: from January to December!

Best travel time for a Caribbean cruise

Caribbean cruises are one of the most popular cruises ever. Many people love to watch the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean on the ship, stop at the various islands and be fascinated. The best time to travel to the Caribbean is the dry season outside of the hurricane season . For this reason, shipping companies avoid the months around the hurricane season. You cannot cruise the Caribbean between July and early November. Caribbean cruises are possible from mid-November through June. The best time for a Caribbean cruise are the months of January to April. During this period, the climate is ideal for relaxing on the ship and enjoying the view. Rain showers can be more frequent on the Caribbean Sea between May and June; however, these are not long-lasting. In general, the shipping companies pay close attention to the weather conditions. Should there be an unexpected change in the weather, the cruise will be canceled in good time and no risk will be taken.

The best travel months for a Caribbean cruise: from January to April.

The best time to visit the Caribbean to determine calls for a geographical division of the region. In short, it can be summarized that the best travel time for a Caribbean vacation in Cuba and the other islands of the Greater Antilles is the months of November to April . If you want to take your vacation in the Bahamas, the dry season is also the best time to travel. It is best to fly to the island state in the open Atlantic North from December to May . If you want to visit the Lesser Antilles over the wind, the best travel time is from January to May . The Lesser Antilles Leeward ABC Islands charge all year round for a dream vacation. If you want to take a Caribbean cruise, this is only possible during the dry season. The best travel time is from January to April . For more information on the Caribbean and the best deals on package tours, cruises, flights and hotels, see below. I wish you a wonderful vacation!