Where to go in October
For a beach trip in October, the best-graded destinations are usually Maui (A), Oʻahu (A) and Los Cabos (A). The warmest water is around Haiti (88°F) and the driest weather in Los Cabos (8% rain chance). For skiing, Grand Targhee, Jackson Hole and Alta usually get the most snow in October.
Other months
Beach destinations in October, ranked
A typical October at each destination (median resort). Click a column to sort.
| Destination | Typical day | Area | High | Water | Rain chance | Seaweed | Crowds | Storm risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maui | A | Hawaii | 87°F | 80°F | 17% | Rare | Busy | Low |
| Oʻahu | A | Hawaii | 86°F | 80°F | 19% | Rare | Busy | Low |
| Los Cabos | A | Mexico | 90°F | 82°F | 8% | Rare | Busy | Low |
| The Big Island | A | Hawaii | 85°F | 80°F | 20% | Rare | Busy | Low |
| Kauaʻi | A | Hawaii | 84°F | 79°F | 31% | Rare | Busy | Low |
| Southwest Florida | A | Florida & the Gulf Coast | 84°F | 80°F | 34% | Rare | Moderate | Low |
| Puerto Vallarta | A | Mexico | 90°F | 84°F | 24% | Rare | Moderate | Low |
| Huatulco | A- | Mexico | 89°F | 86°F | 27% | Rare | Moderate | Low |
| South Padre & the Coastal Bend | A- | Florida & the Gulf Coast | 83°F | 81°F | 31% | Rare | Moderate | Low |
| Tampa Bay | A- | Florida & the Gulf Coast | 84°F | 78°F | 28% | Moderate | Moderate | Low |
| The Alabama & Mississippi coast | A- | Florida & the Gulf Coast | 77°F | 76°F | 24% | Rare | Moderate | Moderate |
| The Louisiana coast | A- | Florida & the Gulf Coast | 76°F | 78°F | 21% | Rare | Quiet | Moderate |
| The Yucatán Gulf Coast | A- | Mexico | 87°F | 84°F | 52% | Rare | Moderate | Low |
| Galveston & the Upper Texas Coast | A- | Florida & the Gulf Coast | 77°F | 78°F | 33% | Rare | Moderate | Moderate |
| The Florida Panhandle | A- | Florida & the Gulf Coast | 78°F | 78°F | 22% | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| Aruba, Bonaire & Curaçao | A- | Caribbean islands | 88°F | 86°F | 55% | Rare | Busy | Very low |
| Cuba's Cays | A- | Caribbean islands | 84°F | 85°F | 64% | Rare | Moderate | Low |
| Florida Keys | A- | Florida & the Gulf Coast | 82°F | 83°F | 49% | Rare | Moderate | Moderate |
| The US Virgin Islands | A- | Caribbean islands | 84°F | 86°F | 55% | Rare | Moderate | Low |
| The BVI | A- | Caribbean islands | 84°F | 86°F | 56% | Rare | Moderate | Low |
| The Bahamas | B+ | Caribbean islands | 83°F | 83°F | 51% | Rare | Moderate | Low |
| The Leeward Islands | B+ | Caribbean islands | 84°F | 86°F | 57% | Rare | Moderate | Low |
| Varadero & Havana | B+ | Caribbean islands | 85°F | 84°F | 60% | Rare | Moderate | Low |
| St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenada | B+ | Caribbean islands | 86°F | 86°F | 61% | Low | Moderate | Low |
| Turks & Caicos | B+ | Caribbean islands | 84°F | 85°F | 63% | Rare | Moderate | Low |
| Veracruz | B+ | Mexico | 84°F | 84°F | 44% | Low | Moderate | Low |
| Barbados | B+ | Caribbean islands | 87°F | 86°F | 64% | Low | Moderate | Low |
| Mazatlán | B+ | Mexico | 88°F | 83°F | 16% | Rare | Moderate | Low |
| Puerto Rico | B+ | Caribbean islands | 87°F | 86°F | 66% | Rare | Moderate | Low |
| Cayman Islands | B+ | Caribbean islands | 86°F | 86°F | 77% | Rare | Moderate | Low |
| Panama's Pacific beaches | B | Central & South America | 84°F | 85°F | 95% | Rare | Moderate | Very low |
| Trinidad & Tobago | B | Caribbean islands | 86°F | 86°F | 72% | Rare | Quiet | Very low |
| Guadeloupe & Martinique | B | Caribbean islands | 86°F | 85°F | 66% | Moderate | Moderate | Low |
| Roatán & the Bay Islands | B | Central & South America | 83°F | 86°F | 79% | Rare | Quiet | Low |
| Manzanillo | B | Mexico | 90°F | 85°F | 27% | Rare | Moderate | Moderate |
| Belize | B | Central & South America | 84°F | 86°F | 76% | Rare | Moderate | Low |
| Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo | B | Mexico | 90°F | 86°F | 27% | Rare | Moderate | Moderate |
| San Andrés | B | Central & South America | 84°F | 86°F | 84% | Rare | Moderate | Low |
| Acapulco | B | Mexico | 90°F | 86°F | 27% | Rare | Moderate | Moderate |
| Costa Maya | B | Mexico | 86°F | 86°F | 69% | High | Moderate | Moderate |
| The Corn Islands | B- | Central & South America | 84°F | 86°F | 93% | Rare | Quiet | Low |
| Colombia's Caribbean coast | B- | Central & South America | 85°F | 86°F | 87% | Rare | Moderate | Very low |
| Cancún | B- | Mexico | 85°F | 85°F | 67% | High | Moderate | Low |
| Panama's Caribbean coast | B- | Central & South America | 84°F | 87°F | 93% | Moderate | Moderate | Very low |
| Cozumel | B- | Mexico | 85°F | 86°F | 70% | High | Moderate | Moderate |
| Costa Rica's Caribbean coast | C+ | Central & South America | 84°F | 86°F | 86% | High | Moderate | Very low |
| Jamaica | C+ | Caribbean islands | 86°F | 87°F | 75% | High | Moderate | Low |
| The Dominican North Coast | C+ | Caribbean islands | 87°F | 86°F | 72% | High | Moderate | Low |
| Santo Domingo's coast | C | Caribbean islands | 86°F | 86°F | 73% | Very high | Moderate | Low |
| Haiti | C | Caribbean islands | 88°F | 88°F | 75% | Moderate | Moderate | Low |
| Punta Cana | C- | Caribbean islands | 86°F | 86°F | 68% | Very high | Moderate | Low |
| Guatemala's Caribbean coast | C- | Central & South America | 84°F | 86°F | 87% | Very high | Quiet | Low |
| The Riviera Maya | C- | Mexico | 85°F | 86°F | 70% | Very high | Moderate | Low |
| Holguín | D+ | Caribbean islands | 86°F | 85°F | 72% | Very high | Moderate | Low |
Best beaches in October
Resorts with the best typical October (at most two per destination), and their grades for the next few days.
- Hilton Hawaiian Village Oʻahu · Oct ASatA-SunBMonBTueA-WedA-
- The Westin Nanea Ocean Villas, Ka'anapali Maui · Oct ASatA-SunA-MonA-TueA-WedA-
- The Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas Maui · Oct ASatA-SunA-MonA-TueA-WedA-
- Four Seasons O'ahu at Ko Olina Oʻahu · Oct ASatA-SunAMonATueA-WedA-
- Krystal Grand Los Cabos Los Cabos · Oct ASatDSunCMonBTueA-WedB+
- Hotel Riu Santa Fe Los Cabos · Oct ASatD+SunDMonBTueBWedB
- The Ritz-Carlton Naples Southwest Florida · Oct ASatA-SunA-MonA-TueA-WedA-
- Naples Grande Beach Resort Southwest Florida · Oct ASatA-SunA-MonA-TueA-WedA-
- Four Seasons Resort Hualalai the Big Island · Oct ASatA-SunA-MonA-TueAWedA
- Fairmont Orchid the Big Island · Oct ASatASunAMonATueAWedA
- Lagun Blou Aruba, Bonaire & Curaçao · Oct ASatA-SunA-MonA-TueA-WedA-
- Hotel Las Dunas the Yucatán Gulf Coast · Oct ASatC+SunB-MonB-TueB-WedB
Grades for the next few days from Veabird's beach forecast, updated Oct 3, 18:00 UTC. Higher is better: A+ to F.
Skiing in October
Typical snowfall that month, crowds and trip prices (flights and lodging against each resort's yearly average), with this week's grades where the snow forecast covers the resort.
| Resort | Area | Typical snow | Crowds | Trip price | This week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Targhee | Teton Range, Wyoming | 25 in. | Quiet | -21% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Jackson Hole | Teton Range, Wyoming | 23 in. | Moderate | -21% | Opens ~Nov 29 |
| Alta | Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah | 22 in. | Quiet | -21% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Whistler Blackcomb | Coast Mountains, British Columbia | 22 in. | Moderate | -21% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Revelstoke | Monashee Mountains, British Columbia | 21 in. | Quiet | -21% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Snowbird | Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah | 20 in. | Quiet | -21% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Brighton | Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah | 20 in. | Quiet | -21% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Solitude | Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah | 20 in. | Quiet | -21% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Powder Mountain | Wasatch, Utah | 20 in. | Quiet | -21% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Big Sky | Southwest Montana | 20 in. | Moderate | -21% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Alyeska | Girdwood, Alaska | 20 in. | Moderate | -21% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Mt. Baker | North Cascades, Washington | 19 in. | Quiet | -21% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Vail | Colorado Rockies | 18 in. | Quiet | -22% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Breckenridge | Colorado Rockies | 18 in. | Quiet | -22% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Arapahoe Basin | Colorado Rockies | 18 in. | Quiet | -21% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Banff Sunshine | Banff National Park, Alberta | 18 in. | Moderate | -21% | Opens ~Nov 8 |
| Steamboat | Colorado Rockies | 17 in. | Quiet | -22% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Winter Park | Colorado Rockies | 16 in. | Quiet | -21% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Beaver Creek | Colorado Rockies | 16 in. | Quiet | -22% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
| Aspen Snowmass | Colorado Rockies | 15 in. | Quiet | -22% | Opens ~Nov 22 |
Grades for the next few days from Veabird's snow model, updated Oct 3, 19:00 UTC. Higher is better: A+ to F.
Questions
- Where is the best beach weather in October?
- For a beach trip in October, the best-graded destinations are usually Maui (A), Oʻahu (A) and Los Cabos (A). The warmest water is around Haiti (88°F) and the driest weather in Los Cabos (8% rain chance). For skiing, Grand Targhee, Jackson Hole and Alta usually get the most snow in October.
- Where can I avoid sargassum in October?
- Among the Caribbean and Gulf destinations where seaweed is a real question, Veracruz is usually lightest in October (low). Places outside the sargassum belt, like Mexico's Pacific coast, Hawaii and Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, rarely see it.
- Where is good but not crowded in October?
- The Corn Islands grades B- with quiet crowds in a typical October.