Dream beaches, delicious food and the warm hospitality of the locals – you should definitely put the island state of Bahamas on your list of holiday destinations worth seeing. The numerous islands and more than 2,400 coral reefs put paradise at your feet. Before you go to the island nation in the Atlantic, you should think about the best time to travel to the Bahamas to inform. Summer temperatures await you all year round, but hurricane season is not the best time to visit the northernmost Caribbean islands. I’ll tell you when is the best time to visit the Bahamas and why. You will receive information on geography, climate and regional differences in weather. A climate table shows you values such as the maximum and minimum temperature, the water temperature as well as the duration of sunshine and rainy days per month. Then you can pack your bags and enjoy the Caribbean flair!
When is the best time to visit the Bahamas?
Due to the pleasant climate, you can visit the Bahamas any month of the year. The island nation is a year-round travel destination . If you want to enjoy the perfect weather conditions, I recommend December to April as the best time to travel to the Bahamas. During these months you can generally expect temperatures between 25 and 27 degrees Celsius. At night it usually doesn’t get colder than 17 degrees Celsius. In addition to cool winds from the North American mainland, the islands of the Bahamas in the north have an impact. In this case, the nighttime temperatures on these islands can also drop to 12 to 10 degrees Celsius. In the winter months you can swim and snorkel wonderfully in the sea. The water temperatures are 23 to 24 degrees from December to April. The seven to nine hours of sunshine a day make bathing fun during the best travel time for the Bahamas. Another positive characteristic of the winter months: there is comparatively little rain. You have to expect only five to nine rainy days per month. That is far below the number of rainy days in the summer months.
The best time to travel to the Bahamas:
- December: 27 ° C, 7 hours of sunshine, 24 ° C water temperature, 9 rainy days
- January:25 ° C, 8 hours of sunshine, 23 ° C water temperature, 6 rainy days
- February: 25 ° C, 9 hours of sunshine, 23 ° C water temperature, 6 rainy days
- March: 27 ° C, 8 hours of sunshine, 24 ° C water temperature, 5 rainy days
- April: 27 ° C, 10 hours of sunshine, 24 ° C water temperature, 6 rainy days
The months of December , January , February , March and April are the best time to travel. This means that the Bahamas is also peak travel season. That is why many vacationers use the months of the low season May, June and November as a travel time. With maximum daytime temperatures of 27 degrees Celsius and water temperatures between 23 and 26 degrees, you can enjoy a great holiday. Note, however, that the Bahamas has hurricane season from June to November. Below is detailed information about the hurricane season.
Geography of the Bahamas
According to justinshoes, the Bahamas is made up of numerous islands, 700 in number, and over 2,400 coral reefs. The island state is located where the Caribbean meets the Atlantic. It is one of the West Indies and forms the northeastern edge of the Caribbean. Geographically, the island state belongs to Central America. But although the Bahamas are part of the Caribbean, the individual islands are in the Atlantic. Depending on the holiday destination in the Bahamas, you can make a detour to Cuba or Florida or combine the places on a round trip. Florida is northwest and Cuba is southwest of the Bahamas.
A special feature is the incredible extent of the island state. The west-east width is about 750 kilometers and the north-south expansion is 650 kilometers. The islands thus occupy a huge area in the Atlantic. The islands are rather flat in nature. The highest mountain is Mount Alvernia on Cat Island with 63 meters.
Not all of the numerous islands are inhabited and not all of them are open to tourists. 30 islands are inhabited, including New Providence with the capital Nassau and Grand Bahama . Most of the people live on these two islands.
Climate in the Bahamas
The islands of the Bahamas extend over a huge area and yet the climate on all Bahamas islands is almost the same. Generally there is a subtropical climate . But overall it is milder on the islands and not as hot as on other islands in the Caribbean. The Gulf Stream ensures a mild climate, especially in the winter months. It can get fresher when the cooler winds from the North American mainland influence the islands. They particularly affect winter temperatures on the northern Bahamas Islands. Furthermore, the tropical and hot air that comes from the Caribbean affects the climate in the Bahamas.
The year-round mild climate ensures low temperature fluctuations over the course of the year. This means that it is warm in summer all year round. However, there are slight differences between the winter and summer seasons. In winter you can expect daytime temperatures between 25 and 27 degrees Celsius and with six to nine rainy days comparatively little rainfall. The humidity is lower than in the summer months, which is noticeably easier for many holidaymakers to bear. In summer, the temperatures rise to 32 degrees Celsius and at night it doesn’t get colder than 24 degrees Celsius. Due to the cool wind, which is permanently present, these high temperatures can still be endured. The humidity increases enormously in summer and the rainy days are at a maximum with 17 days in September.
Climate table for the Bahamas – Nassau
| Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Max. Temperature in ° C | 25 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 29 | 27 | 27 |
| Min. Temperature in ° C | 17 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 19 |
| Hours of sunshine per day | 8 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 |
| Water temperature in ° C | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 24 |
| Rainy days per month | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 9 | 9 |
Weather in the Bahamas – regional differences
In general, the weather in the Bahamas and all of the islands is very similar. However, there is a difference in weather between the southern and northern islands . Basically it is cooler on the northern islands than on the southern ones. You are haunted by the cool wind that blows from North America. This leads to a drop in temperatures, especially in the winter months. The wind can mean that the nighttime temperatures are no longer at 17 degrees Celsius in January, for example, but instead drop to 10 degrees Celsius. The weather on the southern Bahama Islands is not affected by the wind from North America. Therefore, the temperatures in the south of the Bahamas are always a bit higher.
Hurricane season in the Bahamas
The Bahamas are in the catchment area of tropical cyclones , the so-called hurricanes. The hurricane season on the Bahama Islands is in the summer months of June , July , August , September , October and November . During this time you have to expect strong storms . The likelihood of a hurricane hitting the Bahamas is relatively unlikely. As a rule, the hurricanes do not make it to the islands of the Bahamas and turn off beforehand. But if you look at Hurricane Joaquin, which hit the southern part of the Bahamas in 2015, you always have to be prepared for a hurricane during these months. For this reason, I do not recommend the hurricane season or the summer months as the best time to travel to the Bahamas.
My conclusion on the best travel time for the Bahamas
If you want to enjoy paradise on earth without restrictions, I recommend December , January , February , March and April as the best time to travel to the Bahamas. The weather conditions are ideal. The temperatures are not too hot and the humidity is not too high. The duration of sunshine is longest in these months and the number of rainy days is low. Many vacationers choose the low season as the best time to visit the Bahamas. This includes the months May to November. The hotel prices are cheaper than in the main travel season and there are fewer tourists on the way. However, the hurricane season in the Bahamas begins in June and lasts until November. For this reason, I advise you not to travel to the Bahamas in June, July, August, September, October and November. Only the month of May in the low season can be another optimal travel time with less crowded hotels and vacation spots.
