The Best Time to Visit Jamaica

Thanks to its laid-back living, big blue skies, vast open sea and sweeping panoramas of sandy beaches, Jamaica is one place holidaymakers know they can count on. Throughout the year, temperatures are high and skies are blue on the king of Caribbean islands.

If you’re wondering when’s best to visit the island, let our guide be the one that helps you make that decision. From the weather to the best events around, we’ll help you get to grips with what to expect.

Summer fun

Summer holidays to Jamaica let you enjoy decent deals that make the most of the balmy island’s heat and humidity. While precipitation is a little higher in the later summer months of July and August, that does nothing to dampen the party spirit.

The biggest concert festival in Jamaica, Reggae Sumfest takes place mid-July in Montego Bay, attracting both classic acts and up and coming talent. You can take part in a free street dance party on Montego Bay’s Hip Strip, listen to countless reggae artists and round it off with a finale party on Dump Up Beach.

Summer is also a good time to visit the island’s Blue Mountains, so called due to the blue-tinted mist that shrouds the top. Head towards the summit to escape some of the summer island heat, wandering past waterfalls and through Blue Mountain coffee plantations as you go – keep your eyes peeled for native hummingbirds.

Autumn relaxation

Thanks to its abundant sun and drier days, Jamaica’s autumns are hot, but also tend to feature a slower pace of life than the parties that brighten up the first half of the year.

It’s a great time of year for sightseeing and taking part in activities at some of the island’s best-loved spots, many of which are water-based. You can clamber to the top of the 600-foot high cascades of the Dunn’s River Falls, swim beside bottle-nosed dolphins, sharks or stingrays at Dolphin Cove – both near Ocho Rios – or be guided down the Martha Brae River on a raft towards the coast at Falmouth.

Springtime celebrations

Jamaica’s scorching weather hits all the right notes in springtime, which is when vacationing students from the USA and other nearby countries tend to head to the island for beach parties and making memories.

Spring comes early in Jamaica for countless reasons, and not just the climate. Reggae pioneer and local legend Bob Marley is as beloved today as he ever was, and his birthday is celebrated across the island for the entire month of February. This month-long festival of reggae brings live concerts, talks, photo exhibitions and awards for the latest stars in reggae.

Culture begins to make itself known come May leading into early summer. StyleWeek Jamaica shows that Jamaica’s fashion designers can more than hold their own among the catwalks of New York, London, Paris or Tokyo. Then, come June, Caribbean Fashion Week opens up that conversation to Jamaica’s sunny island neighbours as well. And for jazz lovers, Ocho Rios Jazz Festival is guaranteed to bring some of the world’s best saxophonists, drummers and blues legend to Ocho Rios.

Jamaica has so much to offer that you really can’t go wrong, but hopefully our guide sets you straight and inspires some ideas. If you’ve got any reasons behind when’s the best time to visit Jamaica, let us know in the comments.