Runs the scoring program behind every ranking on the site, and writes the world, month and traveler lists that come out of it.
UpdatedThis page carries dated prices, schedules or seasonal facts checked on the date above, and that window has now passed. Re-check the sources at the foot of the page before you book.
February is when the most islands are good at once. The Caribbean is dry, the Maldives is in its best season, and both coasts of Thailand are sunny. Nine of the islands we score get a perfect 10 for February weather, so this ranking is decided less by sunshine than by price, flights and how much there is to do.
That is why Jamaica comes first. It ties Curaçao on weather, and its cheap rooms and 24 US nonstops outweigh the points it loses for an incomplete recovery after Hurricane Melissa. Martinique, the most French island in the Caribbean, is third.
Score = 55% this month's weather + 45% the island's other five factors. How we score
| # | Island | Score | High °F | Sea °F | Rain (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jamaica | 9.1 | 82 | 81 | 1.8 |
| 2 | Curaçao | 9.1 | 84 | 80 | 1.3 |
| 3 | Martinique | 9.0 | 82 | 81 | 2.2 |
| 4 | Zanzibar | 8.5 | 90 | 85 | 1.7 |
| 5 | Phuket | 8.3 | 89 | 85 | 1.6 |
| 6 | Maui | 8.2 | 79 | 77 | 2.8 |
| 7 | Koh Samui | 8.2 | 83 | 84 | 2.4 |
| 8 | Oahu | 8.1 | 77 | 76 | 2.0 |
| 9 | Maldives | 8.1 | 83 | 83 | 1.9 |
| 10 | Palawan | 8.1 | 83 | 83 | 5.4 |
1Jamaica's February weather scores a perfect 10: highs of 82°F (28°C), an 81°F (27°C) sea and 1.8 inches (45 mm) of rain. Its other scores push it past Curaçao: a $53 room in Montego Bay on January 13, 2027 and nonstops from 24 US airports. The catch is its conditional verdict after Hurricane Melissa: seven large Montego Bay resorts reopen only in 2027. Negril's Seven Mile Beach and Ocho Rios are the easy bases this winter.
2Curaçao matches Jamaica with a 10 for February weather: highs of 84°F (29°C), an 80°F (27°C) sea and only 1.3 inches of rain. It is the safer booking, with no recovery caveats and a $62 room in Willemstad on January 13, 2027. It ranks second because of crowds and fewer flights, from 6 US airports. Plan on a rental car to reach the cove beaches and shore snorkeling sites on the west coast.
3Martinique scores 9.9 for February weather, with highs of 82°F (28°C), an 81°F sea and 2.2 inches of rain. It is the most distinct culture in the region: French-Creole food, rhum agricole and Mount Pelée to hike. A room in Les Trois-Îlets was $102 on January 13, 2027. The catch is flights: the only US nonstop is American from Miami. You will want a car and some French.
4Zanzibar is at its hottest and driest in February: highs of 90°F (32°C), an 85°F (29°C) sea and 1.7 inches of rain, a 9.5 weather score. Value is the reason it ranks this high, with a Nungwi room at $36 on January 13, 2027. Access holds it at #4: no US nonstop, a $100 Tanzania visa and $44 of mandatory insurance per person. Stone Town and the spice farms fill the days off the beach.
5Phuket's February weather scores 9.6: highs of 89°F (32°C), an 85°F (29°C) sea and 1.6 inches of rain, with calm Andaman water for boat trips to Phang Nga Bay and the Phi Phi islands. A 4-star room in Patong was $76 on January 13, 2027. There are no US nonstops, and Patong is crowded, which keeps it at #5. US citizens get 30 days visa-free from September 15, 2026.
6Maui is the best no-passport island on this list, with February highs of 79°F (26°C), a 77°F (25°C) sea and 2.8 inches of rain, an 8.7 weather score. February is still whale season off Kihei. It ranks below Phuket on price: $296 a night in Kihei on January 13, 2027. Nonstops come from 18 US airports. Lahaina's Front Street reopened on August 1, 2026, but the town is still being rebuilt.
7Koh Samui's February weather scores 9.8, better than Phuket's: highs of 83°F (28°C), an 84°F (29°C) sea and 2.4 inches of rain, after the Gulf's late-year monsoon has passed. A 4-star room in Chaweng was $84 on January 13, 2027. It ranks #7 because it has less to do than Phuket and no US nonstops; you fly via Bangkok or Singapore. Lamai, south of Chaweng, is quieter.
8Oahu's February weather scores 8.7: highs of 77°F (25°C), a 76°F (25°C) sea and 2.0 inches of rain, the coolest water on this list. It is the easiest and cheapest Hawaii trip: $139 a night in Waikiki on January 13, 2027 and nonstops from 28 US airports. Crowds keep it behind Maui. You can skip the rental car, and Pearl Harbor is free.
9The Maldives scores a 10 for February weather, in its dry northeast monsoon: highs of 83°F (28°C), an 83°F (29°C) sea and 1.9 inches of rain. A 3-star room on the local island of Maafushi was $43 on January 13, 2027; resorts cost far more and add a $12-a-night green tax. It ranks only #9 because there is little to do beyond the reef and its verdict is conditional. No US nonstop: connect via Doha or Dubai.
10Palawan is entering its best months: February's weather scores 8.4, with highs of 83°F (28°C), an 83°F sea and 5.4 inches of rain. El Nido's lagoons and Coron's wreck dives are the draw, and an El Nido room was $40 on January 13, 2027. Access is the price: no US nonstops and no international flights to Puerto Princesa, then 5 to 7 hours by road. It suits couples and active teens, not toddlers.
In this guide
The score is 55% February weather and 45% our other island scores: beaches, things to do, access from the US, hotel value and crowds. February weather blends the daytime high, sea temperature, rainfall and sunshine from ten years of data. Islands below 7 for February weather do not qualify, and no region gets more than three places. The full method is in how we score islands.
Both score a 10 for February weather, so the rest of their scores decide it. Jamaica's value (10.0), access (9.7) and crowds (8.3) are all higher than Curaçao's. That is enough to beat Curaçao even after Jamaica loses 0.4 points for its conditional verdict.
The verdict matters. The Jamaica Tourist Board still lists seven large Montego Bay resorts as reopening in 2027. If you want a big Montego Bay all-inclusive, or would rather not check a reopening list, Curaçao is the cleaner choice at #2. If you want food, hiking and a volcano rather than a resort week, take Martinique.
Barbados, Antigua, Puerto Rico, Grenada and St. Lucia all score higher for February than our #4, but the Caribbean already has three places. Barbados is the one to consider over the top three: calm west- and south-coast beaches, buses, and nonstops from 8 US airports. Puerto Rico is the pick if you do not have a passport. See the best Caribbean island in February.
February is one of the few months when both Thai coasts are good. Phuket on the Andaman side and Koh Samui in the Gulf both make the list. US citizens get 30 days visa-free in Thailand, cut from 60 on September 15, 2026. Our Thai ranking for February compares all four islands.
The Maldives' dry northeast monsoon runs from January to March, so this is its best window. Zanzibar is hot and dry before its long rains arrive in April.
Our hotel prices are for Wednesday, January 13, 2027, the nearest date we priced. February is peak season, and other nights of the week can cost more than the Wednesday we priced. Jamaica, Curaçao and Martinique need a passport; Maui and Oahu do not. For more on documents, see passport rules for US citizens.
Admission to both sites is included; meals, water shoes and tips are not. Pickup is free around Ocho Rios but costs extra from Montego Bay, about 90 minutes away.
Rating as shown on Viator
It is short for the price and has no hotel pickup. A good option for non-swimmers who want to see the reef.
Rating as shown on Viator
Drinks and a fruit snack are included. Boarding is from Fort-de-France or Case-Pilote; check which when you book.
Rating as shown on GetYourGuide
Booking through these links supports this site at no cost to you. Prices move by date, so we do not print them here; the official prices we checked are in the page above.
The southern Caribbean, Thailand, the Maldives and Zanzibar. On our data, February highs are 82°F (28°C) in Jamaica, 84°F in Curaçao, 89°F on Phuket and 90°F in Zanzibar. Hawaii is milder, at 79°F on Maui.
Yes. It is the heart of the dry season, and eight Caribbean islands score a perfect 10 for February weather on our data. It is also peak season, so expect high prices on the luxury islands.
Jamaica's airports, seaports and most attractions are open after Hurricane Melissa, and the US advisory is Level 2. Some Montego Bay resorts stay closed into 2027, so check the Jamaica Tourist Board's reopening list before you book.
It is one of the best. February is in the dry northeast monsoon and scores a 10 for weather. Budget for the $12-a-night green tax at resorts and $100 in departure fees.
Maui and Oahu make this list. Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands are also excellent in February and need no passport. See islands without a passport.
Further reading
