Article: New Year, New Travel Plans: The Best Time to Visit the World’s Most Beautiful Beach Destinations.
How to Choose the Right Month for a Beach Holiday in 2026? Expert Advice by Destination and Season
Planning Beach Travel Around School Holidays, Pricing and Crowds: Seychelles, Mauritius, Dubai, Maldives, Caribbean, Greece, Italy, Spain and Beyond
A new year has a way of awakening something instinctive in me, a quiet pull towards the horizon and the promise of warmer shores.
It’s a season of fresh intent, when thoughts turn naturally to the world’s most beautiful beach destinations: salt-laced air, warm sand beneath bare feet, and a quality of sunshine that feels both indulgent and deeply restorative. The kind that doesn’t simply warm the skin but genuinely resets the spirit.
If you’re anything like me, a beach holiday isn’t a ‘nice to have’- it’s the entire agenda. Deep sun loungers, soft sand, calm, swimmable seas and, ideally, weather that behaves itself. After nearly three decades working in luxury travel and beach destinations worldwide, I’ve learnt that when you travel is just as important as where you go and choosing the right season can make all the difference between a good beach escape and an exceptional one.
Everything I recommend here is grounded in first-hand experience. I’ve either travelled to these destinations myself, or I’ve crafted multiple bespoke beach itineraries for clients heading there. In other words, this isn’t theory, it’s lived, tested and refined.
That said, time for a reality check: traditional dry seasons still matter, but they’re no longer the guarantees they once were. Climate patterns are shifting, microclimates are increasingly common, and weather has become less predictable than it was even ten years ago. My job, and joy, is to stack the odds in your favour, not sell false promises.
So, if 2026 is the year you plan smarter, here’s when your favourite beach destinations truly shine.
The Maldives: Mid-January to April – Paradise, Perfected
For reliably dreamy Maldivian beach days, I always recommend travelling from mid-January onwards, with February, March and April being particularly strong.
Image Courtesy of Huvafen Fushi, Maldives
This is when the northeast monsoon has firmly retreated, bringing calm seas, blue skies and exceptional underwater visibility, bliss for snorkellers and divers alike. It’s also when festive crowds thin out and rates soften, making it feel far more exclusive than late December.
Mid-January is especially sweet: the weather is glorious, availability improves, and you avoid the eye-watering festive pricing and premium-cabin flight shortages that plague Christmas travel.
Other times to know about:
May to September marks the southwest monsoon. It’s still warm but expect heavier rainfall and rougher seas.
October to early December can offer good value, though showers remain possible as the monsoon fades.
Late December to mid-January delivers decent weather but at a premium, flights and resorts book out early, particularly in Business and First Class.
Dubai: March – When the Desert City Truly Shines
If I had to pick one month for Dubai beach time, it would be March.
Temperatures hover around a very civilised 28–32°C warm enough to feel indulgent, without tipping into the 40°C extremes that arrive later. Beach clubs, waterparks and outdoor attractions are all in full swing, and the sea is beautifully inviting.
Image Courtesy of The Ritz Carlton, Dubai
March also tends to fall just ahead of Ramadan (dates vary annually), meaning dining, nightlife and resort experiences are operating at full throttle.
Pro tip: Avoid dates that overlap with UK Easter holidays if possible, because demand spikes and so do flight fares and room rates.
Mauritius: May – Calm, Green and Glorious
Mauritius in May is quietly magnificent. The rainy season has just passed, the island is lush and green, and the weather settles into warm, dry days with cooler, more comfortable evenings.
It’s ideal for beach lounging, gentle exploration, hiking in Black River Gorges, or catamaran days around Île aux Cerfs, without the bustle of peak family travel.
Image Courtesy of St Regis, Mauritius
The wider picture:
Late March and April can also be lovely, though evenings are more humid.
June to August brings trade winds, especially on east and south coasts, great for kitesurfers, less so for calm swimming.
September remains dry but cooler at night.
October to early December sees temperatures rise again, with a gradual increase in tropical showers.
January and February are best avoided due to cyclone risk.
Seychelles: Early October – Nature at Its Best
For me, early October is the Seychelles at its most seductive.
This transition period brings calm seas, gentle breezes and warm sunshine, ideal for beach lovers, snorkelling and diving. Visibility is excellent, and marine life thrives.
Image Courtesy of Constance Lemuria, Praslin, Seychelles
It’s also a joy for wildlife spotting, from giant tortoises to nesting birds, and the islands feel wonderfully balanced, not too busy, not too quiet.
Also worth considering: April, May and November offer similarly settled conditions. Trade winds strengthen from June to September, particularly on southeast-facing beaches, while December to March is typically wetter and more humid.
And yes, microclimates are real here, I’ve experienced tropical downpours on one island while friends enjoyed blue skies just a short hop away. It’s all part of the Seychelles’ charm… and challenge.
The Caribbean: February – My Personal Favourite
If you ask me to choose one month for the Caribbean, it’s February, every time.
Dry, sunny, comfortably warm days. Low humidity. Calm seas. Hurricane season long gone. It’s peak season for a reason, though island choice and smart planning can still secure excellent value.
From Antigua to Barbados, St Lucia to the Jamaica, February delivers classic Caribbean beach perfection.
Europe’s Beach Classics
(Yes, Timing Matters Here Too)
Europe’s most celebrated beach destinations have earned their reputations for very good reason; beauty, culture, cuisine and coastline in glorious combination. But these are not places where simply turning up guarantees the best experience.
Elba, an Italian island in Tuscany
A few weeks either side of peak season can transform the same beach from frenetic to fabulous, turning heat, crowds and noise into warmth, space and atmosphere. Get the timing right, and Europe delivers some of its most effortlessly stylish seaside moments.
Greece: Early June or September
Warm seas, long days, fewer crowds and a more relaxed rhythm. July and August are undeniably beautiful, but busy and hot.
Italy: Late June to Early July
Think Amalfi Coast, Sardinia or Tuscany before August crowds and heat peak arrives. Early summer offers balance: sunshine without sensory overload.
Spain (Balearics & Southern Spain): Late May to September
Fabulous beach weather, though July and August are firmly family-centric and busy. Shoulder months deliver a more refined, relaxed experience.
A Final Word on Planning Well
There are no absolute weather guarantees anymore, but there is intelligent planning. Choosing the right destination at the right time can elevate a good beach holiday into an exceptional one.
In an age of AI-generated itineraries, trending reels and sweeping “best time to go” lists, it’s easy to assume beach travel is a one-size-fits-all equation. It isn’t. Algorithms don’t feel the wind shift in Sardinia, understand how school holidays change the rhythm of the Balearics, or know when a Greek island truly exhales. That insight comes from first-hand experience and years of paying attention.
This is where working with experienced travel specialists truly comes into its own, choosing someone who understands seasonality, flight logistics and resort nuance, and who knows how to design beach holidays that flow effortlessly rather than simply ‘fit dates’.
Let’s Get Planning
Since launching Love of Beaches, I’ve been delighted (and admittedly rather humbled) by the volume of enquiries from readers looking to turn inspiration into beautifully planned journeys.
To ensure those trips are handled with the same care, insight and attention to detail that sits behind everything I share here, I created Shand Travel, a luxury boutique travel agency based in Hertfordshire, dedicated to planning, booking and managing luxury beach holidays with precision and ease.
Please visit ShandTravel.com - I hope to see you there.
As we step into the new year, my advice is simple: don’t just book a beach, time it well.
Here’s to a year of better planning, brighter horizons, and plenty of sand between your toes.
Happy New Year and Happy 2026 Travelling!
Amanda
