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When Is The Best Time To Visit Sandals Caribbean Resorts? Month by Month Guide
Sandals holidays are best from January to April, but some resorts also get good weather in other months
As a general rule, the best time of year to visit one of the Sandals resorts is from January to April.
However, the 17 Sandals resorts are spread out between several Caribbean Islands including Jamaica, Antigua, St Lucia and other Islands that have drastically different climates.
Some Sandals resorts are suitable for holidays in November, December and the UK summer months. Others resorts are more humid and are likely to lead to sweaty spouses saying things like "I like heat Derek, but this is too hot for me...".
You may also want to read our comparison of the 17 Sandals resorts, which looks at other factors such as price, facilities, travel time from the UK and so on.
Here's our month by month guide to Sandals resorts. We are indebted to ClimatesToTravel, whose data on the Caribbean climate proved useful.
However, the 17 Sandals resorts are spread out between several Caribbean Islands including Jamaica, Antigua, St Lucia and other Islands that have drastically different climates.
Some Sandals resorts are suitable for holidays in November, December and the UK summer months. Others resorts are more humid and are likely to lead to sweaty spouses saying things like "I like heat Derek, but this is too hot for me...".
You may also want to read our comparison of the 17 Sandals resorts, which looks at other factors such as price, facilities, travel time from the UK and so on.
Here's our month by month guide to Sandals resorts. We are indebted to ClimatesToTravel, whose data on the Caribbean climate proved useful.
January at Sandals resorts - good dry weather, quite expensive
January is one of the more expensive months for a Sandals holiday - but you're likely to get good weather at nearly all of the resorts.
I would start with one of the seven Sandals Jamaica resorts if you like it hot. You won't get much rain in January and the temperature will average about 27 Celsius. Your Jamaican options ranked in order of customer review scores include:
It's similarly dry in Sandals Grande Antigua (in Antigua) and at the three St Lucia resorts (Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Sandals Halcyon Beach and Sandals Regency La Toc). The temperature in Antigua and St Lucia is more like 25-26 Celsius on average, which is slightly more appealing to me.
If that still sounds too hot for you, go for Sandals Royal Bahamian in the Bahamas. In January, it has an average of about 21 Celsius and not much rain.
The Sandals resorts in Grenada, Barbados and St Vincent are just seeing the end of their rainy seasons in January so the climate is a little less predictable.
I would start with one of the seven Sandals Jamaica resorts if you like it hot. You won't get much rain in January and the temperature will average about 27 Celsius. Your Jamaican options ranked in order of customer review scores include:
- Sandals Royal Plantation - 92%
- Sandals South Coast - 89%
- Sandals Dunn’s River - 89%
- Sandals Montego Bay - 88%
- Sandals Negril - 87%
- Sandals Royal Caribbean - 87%
- Sandals Ochi - 85%
(We calculated these scores by adding together reviews on TripAdvisor, Google Reviews and Expedia).
It's similarly dry in Sandals Grande Antigua (in Antigua) and at the three St Lucia resorts (Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Sandals Halcyon Beach and Sandals Regency La Toc). The temperature in Antigua and St Lucia is more like 25-26 Celsius on average, which is slightly more appealing to me.
If that still sounds too hot for you, go for Sandals Royal Bahamian in the Bahamas. In January, it has an average of about 21 Celsius and not much rain.
The Sandals resorts in Grenada, Barbados and St Vincent are just seeing the end of their rainy seasons in January so the climate is a little less predictable.
Sandals Montego Bay is one of many good options for a Sandals holiday in January
February at Sandals resorts - lovely warm and dry climate, mid-priced
February is one of the best months of the year to visit a Sandals resort, in my opinion.
It tends to be mid-priced and slightly cheaper than February - and the weather is generally a little bit more predictable than January.
You've basically got free reign to pick from all the resorts. None of them are likely to be particularly wet in February.
If you want it hot, then Sandals Royal Curaçao and Sandals Grenada have an average of about 27 Celsius. It's a similar story at Sandals' seven Jamaican resorts. There's not much chance of rain and it averages about 27 Celsius, with a range of about 23 to 31 Celsius. The choice in Jamaica is very good, but the cheaper resorts tend to be Sandals South Coast, Sandals Negril and Sandals Ochi. Take a look at our main Sandals guide for the full price comparison.
Most other Sandals resorts have an average of about 25-26 Celsius in February including Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Sandals Halcyon Beach, Sandals Regency La Toc, Sandals Grande Antigua, Sandals Barbabos and Sandals Royal Barbados.
For a cooler resort, go for Sandals Royal Bahamian in the Bahamas, which averages about 21 Celsius in February.
It tends to be mid-priced and slightly cheaper than February - and the weather is generally a little bit more predictable than January.
You've basically got free reign to pick from all the resorts. None of them are likely to be particularly wet in February.
If you want it hot, then Sandals Royal Curaçao and Sandals Grenada have an average of about 27 Celsius. It's a similar story at Sandals' seven Jamaican resorts. There's not much chance of rain and it averages about 27 Celsius, with a range of about 23 to 31 Celsius. The choice in Jamaica is very good, but the cheaper resorts tend to be Sandals South Coast, Sandals Negril and Sandals Ochi. Take a look at our main Sandals guide for the full price comparison.
Most other Sandals resorts have an average of about 25-26 Celsius in February including Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Sandals Halcyon Beach, Sandals Regency La Toc, Sandals Grande Antigua, Sandals Barbabos and Sandals Royal Barbados.
For a cooler resort, go for Sandals Royal Bahamian in the Bahamas, which averages about 21 Celsius in February.
Sandals Halcyon Beach has temperatures of 25-25 Celsius in February
March at Sandals resorts - great dry and warm weather, mid-priced
If you grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and insisted that I pick one month as the best time to visit a Sandals resort...I would probably go for March.
I would also ask you to chill out a bit, but that's besides the point.
It's not the cheapest month of the year (that tends to be September and October) but it's mid-priced and generally a little cheaper than January and February.
As well as that you can basically visit any of the Sandals resorts. It's not a particularly wet time of year at any of the resorts (well, that's the theory anyway).
If you want it hot, you could go for one of the seven Jamaica resorts. The temperature is similar to January and February, with an average of about 27 Celsius and a typical range of 23 - 31 Celsius. Similarly, Sandals Royal Curaçao, Sandals Grenada and Sandals St Vincent and the Grenadines average about 27 or 28 Celsius in March.
Sandals Royal Bahamian in the Bahamas is considerably cooler with an average of 22 Celsius. It's also quite dry at this time of year.
For something in the middle, I would go for Sandals Grande Antigua, Sandals Barbabos and Sandals Royal Barbados, which are about 25 - 26 Celsius on average.
I would also ask you to chill out a bit, but that's besides the point.
It's not the cheapest month of the year (that tends to be September and October) but it's mid-priced and generally a little cheaper than January and February.
As well as that you can basically visit any of the Sandals resorts. It's not a particularly wet time of year at any of the resorts (well, that's the theory anyway).
If you want it hot, you could go for one of the seven Jamaica resorts. The temperature is similar to January and February, with an average of about 27 Celsius and a typical range of 23 - 31 Celsius. Similarly, Sandals Royal Curaçao, Sandals Grenada and Sandals St Vincent and the Grenadines average about 27 or 28 Celsius in March.
Sandals Royal Bahamian in the Bahamas is considerably cooler with an average of 22 Celsius. It's also quite dry at this time of year.
For something in the middle, I would go for Sandals Grande Antigua, Sandals Barbabos and Sandals Royal Barbados, which are about 25 - 26 Celsius on average.
Sandals Royal Bahamian averages about 22 Celsius in March and is dry
April at Sandals resorts - mostly good dry weather, mid-priced
April is a good month to visit a Sandals resort and you can more or less visit any of them and expect good weather.
(By the way, I'm not going to declare that every month is great - it just happens that the start of the year is a good time!).
Prices are roughly similar to March, making it mid-priced or sometimes one of the cheaper times for a Sandals holiday.
The climate in Jamaica - where you'll find more than a third of the Sandals resorts - gets a little bit warmer and wetter in April. However, it's still a good time to visit. Rainfall doubles compares to January to March, but it's still not a huge amount. The temperature averages about 28 Celsius, so about one degree warmer than January to March. On hot days it will be 31 Celsius.
It's a similar pattern across the other resorts, with the rainfall picking up a little but not so much that it will ruin your holiday.
As with March, Sandals Royal Bahamian in the Bahamas is cooler than other resorts. You can expect an average of 23 Celsius and not much rain. That's a much more pleasant temperature in my opinion!
(By the way, I'm not going to declare that every month is great - it just happens that the start of the year is a good time!).
Prices are roughly similar to March, making it mid-priced or sometimes one of the cheaper times for a Sandals holiday.
The climate in Jamaica - where you'll find more than a third of the Sandals resorts - gets a little bit warmer and wetter in April. However, it's still a good time to visit. Rainfall doubles compares to January to March, but it's still not a huge amount. The temperature averages about 28 Celsius, so about one degree warmer than January to March. On hot days it will be 31 Celsius.
It's a similar pattern across the other resorts, with the rainfall picking up a little but not so much that it will ruin your holiday.
As with March, Sandals Royal Bahamian in the Bahamas is cooler than other resorts. You can expect an average of 23 Celsius and not much rain. That's a much more pleasant temperature in my opinion!
May at Sandals resorts - mixed weather, cheaper prices
You need to be a bit choosier if you want to visit a Sandals resort in May.
It is something of a transitional time for a lot of resorts. The dry season is coming to an end, but the wet season hasn't quite arrived. The cost of a Sandals holiday in May can be a little cheaper than January to April, but it's not a massive difference.
A good bet for weather is Sandals Royal Curaçao. It's certainly hot, with an average of 29 Celsius and peaks of 32 Celsius, but it isn't particularly wet. According to ClimatesToTravel, the 'trade winds blow constantly, tempering the heat'. In other words, it's very hot but there's a nice breeze.
Another good choice for May is Sandals Grenada. Their rainy season doesn't usually start until June. Grenada is about 28 Celsius in May.
The resorts in the middle for temperature include those in St Lucia (Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Sandals Halcyon Beach, Sandals Regency La Toc), Antigua (Sandals Grande Antigua) and the Bahamas (Sandals Royal Bahamian).
May is the start of the wet season in Jamaica, so I wouldn't say it's ideal for visiting Sandals' seven Jamaican resorts. The average temperature is about 28 or 29 Celsius. If you do go, you can expect some storms and heavy rain to interrupt your beachside smooching. It might be romantic, or it might be unpleasant...
It is something of a transitional time for a lot of resorts. The dry season is coming to an end, but the wet season hasn't quite arrived. The cost of a Sandals holiday in May can be a little cheaper than January to April, but it's not a massive difference.
A good bet for weather is Sandals Royal Curaçao. It's certainly hot, with an average of 29 Celsius and peaks of 32 Celsius, but it isn't particularly wet. According to ClimatesToTravel, the 'trade winds blow constantly, tempering the heat'. In other words, it's very hot but there's a nice breeze.
Another good choice for May is Sandals Grenada. Their rainy season doesn't usually start until June. Grenada is about 28 Celsius in May.
The resorts in the middle for temperature include those in St Lucia (Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Sandals Halcyon Beach, Sandals Regency La Toc), Antigua (Sandals Grande Antigua) and the Bahamas (Sandals Royal Bahamian).
May is the start of the wet season in Jamaica, so I wouldn't say it's ideal for visiting Sandals' seven Jamaican resorts. The average temperature is about 28 or 29 Celsius. If you do go, you can expect some storms and heavy rain to interrupt your beachside smooching. It might be romantic, or it might be unpleasant...
Sandals Grenada is usually dry and warm in May, as the rainy season hasn't arrived
June at Sandals resorts - wetter and warmer climate, cheaper prices
By the time we are into June, it gets trickier to find a Sandals resort with a high chance of good weather. The risk of hurricanes starts around now, although August to October is the peak season for hurricanes.
The good news is that June is one of the cheapest months for a Sandals holiday.
As with May, Sandals Royal Curaçao is probably your best bet for good weather in June. The temperature averages 29 Celsius but the amount of rain stays low and you still get a bit of a breeze.
June is another wet month in Jamaica, with the rainy season continuing. It's not usually quite as wet as May but the average temperature is 29 Celsius so it will feel quite sticky. You could visit one of the seven Sandals Jamaica resorts in June, but you would need to cope with humidity.
Sandals resorts in Saint Lucia, Bahamas, Grenada, Antigua, Barbados and Saint Vincent are likely to be quite wet in June.
As I said though, it's a cheap month to visit so you might decide it's worth a gamble.
The good news is that June is one of the cheapest months for a Sandals holiday.
As with May, Sandals Royal Curaçao is probably your best bet for good weather in June. The temperature averages 29 Celsius but the amount of rain stays low and you still get a bit of a breeze.
June is another wet month in Jamaica, with the rainy season continuing. It's not usually quite as wet as May but the average temperature is 29 Celsius so it will feel quite sticky. You could visit one of the seven Sandals Jamaica resorts in June, but you would need to cope with humidity.
Sandals resorts in Saint Lucia, Bahamas, Grenada, Antigua, Barbados and Saint Vincent are likely to be quite wet in June.
As I said though, it's a cheap month to visit so you might decide it's worth a gamble.
Sandals Royal Curaçao has better weather than most other Sandals resorts in May and June
July at Sandals resorts - very humid weather, quite high prices
I personally don't rate July very highly for a Sandals holiday. Prices tend to be high, but the weather is getting very hot and sticky. Of course, you'll also miss summer in the UK!
However, if you do go for Sandals in July then I would start with Sandals Royal Curaçao. It is hot (average of 29 Celsius), but the heat is quite dry. You will get the odd shower, and it's slightly wetter than May and June but it's considerably drier than a lot of the Caribbean.
The Jamaican resorts are also worth a mention.
July is right in the middle of Jamaica's rainy season, but there tends to be a bit of a lull in the rainfall on the eastern side of the Island (according to Climates To Travel). If you do go for a Sandals in Jamaica then I would go for Sandals Royal Plantation, Sandals Dunn’s River or Sandals Ochi. They aren't right over on the eastern side, but they are the furthest east at least! It's very hot in Jamaica at this time of year with an average of 30 Celsius and regular highs of about 33 Celsius.
I would be complaining endlessly about the heat, but you may be made of tougher stuff than me.
Most of the other Sandals resorts will be quite wet in July, so I personally wouldn't book somewhere like Saint Lucia and The Bahamas (i.e. Sandals Royal Bahamian, Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Sandals Halcyon Beach and Sandals Regency La Toc).
However, if you do go for Sandals in July then I would start with Sandals Royal Curaçao. It is hot (average of 29 Celsius), but the heat is quite dry. You will get the odd shower, and it's slightly wetter than May and June but it's considerably drier than a lot of the Caribbean.
The Jamaican resorts are also worth a mention.
July is right in the middle of Jamaica's rainy season, but there tends to be a bit of a lull in the rainfall on the eastern side of the Island (according to Climates To Travel). If you do go for a Sandals in Jamaica then I would go for Sandals Royal Plantation, Sandals Dunn’s River or Sandals Ochi. They aren't right over on the eastern side, but they are the furthest east at least! It's very hot in Jamaica at this time of year with an average of 30 Celsius and regular highs of about 33 Celsius.
I would be complaining endlessly about the heat, but you may be made of tougher stuff than me.
Most of the other Sandals resorts will be quite wet in July, so I personally wouldn't book somewhere like Saint Lucia and The Bahamas (i.e. Sandals Royal Bahamian, Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Sandals Halcyon Beach and Sandals Regency La Toc).
August at Sandals resorts - very humid, high prices and risk of hurricanes
August wouldn't be my first choice for a Sandals holiday. Apologies to those who can only get time off in August!
The first issue is that Sandals' prices tend to be at their highest in August, presumably because a huge number of people are on holiday.
The second issue is that it is the start of the Caribbean's hurricane season. You may well avoid the hurricanes but it will certainly be very hot and humid.
If August is your only option then I would start with Sandals Royal Curaçao. As with the previous three months, it is very hot with the August temperature about 30 Celsius on average. However, you get a little bit of a breeze and it's mostly a dry heat. Rainfall is higher than May and June, but on a par with July.
I would steer clear of Sandals in Jamaica in August unless you can cope with humidity. It is in the middle of the rainy season and it's also very hot. You'll have an average temperature of 30 Celsius and a high chance of getting soaked. It's also the middle of their rainy season so you'll be running for cover regularly.
August is also peak rainfall month in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The Bahamas is hotter than usual but is very wet.
The first issue is that Sandals' prices tend to be at their highest in August, presumably because a huge number of people are on holiday.
The second issue is that it is the start of the Caribbean's hurricane season. You may well avoid the hurricanes but it will certainly be very hot and humid.
If August is your only option then I would start with Sandals Royal Curaçao. As with the previous three months, it is very hot with the August temperature about 30 Celsius on average. However, you get a little bit of a breeze and it's mostly a dry heat. Rainfall is higher than May and June, but on a par with July.
I would steer clear of Sandals in Jamaica in August unless you can cope with humidity. It is in the middle of the rainy season and it's also very hot. You'll have an average temperature of 30 Celsius and a high chance of getting soaked. It's also the middle of their rainy season so you'll be running for cover regularly.
August is also peak rainfall month in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The Bahamas is hotter than usual but is very wet.
September at Sandals resorts - very humid, risk of hurricanes but very low prices
The climate at Sandals' resorts in September is not ideal - but it has the major advantage of being one of the cheapest months of the year (October is usually the other cheap month).
Most resorts will be very hot and wet, so not really perfect conditions for a romantic break in my experience. The temperature averages 30 Celsius in Jamaica, but it's the rainy season so it will feel humid. St Lucia is slightly cooler, but it's still very wet.
Hurricane season is in full swing in September across the Caribbean. It lasts from August to October and could theoretically affect any of the Sandals resorts.
If you are particularly keen to visit Sandals in September, I would start with Sandals Royal Curaçao as it's the last month of their dry season.
Most resorts will be very hot and wet, so not really perfect conditions for a romantic break in my experience. The temperature averages 30 Celsius in Jamaica, but it's the rainy season so it will feel humid. St Lucia is slightly cooler, but it's still very wet.
Hurricane season is in full swing in September across the Caribbean. It lasts from August to October and could theoretically affect any of the Sandals resorts.
If you are particularly keen to visit Sandals in September, I would start with Sandals Royal Curaçao as it's the last month of their dry season.
October at Sandals resorts - very humid, risk of hurricanes but cheapest month of the year
October is another iffy month for weather in the Caribbean - but it's also a cheap month for a Sandals holiday (presumably because most people decide it's not for them).
One issue is that there's an increased chance of hurricanes across the Caribbean from August to October, which could affect any of the Sandals resorts.
Even if you don't get hurricanes, you'll certainly get rainfall and sweaty heat.
Historically, this has been the wettest month of the year in Jamaica. It's also hot with an average of 29 Celsius. You'll spend a lot of time dodging the rain. St Lucia also sees its annual rainfall peak in October.
The weather starts to improve around now at Sandals Royal Bahamian, but it's still quite a risky time to visit. You might just sneak in a dry holiday at Sandals Royal Curaçao before the rainy season arrives, but it's touch and go.
One issue is that there's an increased chance of hurricanes across the Caribbean from August to October, which could affect any of the Sandals resorts.
Even if you don't get hurricanes, you'll certainly get rainfall and sweaty heat.
Historically, this has been the wettest month of the year in Jamaica. It's also hot with an average of 29 Celsius. You'll spend a lot of time dodging the rain. St Lucia also sees its annual rainfall peak in October.
The weather starts to improve around now at Sandals Royal Bahamian, but it's still quite a risky time to visit. You might just sneak in a dry holiday at Sandals Royal Curaçao before the rainy season arrives, but it's touch and go.
November at Sandals resorts - mixed weather, quite wet and mid-priced
November is a better month than October for a Sandals holiday as the peak hurricane season has passed. However, your options are still quite limited and prices jump up a bit compared to September and October.
Sandals Royal Bahamian in the Bahamas is a good choice in November. Its rainy season has peaked and starts dropping off by November. It won't be completely dry, but you shouldn't get drenched. The average temperature is about 23 Celsius. That's plenty warm enough for me, but some people might be looking for a bit more heat.
At the Jamaican resorts, the rainy season starts to tail off in November, but it's still quite a wet month. The temperature averages 28 Celsius, which is a bit more manageable than the humid heat from June to August.
November is still a very wet month in St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, Antigua and Curaçao.
Sandals Royal Bahamian in the Bahamas is a good choice in November. Its rainy season has peaked and starts dropping off by November. It won't be completely dry, but you shouldn't get drenched. The average temperature is about 23 Celsius. That's plenty warm enough for me, but some people might be looking for a bit more heat.
At the Jamaican resorts, the rainy season starts to tail off in November, but it's still quite a wet month. The temperature averages 28 Celsius, which is a bit more manageable than the humid heat from June to August.
November is still a very wet month in St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, Antigua and Curaçao.
The weather starts to improve in November at Sandals Royal Bahamian - and the risk of hurricanes has dropped
December at Sandals resorts - mostly dry climate, mid-priced apart from Christmas
December is a popular month for a Sandals holiday, with a few more options opening up and a bit more predictability about the weather. Prices are roughly on a par with November, making it one of the mid-priced months for a holiday. Visiting over Christmas and New Year is particularly expensive, as half the world is on holiday.
It's a pretty good time to visit one of the seven Jamaican resorts. The rainy season has ended and the temperature has dropped to an average of about 26 Celsius, so it's a much more pleasant temperature (in my opinion).
Sandals Royal Bahamian in the Bahamas is ideal if you don't want it too hot. The average is about 22 Celsius and it doesn't usually rain very much in December.
The rainy season has subsided by December in St Lucia, Barbados and Antigua. There's still a bit of rain around, but the temperature is similar to Jamaica at around 26 Celsius, so you might consider the St Lucian resorts of Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Sandals Halcyon Beach and Sandals Regency La Toc or the Barbados resorts of Sandals Barbabos and Sandals Royal Barbados or the Antiguan resort of Sandals Grande Antigua.
I wouldn't go for a Sandals resort in Grenada, Curaçao or Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in December as there are better times of year to visit them.
It's a pretty good time to visit one of the seven Jamaican resorts. The rainy season has ended and the temperature has dropped to an average of about 26 Celsius, so it's a much more pleasant temperature (in my opinion).
Sandals Royal Bahamian in the Bahamas is ideal if you don't want it too hot. The average is about 22 Celsius and it doesn't usually rain very much in December.
The rainy season has subsided by December in St Lucia, Barbados and Antigua. There's still a bit of rain around, but the temperature is similar to Jamaica at around 26 Celsius, so you might consider the St Lucian resorts of Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Sandals Halcyon Beach and Sandals Regency La Toc or the Barbados resorts of Sandals Barbabos and Sandals Royal Barbados or the Antiguan resort of Sandals Grande Antigua.
I wouldn't go for a Sandals resort in Grenada, Curaçao or Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in December as there are better times of year to visit them.
The weather is starting to improve at ​Sandals Regency La Toc by December
Images are from Sandals.
