Season guide · Barbados
Barbados in the dry season
December–April: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Postdlf, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Sunny and breezy, with calm west-coast seas and the highest prices; the Holetown Festival in February. Expect highs up to 30°C (86°F) and lows around 22°C (72°F), with about 38 rainy days across December–April. December–April are among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- December–April
- Temperatures
- 22°C (72°F) to 30°C (86°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 38
- Sea
- 26°C (79°F) to 27°C (81°F)
- Crowds
- Very busy
- Hotel prices
- Highest
Weather in the dry season
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29°C (84°F) | 22°C (72°F) | 9 | 11.4 h | 5/5 |
| February | 29°C (84°F) | 22°C (72°F) | 6 | 11.7 h | 5/5 |
| March | 30°C (86°F) | 22°C (72°F) | 6 | 12 h | 5/5 |
| April | 30°C (86°F) | 23°C (73°F) | 6 | 12.4 h | 4/5 |
| December | 29°C (84°F) | 23°C (73°F) | 11 | 11.4 h | 5/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 29°C (84°F) against a yearly 30°C (86°F), and 38 of the year's roughly 126 rainy days fall in these 5 months. Crowds rate 5/5 and hotel prices 5/5 on average.
What's on in the dry season
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: Errol Barrow Day public holiday (21 January)
- February: Holetown Festival — celebrating the 1627 English settlement (usually mid-February)
- April: Oistins Fish Festival (usually Easter weekend)
- December: Run Barbados marathon series (usually early December)
- December: Christmas Day and Boxing Day celebrations
Make the most of the weather
Beach · Bridgetown
Carlisle Bay
This wide bay just south of Bridgetown has calm water and several shallow shipwrecks within swimming distance of the beach, now home to reef fish and turtles.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Kids
Nature · St Thomas
Harrison's Cave
Combine it with Hunte's Gardens or Welchman Hall Gully, both nearby in the central parishes.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
- Iconic
Waterfront · Bathsheba and the east coast
Bathsheba and the Soup Bowl
On the Atlantic coast, huge coral boulders sit in the surf off Bathsheba's beach, and the Soup Bowl reef break draws surfers from around the world.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Photo spot
- Nature
- Couples
Nature · St Lucy
Animal Flower Cave
Cave access depends on the sea; visit when the swell is low and wear shoes with grip.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Nature
- Views
- Kids
Zoo · St Peter
Barbados Wildlife Reserve
In a mahogany forest in the north, green monkeys, tortoises, deer and birds roam freely along shaded paths.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Day trips in the dry season
- East coast loop: Bathsheba and the gardens (About 45 minutes by car from Bridgetown) — Cross the central hills to Harrison's Cave and Hunte's Gardens, continue to Bathsheba for lunch and the boulders on the beach, and finish at Andromeda Botanic Gardens.
- The north: St Nicholas Abbey and Animal Flower Cave (About 1 hour by car from Bridgetown) — Head north for the Jacobean house and rum distillery at St Nicholas Abbey, the view from Cherry Tree Hill, the green monkeys of the Barbados Wildlife Reserve and the sea cave at the island's northern tip.
What to pack
- Light, breathable clothes, a sun hat and high-factor sunscreen
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is the dry season a good time to visit Barbados?
Yes: December–April are among the best months. Sunny and breezy, with calm west-coast seas and the highest prices; the Holetown Festival in February.
+What is the weather like in Barbados in the dry season?
Highs of up to 30°C (86°F) and lows around 22°C (72°F), with about 38 rainy days over the season.