Best time to visit Barbados
For the driest, sunniest weather, go between February and April. Each of those months averages 2.3 inches (58 mm) of rain or less, with close to 9 hours of sun a day.
For fewer people, go in May, June or October. September is the quietest month, with 34,042 visitors in 2025, less than half of December’s 78,210. It’s also one of the wettest, in the middle of hurricane season.
The heat barely changes. Daytime highs average 84 to 88 °F (29 to 31 °C) all year, and the sea stays between 79 and 84 °F (26 and 29 °C).
Barbados weather and visitors by month
| Month | High / low | Rain | Rain days | Sun a day | Visitors, 2025 | From the US |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 84 / 74 °F (29 / 23 °C) | 2.7 in (68 mm) | 11 | 8.5 h | 71,268 | 17,598 |
| February | 85 / 73 °F (29 / 23 °C) | 1.6 in (42 mm) | 9 | 8.8 h | 67,469 | 18,161 |
| March | 85 / 74 °F (30 / 23 °C) | 1.5 in (39 mm) | 8 | 8.8 h | 75,310 | 23,238 |
| April | 86 / 76 °F (30 / 24 °C) | 2.3 in (58 mm) | 8 | 8.7 h | 62,462 | 23,389 |
| May | 87 / 77 °F (31 / 25 °C) | 2.9 in (74 mm) | 8 | 8.5 h | 49,961 | 20,736 |
| June | 87 / 77 °F (31 / 25 °C) | 4.0 in (101 mm) | 11 | 7.5 h | 47,941 | 23,429 |
| July | 87 / 77 °F (31 / 25 °C) | 4.8 in (122 mm) | 15 | 8.1 h | 58,845 | 28,415 |
| August | 88 / 77 °F (31 / 25 °C) | 5.9 in (151 mm) | 16 | 8.4 h | 50,335 | 19,831 |
| September | 88 / 77 °F (31 / 25 °C) | 6.4 in (163 mm) | 13 | 7.8 h | 34,042 | 11,270 |
| October | 87 / 76 °F (31 / 25 °C) | 7.1 in (180 mm) | 15 | 7.7 h | 44,813 | 14,244 |
| November | 87 / 76 °F (30 / 25 °C) | 6.8 in (173 mm) | 14 | 7.6 h | 66,390 | 17,737 |
| December | 85 / 75 °F (30 / 24 °C) | 3.6 in (91 mm) | 11 | 8.2 h | 78,210 | 23,523 |
Weather: Barbados Meteorological Services, 1991 to 2020 averages. Visitors: stay-over arrivals, Barbados Statistical Service, 2025, with January to March revised. Cruise passengers aren’t included.
Dry season and wet season in Barbados
The drier months run from December to May, and the wetter ones from June to November. February to April is the driest stretch, with 5.5 inches (139 mm) of rain across all three months.
September to November gets 20.3 inches (515 mm) over the same three months. Even so, the tourism board puts the island’s average at under a quarter inch (6 mm) of rain a day.
The trade winds ease in September and October, to a monthly average of 9 and 10 knots (about 10 and 12 mph), against 12 to 14 knots in most other months. Humidity peaks around the same time, at 81 to 82%.
| Season | Months | Rain each month |
|---|---|---|
| Driest | February to April | 1.5 to 2.3 in (39 to 58 mm), 8 or 9 rain days |
| Drier | December, January and May | 2.7 to 3.6 in (68 to 91 mm), 8 to 11 rain days |
| Wetter | June to August | 4.0 to 5.9 in (101 to 151 mm), 11 to 16 rain days |
| Wettest | September to November | 6.4 to 7.1 in (163 to 180 mm), 13 to 15 rain days |
Rain: Barbados Meteorological Services, 1991 to 2020 averages.
When Barbados is busiest
December brought the most visitors in 2025, followed by March and January. September, October and June were the quietest.
Visitors from the US follow their own calendar. Their busiest month was July, with 28,415 arrivals, while the UK’s was January. About a third of all stay-over visitors in 2025 came from the US.
Winter fills with British and Canadian travelers. July, during Crop Over, brings the most Americans.
Source: Barbados Statistical Service, stay-over arrivals by month, 2025.
Hurricane season in Barbados
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. The National Hurricane Center puts its peak on September 10, with most activity between mid-August and mid-October.
In July 2024, Hurricane Beryl passed about 115 miles (185 km) south-southeast of the island as a major hurricane, and Barbados had tropical-storm conditions. The hurricane center’s report, citing media reports, notes damage to the Bridgetown cruise terminal, the airport and more than 200 fishing boats.
If you travel between June and November, read the house’s cancellation terms before you book. If you buy travel insurance, check whether it covers named storms.
Sargassum in Barbados
The national coastal plan calls sargassum seaweed a major issue on the Atlantic side, Crane included. The West Coast faces the calmer Caribbean side.
We haven’t found an official record of sargassum by month. If your dates matter for a particular beach, look at recent photos of it before you book.
Barbados events by month
| When | Event |
|---|---|
| January 21 | Errol Barrow Day, public holiday |
| February | Holetown Festival, a week marking the first English settlers’ arrival in 1627 |
| March | Sandy Lane Gold Cup, a horse race at the Garrison Savannah |
| Easter | Oistins Fish Festival. Easter Sunday is March 28 in 2027 |
| Late April | Barbados Reggae Weekend, three days of shows |
| Late May | Gospelfest, over the last full week of May |
| Late May to early August | Crop Over season, with the main events in July and Grand Kadooment on Kadooment Day |
| November | Barbados Food and Rum Festival |
| November 30 | Independence Day, public holiday |
| Early December | Run Barbados |
Dates from Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc., the Labour Department, the National Cultural Foundation and each organizer. Organizers set each year’s dates.
Crop Over
The festival grew out of celebrations for the end of the sugar cane harvest. The National Cultural Foundation runs it as a season of about three months, with the main events in July, and its last big day is Grand Kadooment. Kadooment Day, a public holiday, fell on August 3 in 2026.
Barbados month by month
January: winter crowds, cooler nights
The third-busiest month, with nights around 74 °F (23 °C) and 11 rain days.
February: the coolest nights
Nights average 73 °F (23 °C), the coolest of the year, and rain falls on about 9 days. The Holetown Festival runs this month.
March: the driest month
Only 1.5 inches (39 mm) of rain and 8.8 hours of sun a day. It was also the second-busiest month in 2025, and the Gold Cup is run at the Garrison Savannah.
April: dry, with fewer visitors
Still under 2.5 inches (58 mm) of rain, with about 13,000 fewer visitors than March.
May: quieter and still dry
Visitors drop to 49,961, and rain stays under 3 inches (74 mm).
June: the start of the wet months
Hurricane season opens on June 1. Only September and October had fewer visitors in 2025.
July: Crop Over and the most Americans
Crop Over builds toward Kadooment. More visitors came from the US in July than in any other month.
August: Kadooment and rising rain
Kadooment Day falls early in the month, and rain rises to 5.9 inches (151 mm).
September: the quietest month
The fewest visitors of the year and the lightest winds, at the height of hurricane season.
October: the wettest month
The most rain of the year, 7.1 inches (180 mm) across 15 rain days.
November: festivals return
The Food and Rum Festival and Independence Day on November 30. Visitors climb back to 66,390.
December: the busiest month
The most visitors of the year, 78,210 in 2025, with rain falling back to 3.6 inches (91 mm).
Best time to visit Barbados for your trip
For dry weather: March
The driest month, with 8 rain days and 8.8 hours of sun a day. February is close behind.
For fewer people: May or June
Rain stays moderate, and each month had more than a third fewer visitors than December. September is quieter still, but wetter.
For Crop Over: late July to Kadooment Day
Plan around the first days of August, when Kadooment Day falls, and the week before it.
For Christmas and New Year
December had the most visitors in 2025, so ask the company about dates early.
To choose a coast for those dates, see our guide to where to stay in Barbados. For days out, see things to do in Barbados.
