qzseattle

Hello,

We are a family of 4 and planning our first ever trip to Caribbean. We may be able to take a vacation end of this month (July) and are thinking about either British Virgin Islands or USVI. We are interested mainly in relaxing on the beach and sticking to a comfortable resort. Now I have read that Jun 1 to Nov 30 is considered low season due to risk of storms/hurricanes. On other hand, hotel rates are low and end of November seems too far off to take our vacation.

Aside from the risk of tropical storms around that time of the year, how is the daily weather generally that time of the year? It would be unfortunate if spend our days waiting for the rain to stop. Further, while we welcome lack of crowd as most other tourists would do, we don't to want to feel too lonely in a ghost town either We have heard though that many businesses such as restaurants and shops close down during low season.

Given these concerns, is it better to be patient and wait till end of November or should we go ahead with our plans for end of this month?

Callaloo

I've been to the BVI in July as well as November. As far as hurricane season goes, you're fairly safe in July. It's rare that it would rain the entire time you are there; the more likely possibility is that you'll experience a tropical "wave" (basically a fast-moving low pressure system) that will crank up a bit of wind and rain for a short period of time.

15 years ago, you might have found the islands to be a ghost town in the off-season. That isn't the case anymore, since weather prediction has improved and people are more connected. In fact, when I went to Grand Cayman a few years ago in July, I was amazed at how busy it was with families -- with kids out of school, that's often the best time for familiies to travel.

RoamsAround

Late July/early August - you can expect average daytime highs in the mid-to-high 80's F. with a very "strong" sun and light, if any, breezes so it will feel warmer than it is. You can also expect one or two fast moving widely scattered tropical showers that last minutes rather than hours. It is not unusual for it to rain on one part of an island and there be bright sun 1/4 mile away. All day rains are rare but can happen if a tropical wave passes over the area. Hurricanes in lat July or early August are rare.

Don't worry, while the islands won't be crowded you won't be the only tourists visiting at that time of year. Yes, you might encounter a few resorts and restaurants that might be "closed for the season" there still will be plenty of places that are open. The greatest number of closings occur in September and October and even then there are still lots of places that are open.

Jimmie

One minor annoyance, in terms of crowds, is that at the end of July some people come over to the USVI/BVI from Puerto Rico on boats. They tie the boats together off some of the beaches and party. It's jokingly referred to as the "Puerto Rican Navy," and sometimes crankier people like myself are not always able to embrace the party atmosphere that replaces an otherwise tranquil beach. It's not a big deal,but something to be aware of.

eastenderusvi

I would like to add that neither the BVI or USVI are known for sitting on a beach at a "comfortable resort." They are places where you can get out and enjoy a number of activities and beaches.