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The Caribbean high season is traditionally winter- from December 15 to April 14- when northern weather is at its worst. During this season, you're guaranteed the most entertainment at resorts and the most people with whom to enjoy it. |
It's also the most fashionable, the most expensive, and the most popular time to visit. It’s the time when most of the hotels are heavily booked. Be sure to make reservations at least two or three months in advance for the very best places (sometimes a year in advance for the most exclusive spots).
Hotel prices drop 20%-50% after April 15 and airfares and cruise prices also fall. But saving money isn't the only reason to visit the Caribbean during the off-season. Late August, September, October, and early November are least crowded. In summer, the flamboyant trees are at their peak, as are most of the flowers and shrubs of the West Indies. Many islands now schedule their carnivals, music festivals, and other events during the off-season. (Carnival in Martinique and the rest of the French West Indies is traditionally held in February, the weekend before Ash Wednesday, however.)
The Caribbean climate is fairly constant. The average year-round temperatures for the region are 78°F-88°F. The temperature extremes are 65°F low, 95°F high. You can count on downtown shopping areas being hot at midday any time of the year, but air-conditioning provides some respite. Spend the day near beaches, where water and trade winds can keep you cool, and shop early or late in the day.
As part of the fall rainy season, hurricanes occasionally sweep through the Caribbean. Check the news daily and keep abreast of brewing tropical storms. The rainy season consists mostly of brief showers interspersed with sunshine. You can watch the clouds thicken, feel the rain, then have brilliant sunshine dry you off, all while remaining on your lounge chair. A spell of overcast days or heavy rainfall is unusual.
High altitudes can be cool, particularly when winter winds hit (late November through January). Since Martinique is mountainous, the altitude always offers an escape from the latitude.
