kk1974

Thinking of traveling to an island in July. Is the weather okay or should we choose another area to visit? I hear it can be pretty rainy...

girlonthego

It can rain any time of the year!
Bermuda's high season is July and it is a beautiful island.

Hurricane season starts in June, but rarely kicks up a big storm until later in August.

Where are you thinking of going?

kk1974

We are not sure where to go. We are newly married, 30's, no children - any suggestions? I want someplace with gorgeous beaches and clear, blue water. I know that many islands fit that description but I feel like when you go to some islands it doesn't look like the brochures.

shirleyk

Gorgeous beaches and clear, blue water describes Provo, Turks & Caicos. July would be great there.

girlonthego

Turks Caicos, Anguilla, Grand Cayman, St. John, Aruba.

Usually, the dryer islands have generally nicer beaches.

Also, the vibe of each island is different. Some have nightlife, some don't.
Aruba would have gambling, and some nightlife. It is also more commercial and crowded. Food is very good. Has Marriott, Hyatt, Radisson, and a smaller resort called Bucuti Beach (adults only is encouraged at Bucuti).

Cayman is lower key and has very little nightlife. It is mostly beach bars, some with music. Food is very good here as well. People are very friendly. Snorkeling and scuba diving is excellent.
Cayman has a Marriott, Ritz Carlton, Westin, Hyatt, and some others like the Reef Resort, also many rent condos here as well.

Anguilla, (I have not been), I have read has some top notch beaches. It is quiet and has some great resorts, Cap Jaluca, Mallojana (can't spell), and Cuisinart.

Turks and Caicos: I have not been here either, but here the beaches are excellent. It is a quiet island and many people rent condos, example Grace Bay. There are many other places/hotels, I am just not familiar with many of the resorts here.

St. John has great beaches and some lusher surroundings. Much of the island is a National parkland.
Places to stay would be the Westin or I can't think of the name, it escapes me, but it is a Rosewood resort and has many reviews all over the place, but they do have the top beaches.
It is a quiet island with low-key nightlife.

So, it really depends on the type of traveler you are. There are many other islands as well that have great beaches too.

doug_stallings

July can be hot in the Caribbean, but it's not a bad time to travel. Of course it's hurricane season---though NOT the rainy season---in the Caribbean during this time, so there is a possibility of a tropical storm or hurricane, which would produce a large amount of rain and wind.

wckate

Doug

on the weather issue. late April to early May St Johns one week and Grand cayman the next. Does that sound doable? Is it very rainy and does it vary much between those two islands? We could make it a couple of weeks earlier if the weather is usual better. What do you think?
Thanks

laplaya

Bermuda has gorgeous, pink beaches, & turquoise water.

Dress code in restaurants. Some jacket/tie.

Also, summer is great time for Bermuda, since weather is like NC.

doug_stallings

You may find it quite challenging to travel between St. John (St. John's is the capital of Antigua) and Grand Cayman. You would do better splitting your time between islands that are a little closer together. But they couldn't be more different. St. John is lush and green; Grand Cayman is relatively flat and arid.

Late April to early May sounds like an ideal time. I would never actually pay to visit the Caribbean during the high season. I always prefer to travel during the shoulder or low seasons (i.e., after easter until the end of June, when hurricanes are rare and the weather about the best it is all year long). You never know if a tropical front will come through, but even if the forecasts show rain every day, unless there really is a front showers are normally brief and happen mainly in the late afternoon or at night.

doug_stallings

By the way, it's easy to travel between Grand Cayman and either Jamaica or Cancun. It's easiest to travel between the US and British Virgin Islands (so St. John and perhaps Virgin Gorda). Or you could do St. John and St. Croix very easily indeed. But flights between the Cayman Islands and the Greater and Lesser Antilles are a little more difficult, though hardly impossible (you'll probably have to connect in MoBay ... look at Air Jamaica).

Michaelpl

We've been to Jamaica many times in July and had great weather. Often times we run into people from the southern US who find it cooler there than at home. This because of the constant trade winds and cooler are coming down from the hills in the evenings. Yes there are afternoon showers to contend with but that's part of the charm we feel.