When is The Best and Worst Time to Visit Barbados?

The best time to visit Barbados is between December and late May, when the sun is bright and the day is long. The sunlight in January, for example, lasts about 11 hours on average!

Some would argue that June is also a good time, while July is the dividing line since it marks the start of the hurricane season.

More specifically, the most popular months for visiting Barbados are December, January, and March. In this period of the year, the island is crowded with tourists from all around the world, especially from countries with colder and sharper winters.

The winter and spring temperatures in Barbados usually don’t go higher than 84 and 86°F (29 or 30°C), so it’s hot, but not as hot as in the summer months. The rainfall is at its lowest, with February having the lowest rainfall of around 42 mm and April the highest in this period, 62 mm. The humidity, too, rarely exceeds the 75% mark.

Another pleasant thing during the peak tourist season on the island is the constant presence of a warm, but refreshing breeze, which makes the dry weather significantly more bearable.

If you have trouble sleeping when it’s hot outside, don’t worry! The temperature during a winter night goes as low as 75.2F (24°C), so you won’t find yourself tossing and turning.

When is the Cheapest Time to Visit Barbados?

The cheapest time to visit Barbados is between July and November.

Another, less expensive time of the year is during the shoulder season, between May and June, when the prices are slightly cheaper than during the peak season (December to April).

The price of hotels and restaurants see as much as a 50% discount between July and November compared to the peak season. In the shoulder season, on the other hand, the accommodation options are around 25% cheaper.

Obviously, the drop in prices has to do with the weather. The period between July and November is conventionally called the low season in terms of tourism or the wet season, or even hurricane season, in terms of weather. But don’t worry: although rainfall increases, Barbados is outside of the hurricane belt, and there’s a really small chance of a hurricane hitting the island and causing any notable damage.

The temperatures are the highest in summer and autumn. They rarely fall below 86°F (30°C) or even 87°F (31°C). What’s significantly different (and more uncomfortable) is the rise of the humidity and the significantly more prominent rainfall during the summer, and especially autumn months. The friendly breeze leaves Barbados during this time, too.

The humidity in the summer, for example, is about 81%; the rainfall, on the other hand, reaches its highest point in October, with an average of 216 mm. The days are getting shorter, too: October has only seven hours of sunlight.

Tips to Make Your Barbados Vacation More Affordable

There are ways to save money aside from visiting Barbados during the low season. Here are tips that you’ll find useful if you want to save:

• Travel with a group: invite friends or family and rent a bigger villa or apartment at a lower price per person.
• Plan ahead: book your accommodation and your transportation tickets some time before your trip. This way, you could save money even if you travel during the peak tourist season.
• Keep a watchful eye on the websites and the booking agencies: look for some unexpected openings, discounts, and last-minute booking offers — they can be much cheaper than usual.
• Instead of a plane or a car, ride ferries and buses. The travel is significantly longer and more uncomfortable, but you may meet new people and have an adventure.
• Spend your vacation in Barbados like a local: Ask around when you’re there to find the most affordable restaurants, shops, and cafes where the locals go.

When is the Best Time to Avoid Large Crowds in Barbados?

The best time to visit Barbados to avoid large crowds is between the months of July and November.

Although plenty of tourists choose the wet season because of the drastic fall in prices, there are still way fewer people between July and November. The hotels, restaurants, and beaches in Barbados are emptier and more relaxed.

Another alternative is the shoulder season, between the end of spring and the beginning of summer. As the rain starts to get more frequent, the island’s tourist population slowly starts to dwindle.

When is the Best Time to Visit Barbados for Festivals and Events?

The best time to visit Barbados for festivals, special events or holidays is from December to March or from August to late autumn. This is actually a great time to visit any Caribbean island, since festivals are the locals’ way of celebrating their art, culture, and history.

It’s not that the late spring or the summer months don’t provide anything interesting in Barbados in terms of public celebrations: there are, for example, the Easter holidays or the Reggae festival in April, the Festive Fridays in May, and the Annual Dive Fest in August. But, many of the most popular festivals in the island happen during other parts of the year.

Here’s a list of the best festivals and events in Barbados, and their respective months:

• Mount Gay Round Barbados Race Series (January): Also known as the Round Barbados Sailing Week, this event is held between the 17th and 23rd of January. It’s one of the most popular and visited sailing festivals in the area. It’s a race that has a very interesting and old-school prize: when one of the 20 established records is broken by a boat crew, they win their boat’s weight in rum.
• Holetown Festival (February): The festival usually takes place in the second week of February and celebrates the first European (or, more precisely, English) settlement on the island, a town called Holetown, established on February 17, 1627. That special day is commemorated with a lot of music, parades, dancing, food, and games — all with only one purpose: to showcase and promote the unique culture of Barbados.
• Oistins Fish Festival (March or April): The Oistins Fish Festival usually happens during Easter weekend, when the small fishing village called Oistins shows its full splendor and becomes the unofficial center of Barbados. Usually frequented by young people, the festival is all about listening to all kinds of Caribbean music, and preparing and serving fish — mostly mahi mahi or tuna. But, for those of you who don’t like fish, the islanders also serve different kinds of meat and vegetables.
• Crop Over (August): Probably the largest and the most popular festival in Barbados, when the whole island lights up to commemorate the end of the sugar cane harvest — like in the agrarian societies of old — with traditional and not-so-traditional singing and dancing. The culmination is on Grand Kadooment Day, when huge parades and masqueraded musicians traverse the city, celebrating the rich cultural history of Barbados.
• Barbados Food and Rum Festival (October): The name of the Barbados Food and Rum Festival makes it pretty self-explanatory. Between 24th and 27th of October, Barbados shows its visitors why it’s called the “Culinary Capital of the Caribbean.” Aside from the very tasty food and drink, the island is filled with food and drink experts from all around the world, savoring the culinary delicacies that the island has to offer.
• Independence Day (November): Independence day is another important day for the culture and history of Barbados. Namely, on November 30th, 1966, Barbados became an independent country, and finally liberated itself from British rule. A month full of parades, music, and colorful spectacles culminates with the celebration on November 30th.
• The Barbados Independence Surf Festival is part of the month-long celebrations on the island. Aside from the water-sport spectacle that attracts hundreds of surfers from all around the world, it also provides tasty food and drink, and a generally welcoming atmosphere.

When is the Best Time to Visit Barbados for Surfing?

The best time for surfing in Barbados is between October and March. It slightly deviates from the usual peak season on the island, for only one reason: the size of the waves.

The waves can reach a height of about 12 ft during this time, while they only go as high as 6 ft in the other parts of the year.

November is actually the best month for surfers, as that’s when the Barbados Independence Surf Festival takes place.

Amateurs should stay on the calmer beaches, where the waves are not deadly. We recommend: Pebbles, Freights Bay, or Surfers Point. Professionals, on the other hand, can visit Duppies, Soup Bowl, or Tropicana.

When is the Best Time to Visit Barbados for Snorkeling?

Generally speaking, there’s no best time to go snorkeling in Barbados, since the weather is nice and sunny enough throughout the year. Plus, water visibility is always great. But, the most conventional choice would be during the high season, between December and late May, when you get less rain and longer days.

Barbados is famous for its crystal-clear waters, colorful coral reefs, variety of marine animals and fish, and a couple of interesting natural landmarks. Make sure to visit Harrison’s Cave, especially during peak season when the humidity is the lowest.

When is the Worst Time to Visit Barbados?

The worst time to visit Barbados is between August and November, during the peak of the wet season. But, even when it rains, Barbados still offers one hell of an experience.

During the late summer months and the autumn months, the rain falls more often, the sun is covered by dark clouds more than usual, and the days are significantly shorter. This is when the island is more humid as well.

The temperatures, on the other hand, remain ideal for a beach vacation. The temperature in summer and autumn is around 86°F (30°C). And some more good news: while September to November in the Caribbean is hurricane season, Barbados is outside of the hurricane belt and completely safe.

What To Do in Barbados When It Rains?

Here’s a short list of activities you can do and places you can visit on a rainy day in barbados:

• Visit the Mount Gay Rum Distilleries and try the famous Barbadian rum;
• Experiencing the waterfalls and streams in Harrison’s Cave is even more exciting when it rains;
• Learn more about the culture of the island at the Barbados Museum and Historical Society;
• Visit the house where George Washington stayed during his trip in Barbados, today known as the George Washington House;
• Do some shopping at the Limegrove shopping center;
• Visit the St. Nicholas Abbey, one of the oldest plantation houses on the island.

Barbados Tourism Recap

Barbados is a fantastic, Eden-like place with great weather throughout most of the year. But, some periods are objectively better and more suitable for different kinds of activities. Before we finish the article let’s do a quick recap of the best and worst times to visit Barbados.

The best time to visit the island is between December and late May. Depending on the weather that year, June can also be a great option.

If, on the other hand, you’re looking for a cheaper stay in Barbados, less crowds, or the perfect surfing waves, consider traveling between July and November.

That’s all, dear reader: now pack your things and book your perfect Barbados vacation!

When to Visit Other Caribbean Islands:

Click the following links to learn more about other Caribbean islands:

• When is the best time to visit the caribbean?
• When is the best time to visit antigua?
• When is the best time to visit aruba?
• When is the best time to visit anguilla?
• When is the best time to visit the bahamas?