Caribbean Holidays : Barbados : When to go
Weather
Although some hotels close for September and October (see hotel details for exact closing dates), Barbados is a great destination all year round. The temperature, between 75°- 85°F, remains fairly constant, winter and summer.
The prevailing wind is the northeasterly tradewind, usually force 2 to 4, but less reliable in summer, July to October, and occasionally rising to force 5 or more in winter.
We recognise that for many clients one of the primary reasons for a holiday is to get some sun! You can be certain of getting this in Barbados at any time of year the average amount of sun ranging from 6 to 8 hours a day. A feature of the tropics, with its lush green vegetation, is its high humidity.
There are regular showers in the Caribbean, but although these are often intense, they usually last less than 10 minutes.
Showers tend to be more frequent in the summer, particularly from midAugust to the end of October, but less so in the winter, January to April. Tropical storms winds of force 6 or more accompanied by heavy rain, are not uncommon in late summer and, in the northern areas, hurricanes are also a possibility during this period.
Bad weather is usually well forecast, with at least 3 days notice given of an impending hurricane. So every skipper should obtain an up to date forecast at least once a day. The risk of extreme weather conditions is significantly lower in the southern Grenadines where the last recorded hurricane was in 1955.
Crop Over Music Festival
The highlight of the musical calendar in Barbados is Crop Over which is the island's biggest and most colourful national festival. Crop Over begins in early July and climaxes with the Grand Kadooment costume band road march on the first Monday in August.
This colourful national celebration is also one of the western world's oldest festivals, dating back to the 1800s when plantation workers heralded the end of the sugar crop with feasting and dancing in the plantation yards. In fact, Crop Over is thought to be the oldest celebration of the post-Colombian era.
Back in the 1800s the end of the crop and the gruelling harvesting work was cause for celebration for everyone. It was a plantation event heralded by the arrival of the last cart of canes and punctuated by a day of dancing and entertainment. As the last procession of carts made their way into the mill yard, a labourer would beat a make-shift gong announcing the 'Crop Over'.
From its one-day origins, Crop Over now offers a month of cultural, historical and musical events including the calypso tents and a fiercely contended calypso monarch competition. It all culminates with Grand Kadooment, an explosion of colour and excitement, with more than 25 costume bands competing for top prizes.
The many 'old time' Colonial elements mix with modern additions to give this festival a character unlike any other in the Caribbean. Original elements like the donkey cart parade and ceremonial delivery of the last canes remain in some form. Other elements, such as the mass-appeal calypso tents and monarch competition, evolved from humble beginnings in the 1970s when Crop Over was resurrected after a 30-year break.
