Best Time to Visit Kingstown

Dry season: December to May

This is the easy stretch. Days are warm and breezy, and nights stay warm too. February is the driest month, with sun most of the day. Showers in January and March are short, and they pass quickly.

It's also high season. Winter visitors fill the boats and guesthouses, and many come in for sailing in the Grenadines. Kingstown itself is mostly a working port town, so you feel the crowds more at the ferry dock and on the flights to Bequia and Union Island. Want the best beach days? Aim for February to April.

Kingstown is a good base for the Botanic Gardens, which are among the oldest in the Western Hemisphere. Fort Charlotte has a great view over the town and the coast. Both are much nicer without a downpour.

June to November: wetter and quieter

The rain arrives in June and stays. From June to September you'll see showers on most days, but they often come as quick bursts with sun in between. It's hot and sticky, so plan sightseeing for the morning.

October is the wettest month, with rain on 22 days, and the rating is Poor. November and August are close behind. This is also hurricane season. Saint Vincent sits south of the usual storm track, but heavy rain can still hit. Travel insurance is worth having.

The upside is space. Hotels and restaurants are quieter, and you can often find a better deal. If you want to hike La Soufrière volcano, though, wet months make the trail muddy and the summit cloudy. Dry months give you a far better chance of a clear crater view.

Events through the year

Vincy Mas is the big one. It's the national carnival, and it runs from late June into July. Expect soca music (fast Caribbean dance music), costume parades and packed streets in Kingstown. Rooms book up, and it's rainy, but nobody seems to mind.

Nine Mornings is a December tradition. Early-morning events run in the days before Christmas, with music and street food as the sun comes up. December is also one of the best-rated months, so it pairs well with the dry-season start.

If you want sun and calm, come between January and April. If you want a party and don't mind showers, come for Vincy Mas.