Recommended islands for July/August time
Replies: 10 - Last Post: Apr 27, 2010 1:59 PM Last Post By: neckervd
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Recommended islands for July/August time
Myself and my partner are looking at going to the Caribbean in July/August this year. I know that's not the best season to go, but she is restricted to travelling in this time due to being a teacher.Which islands would you recommend? I guess they are all subject to bad weather with the larger islands having more sheltered areas on their west coast?
'Affordable' islands are a preference in this case. If I can find a cheap flight I will definitely do this the non package deal way.
I'd welcome ideas - thanks!
1
Well, the weather is changeable everywhere and may be sticky, wherever in the Caribbean you go. I've visited Barbados, Grenada and Carriacou at that time of year and have found that there are good days and bad days. In terms of avoiding the hurricane season, there hasn't been a major hurricane in Barbados since 1955. The island is a regional hub so it's easy to get to, which is a plus, though it's not as cheap as other places.2
I too am a teacher, so have only traveled there during the summer. I found the weather very hit or miss - much like here in Florida. Your question, however is a bit general. Are you in to beaches, mountains, nature, wildlife, diving, nightlife, etc. I found no island offered all of those. As for weather, the ABCs are drier than most. I liked Grenada's beaches. Bonaire is known for diving and I have personally enjoyed diving in Guadeloupe and Martinique. St. Lucia has a beautiful landscape and Dominica receives few tourists, but is a natural paradise - if you don't mind a lack of good beaches. That being said, you can access Guadeloupe and Martinique via ferry from Dominica and by searching around, we found a few inexpensive places on the island. But on most of these islands a rental car is imperative. Tobago is another beautiful island.You'll get better answers if you refine your criteria.
3
who said it's not the best season to go?whoever told you that is wrong. you've been listening to poor advice. it's the best season to go! i've been going to the caribbean in every season for ove a couple decades. i love the summer in the caribbean. the days are long so you can enjoy them more. i live in florida and love to go to the islands in the summer. it's usually cooler there than in florida (because the islands are surrounded by water )
you want affordable and some great culture? jamaica. i've been there more times than i can count. and flights are cheaper than many other islands. it's only an hour and a half from florida. a very cool place. if you're interested ask more here and you will be bombarded by great help. including me. there are more jamaica fans on this branch than any other island. we all would like to help you.
4
oh yea. you said something about bad weather. you've been getting some bad advice again!the weather in the caribbean in the summer is one of the my favorite things! it's a great truly wonderful thing. i've rarely had bad weather there. the weather in the caribbean in the summer is absolutely wonderful. most islands have nice showers at anytime, any day. it's part of life there. it rarely rains all day. the rain is wonderful. and when the rain is done, everyone comes back out. it's one of the most beautiful parts of the caribbean.
7
I agree with Viaggero that you'll get a lot better responses if you give a little more criteria as to what's most important to you (great beaches? hiking? diving? culture? natural beauty?). There are lots of great choices, but the best ones for you depend on your preferences.I wouldn't worry about going in July/August if that's the only time you can go. Weather will probably be fine, although you may get a few more storms than in the "drier months" the first half of the year. There are many advantages to going in the summer, however, such as fewer crowds, cheaper prices and warmer water. I don't think it matters much if you are on a "big island" or a "small one" if a hurricane comes and hits the island you are on, it won't be pretty. But statistically speaking, the chance is remote.
8
OK, thanks for the advice. Yeah, that was a bit unforesightful of me to not indicate my motives for going to the Caribbean. Narrowing it down then - I'd probably say that ideally I'm after good wildlife (both marine and terrestrial), good landscapes and decent beaches. The nightlife and culture part is of no interest to me (in this case anyway). In other words more unspoilt, with nature being a highlight.The main point of the post though was to get some inspiration from people. Part of me is curious about Cuba, with St Lucia equally appealing, and then secondarily (due to cost, I imagine) Guadeloupe.
9
St. Lucia has some beautiful landscapes, but I don't remember seeing much in the way of wildlife and I was disappointed with the diving, though it has good beaches.Dominica lacks beaches, but you can take a raft ride up river, it is very 'mountainous' (remember I live in flat Florida) and it's cool up in the hills, nice hiking, and the only boiling lake in the Americas, some decent diving, and I saw small whales.
Barbados, wildlife = free roaming African monkeys imported 100s of years ago, black sheep unique to the island, decent diving, and flying fish, landscapes are more open than Dominica or St. Lucia, but some very rugged looking coastlines and some excellent beaches - though technically in the Atlantic.
10
Last summer was drier than usual and the drier sides even of Grenada and Tobago got almost no rain. But this may change this year.As said above, Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire are the driest holiday Islands in the Caribics, probably followed by Islas de los Roques and Isla da Margarita. So, if you don't want to run any risk, go there.
Or study the statistics:
http://www.tutiempo.net/en/Climate/
http://www.colonialvoyage.com/america/eng/central/index.html
