Best islands to visit, month by month
The best Caribbean and Hawaiian islands for a beach trip in each month: January, Cuba's Cays; February, Cuba's Cays; March, Cuba's Cays; April, Cuba's Cays; and the rest of the year, ranked by weather, water, seaweed, crowds and storm risk.
| Month | Best island | Typical day | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Cuba's Cays | A- | Maui and Turks & Caicos |
| February | Cuba's Cays | A- | Varadero & Havana and the Big Island |
| March | Cuba's Cays | A- | Varadero & Havana and Florida Keys |
| April | Cuba's Cays | A- | Varadero & Havana and Florida Keys |
| May | Cuba's Cays | A- | Florida Keys and Varadero & Havana |
| June | Cuba's Cays | A- | Turks & Caicos and the Bahamas |
| July | Cuba's Cays | A- | Turks & Caicos and Maui |
| August | Maui | A- | Turks & Caicos and the Big Island |
| September | Maui | A- | the Big Island and Aruba, Bonaire & Curaçao |
| October | Maui | A- | the Big Island and Oʻahu |
| November | The Big Island | A- | Maui and Cuba's Cays |
| December | The Big Island | A- | Cuba's Cays and Maui |