The 4 Least Humid Caribbean Islands (Relatively Speaking)
If you are not a fan of permanently glistening skin, you’ll want to know which Caribbean islands are the least humid.
You’ve seen it on the postcards, the movies, from your friends on social media- a trip to the Caribbean has been on your bucket list, and you are ready to finally book your dream vacation. What those pictures don’t show is the high potential for perspiration. The good news is that it’s easily avoidable if you know where and when to go. To make the most of your vacation and to avoid the humidity, take note of which islands have the least rainfall and the biggest potential for a breeze.
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What islands in the Caribbean are the least humid?
All Caribbean islands are humid when compared to most other parts of the world that visitors come from. However, the more arid, breezy islands with the lowest humidity in the Caribbean are:
- Aruba
- Bonaire
- Curaçao
- Turks & Caicos
To be fair, humidity can be a happy occurrence for those coming from drier climates like Arizona where bone dry is the norm, and we’ll break down the upside to humidity as well. We’ll also tell you which islands are the least humid and which months are best to travel to avoid glistening skin full time.
We checked the weather for each of the islands so you don’t have to and have created a comprehensive guide to humidity in the Caribbean.
The Guide To Caribbean Humidity: From Least To Most To When
Why Is The Caribbean Humid
The Caribbean is located right in a tropical sweet spot and depending where the island sits on the chain can have varying amounts of trade winds and weather patterns that can yield more humid climates.
The Caribbean islands can see two distinct wet seasons per year. Wetness doesn’t last, but the heat does. When heat meets the standing water, vapor results and so does sticky skin and general discomfort.
What Is The Best Season To Travel The Caribbean For Low Humidity
Good weather is not hard to come by in the Caribbean. It comes as no surprise that the high tourist season in most of the Caribbean also aligns with the lowest humidity. The months of November to April tend to see less rain and more winds which mean lower overall humidity.
Generally speaking, the Caribbean Islands on average see anywhere from 50-65 inches of rain a year- humidity generators. The islands with the lowest humidity range from just 18-21 inches per year.
Which Islands In The Caribbean Have The Least Humidity
Aruba
Aruba is warm, sunny, cool, and breezy, and while not exactly Arizona, it is invariably dry throughout the year.
The typical temperatures in Aruba range from 77-91°F with the average being 82°F year round. Aruba boasts a location on the southern end of the Caribbean island chain, far outside “hurricane alley”.
In fact Aruba rarely sees the monsoon type weather that the West Indies islands like Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands typically get.
Aruba’s main weather trick is near constant offshore tradewinds that make you forget about the heat altogether.
The Best Time To Visit
Due to Aruba’s year round amiable weather, Aruba’s high and low seasons tend to reflect the typical holiday travel habits of those from the United States and Canada. The high season is typically when these people are trying to escape cold weather with December to April bringing peak sun worshippers to its shores.
If you are looking to escape the crowds then the off season of April to November is the time to book. These months usually see lower hotel rates and tranquil beaches.
Bonaire
Bonaire is tropical, semi-arid, and warm all year around. Temperatures range from 78-91°F with an average of 82°F year around.
Bonaire sees the second least amount of rain at 18.2 inches per year over 62 days out of the 26 inhabited Caribbean islands. To put this in perspective, the wettest island, Dominica sees an astonishing 101.4 inches per year.
The Best Time To Visit
Bonaire is reliably dry year round with May and June offering the most consistent weather. It makes a great alternative to other islands during hurricane season in the early fall as well. High season like most of the Caribbean falls between November and April.
Curaçao
Curaçao is the last of the “ABC Islands” after Aruba and Bonaire and is similarly warm, dry, and breezy. All three Dutch influenced islands of the Netherland Antilles are well south of the “Hurricane Belt” that acts as a highway for unruly storms.
Curaçao sees an extremely low rainfall average in comparison to the rest of the Caribbean islands at just 21.8 inches a year. A much better alternative than, say, Seattle which gets an average of 43.6 inches a year.
The Best Time To Visit
Similar to the rest of the “ABC Islands’ ‘ Curacao is a relatively safe dry year around, however, February to June see the least chance of rain on a yearly basis.
Turks and Caicos
Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos sees the second-fewest number of rainy days in all of the Caribbean at just 43 and sees an above average amount of sunny days for the region. In comparison, Puerto Rico typically sees 199 days of rain on average each year.
Turks and Caicos temperatures range from 75-95°F with little distinction in the seasons. The islands see just two torrential downpours of rain per year on average!
The Best Time To Visit
Hurricane season is typically from June to November in all of the Caribbean, however, the strongest probability falls between the end of August and mid September and so these months are best to avoid. The best time to visit Turks and Caicos is between the “cool season” which sees a slight reduction of temperatures and increase in the breeze. This period typically falls between January to April.
Check out our full article about the best times to visit Turks and Caicos where we go into detail about exactly when you should visit the island for the most enjoyable trip.
Which Islands In The Caribbean Have The Most Humidity
If you are rigidly opposed to humidity as part of your vacation days, you’ll want to avoid the exceptionally wet and more prone to moisture islands.
The Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic has famously lush green forests but for good reason it sees the most rain and rain days in the whole of the Caribbean at over 135 rainy days per year. The regular rain in combination with high temperatures can make for a steamy experience, especially May through November where rain is most common.
The Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands see a remarkable 186 days of rain on average pushing relative humidity to 50-90% on average. To put this in perspective, 45% humidity is generally considered comfortable while anything over 85% is considered very humid- meaning your legs are sticking to the beach bar seat.
Puerto Rico
Not far from either the Virgin Islands or Dominican Republic is another humidity prone vacation spot. Puerto Rico boasts a very wet 199 days of rain on average each year.
Like the Dominican Republic, this results in a lush tropical jungle landscape, but for those looking for a dry breezy beach vacation destination, you might not find it in Puerto Rico, especially between the months of April to November.