Best Time To Visit Belize Guide:
The best time to visit Belize is during the dry season. The weather is mostly hot, with less humidity, and usually has sunny and clear skies. From May to mid-October is the time that I recommend visiting Belize. In the peak of winter, the rainy season could be a bit unpredictable but it’s usually very warm in December-February so it’s more comfortable to go during that time of year.
If you are planning on visiting one of the world’s most popular cruise ship ports then these are not ideal months because the port will be pretty quiet compared to other areas like Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker which get stormed out by Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and haven’t really recovered since.
Tropical climate begins in November and ends in April. It is hot from January until March with temperatures ranging between 25°C (77°F) and 35°C (95°F). The rainy season starts around May or June, which brings more activity to the country.
You will see many locals selling their products including fresh produce such as fruits, vegetables, juices, and much more among others on the side of roads. Rainfall is moderate but it can be heavy at times depending on whether a tropical depression heads its way towards Belize.
Best time of year to visit Belize:
Try traveling to Belize during late September, early October, and January. Although this time of year faces heavy rains at times, most areas are generally sunny and warm with less humidity than in December-February. Highs typically reach 30°C (86°F) with lows of 24°C (75°F). Hurricane season is from May through November so it’s best to avoid this time if you can.
This is a very busy time throughout the country so prepare yourself for lots of locals selling their goods on the side roads. Some tourists visit this time of year to take advantage of the low prices on accommodation, food, and tours. This is also a good time for you to shop around for souvenirs at local markets and shops. Most boats and lodges close in mid-December so be ready to make your plans as soon as possible for that trip. However, you can still find some activities going throughout December but expect higher prices.
February through May is peak season or “high” season when most travelers come to Belize because it’s cooler than the hot months and there’s less rainfall than during the rainy season.
Highs usually reach 30°C (86°F) with lows of 23°C (73°F). The best time to visit all areas is in this season especially if you want to be out in the water.
This is also a good time to shop around for souvenirs at local markets and shops since there are more goods that come in from neighboring countries like Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, etc.
This is also a busy time so expect higher prices on accommodation, food, and tours compared to off-season or shoulder season.
The best month to visit Belize:
Belize’s dry season begins in May until the end of October. This is the best time to visit Belize because it’s hot from January until March with temperatures ranging between 25°C (77°F) and 35°C (95°F).
It cools down a bit during the rainy season beginning in May or June, which brings more activity to the country. The rainfall is moderate but it can be heavy at times depending on whether a tropical depression heads its way towards Belize.
The shoulder seasons are mid-September through early December for September-October and February through mid-May for December-February. Shoulder seasons have less rainfall than the rainy season while being less busy compared to peak/high season from February through mid-May.
The monthly average temperatures for Belize range from 24°C (75°F) to 30°C (86°F). The low season from May-August has an average temperature of 27.5°C (81.5℉), while the high season September-January averages 28.4 °C (83.1 ℉).
These are ideal months to visit because it is warm with less humidity than in December-February and the tropical climate begins in November so you won’t be battling tough weather conditions such as hurricanes or heavy rains which can ruin your trip if not planned properly.
High tourist season:
The rainy/green season is from May – October. The best time to travel here is around late September, early October, and January. This is when the climate is cooler than in December through February with less rainfall but still warm enough to enjoy yourself. Expect higher prices on tours, airfare, and accommodation during peak or high season due to many tourists traveling at this time of year so avoid going during these months if you can.
Low tourist season:
The dry/white season is from November – April. This is the best time to travel to Belize because it’s hot from October until March with temperatures ranging between 26°C (78°F) and 35°C (95°F).
It cools down a bit during rainy seasons in May, June, July, August but it can still be quite warm in most areas of Belize. The rainfall is moderate but it can be heavy at times depending on whether a tropical depression heads its way towards Belize.
Visit Belize in Fall:
The weather is best in Fall. The rainy/green season begins in May and ends in October, as well as the hurricane season from June – November. But between September and October is when you’ll find most of the rainfall. This is also when there are fewer tourists compared to high seasons so expect better deals on hotels, airfare, tours, and food but not a lot of choices for activities like diving or snorkeling because it’s still too stormy to do so.
Tropical climate begins in November so plan for cooler temperatures during your trip then travel off-season if possible particularly if you want to dive or snorkel since it’s safer during these months.
Avoid Hurricanes When Traveling to Belize:
Booking your flights and tour packages during the rainy season? Consider when hurricanes are forecast to hit Belize. Hurricanes occasionally form in the eastern Caribbean, but they tend to track northwest, well south of Belize’s coast, making it very unlikely that a hurricane will affect your vacation plans. When hurricanes do threaten the country, however, affected areas can be evacuated (unlikely for tourists).
Should you come across this article post-hurricane season/post-floods please leave them alone; had we known how long there would be no power or internet (8+days), we would have rescheduled our trip out of Belize. We’re not saying don’t go, just make sure you understand what it might look like coming into an area or country after a disaster.
Or should you come across this article during hurricane season please be careful and consider flying out of the island if necessary before it hits. If you are in Belize City, make sure to stay up to date on any emergency information before it becomes a problem.
Should these storms hit the city, please avoid traveling through any dangerous areas as there will be more than enough people helping those in need without worrying about tourists who may not speak English.
Tours can easily be rescheduled, but human lives cannot so do what is best for yourself and others while respecting Belizean culture and guidelines.
Visit Belize in winter:
You might want to reconsider traveling to tropical places such as Belize during its winter season. Although the weather might be slightly cooler, the hurricanes that tend to head towards Central America and Mexico in Fall will be on their way now that it’s hurricane season.
Also, most tour companies close for business by November due to a lack of tourists so you won’t have many options available for sightseeing either since there are fewer people traveling.
Visit Belize in the summer:
The heat is really unbearable during the dry/white season so you may want to consider visiting Belize between November – April or May – October if visiting this country between May – September.
Visit Belize in spring:
From April – May, you’ll find the weather in Belize to be quite beautiful. It’s rather warm during this season and there isn’t much rainfall either so this is probably the best time of year to visit Belize (just make sure you’re well-prepared).
Plus, a lot of tourists tend to avoid the country for various reasons during these months especially those from Europe so you won’t be swimming around with as many people in tropical areas like San Pedro.
You’ll also find fewer cruise ships docking at Ambergris Caye too if that’s something you are concerned about but they do dock here on occasion.
Weather in Belize:
The weather in Belize is tropical and warm year-round, with rainy season starting mid-May through September. We traveled to the island in late February/early March so the weather was a bit chilly but still warm enough for us to swim at the beach.
Sometimes it’s sunny and sometimes it rains but that’s okay because you might want to do some research on the Weather Channel depending on where you’re planning to stay just to make sure there aren’t any storms or hurricanes headed your way.
With this said, we had absolutely no problems traveling during Hurricane Season especially since we didn’t plan on diving or snorkeling as it is too dangerous during these months anyway.
We did notice that many hotels were closed from December – April due to the holidays but had maybe two or three small openings here and there if we wanted to travel that time of year.
We would not recommend visiting Belize between December – March unless you’re going to stay in Placencia Village/Resort where you’ll find a lot of vacationers during this time as it requires their off-season.
