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March gives you the Caribbean dry season with longer days, and it is the start of the best stretch in the Philippines and the Gulf of Thailand. Twelve of our 64 islands score a perfect 10 for March weather, eleven of them in the Caribbean, so the ranking turns on cost, flights and things to do.
Jamaica comes first, as in February, on cheap rooms and the most US nonstops of the top three. Curaçao and Martinique tie for second place on score. Spring break fills the Caribbean and Hawaii in the middle of the month, so book early.
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 | 83 | 82 | 2.0 |
| 2 | Curaçao | 9.1 | 85 | 81 | 1.1 |
| 3 | Martinique | 9.1 | 84 | 81 | 2.0 |
| 4 | Maui | 8.6 | 79 | 77 | 1.7 |
| 5 | Palawan | 8.5 | 84 | 84 | 3.8 |
| 6 | Koh Samui | 8.3 | 86 | 86 | 1.7 |
| 7 | Oahu | 8.2 | 78 | 77 | 2.2 |
| 8 | Phuket | 8.1 | 90 | 86 | 2.5 |
| 9 | Zanzibar | 8.0 | 89 | 86 | 4.1 |
| 10 | Big Island (Hawaii Island) | 7.9 | 78 | 78 | 3.8 |
1Jamaica scores a perfect 10 for March weather: highs of 83°F (28°C), an 82°F (28°C) sea and 2.0 inches (51 mm) of rain. It edges the other two 10s on value and flights, with a $53 room in Montego Bay on January 13, 2027 and nonstops from 24 US airports. Its verdict is conditional after Hurricane Melissa: seven big Montego Bay resorts reopen only in 2027. Negril and Ocho Rios are the easy bases.
2Curaçao is the driest island on this list in March: 1.1 inches of rain, highs of 85°F (30°C) and an 81°F (27°C) sea, a 10 for weather. It ties Martinique on score and costs less, at $62 a night in Willemstad on January 13, 2027. Nonstops come from 6 US airports, and you need the free Dicard. Rent a car for the west-coast coves and shore snorkeling.
3Martinique scores a 10 for March weather: highs of 84°F (29°C), an 81°F sea and 2.0 inches of rain. It ties Curaçao on score, with more to do: Mount Pelée, rum distilleries and Creole food, plus southern beaches such as Grande Anse des Salines. A room in Les Trois-Îlets was $102 on January 13, 2027. The only US nonstop is American from Miami, which is what keeps it from first.
4Maui's March weather scores 9.3: highs of 79°F (26°C), a 77°F (25°C) sea and 1.7 inches of rain, drier than its winter months. Whales are still in the channel, and the Hana road and Haleakala ($30 a car) are easier with less rain. It ranks fourth on price, at $296 a night in Kihei on January 13, 2027. Nonstops come from 18 US airports, and no passport is needed.
5Palawan's March weather scores 9.2, among its best months: highs of 84°F (29°C), an 84°F sea and 3.8 inches of rain. El Nido's lagoon tours are the draw, and a room there was $40 on January 13, 2027. It ranks #5 despite the effort to get there: no US nonstops, a domestic flight from Manila and 5 to 7 hours by road to El Nido. Coron, for wreck dives, is the other base.
6Koh Samui scores a perfect 10 for March weather: highs of 86°F (30°C), an 86°F sea and 1.7 inches of rain on calm east-coast beaches. A 4-star room in Chaweng was $84 on January 13, 2027. It ranks below Palawan on things to do and access: there are no US nonstops, and the airport is served from Bangkok and Singapore. Lamai is the quieter beach south of Chaweng.
7Oahu's March weather scores 8.9: highs of 78°F (26°C), a 77°F (25°C) sea and 2.2 inches of rain. It is the cheapest Hawaii option, at $139 a night in Waikiki on January 13, 2027, with nonstops from 28 US airports. Crowds keep it behind Maui, and spring break fills Waikiki. You can manage without a car, and Pearl Harbor is free.
8Phuket is hot in March: highs of 90°F (32°C), an 86°F (30°C) sea and 2.5 inches of rain, a 9.2 weather score. The Andaman Sea is still calm for boat trips to Phang Nga Bay and Phi Phi. A 4-star room in Patong was $76 on January 13, 2027. No US nonstops and crowded Patong hold it at #8. US citizens get 30 days visa-free.
9Zanzibar is still hot in March, with highs of 89°F (32°C) and an 86°F (30°C) sea, but 4.1 inches of rain brings its weather score down to 8.7 as the long rains approach. Value keeps it on the list: a Nungwi room was $36 on January 13, 2027. Go early in the month. No US nonstop, and entry costs $100 for the visa and $44 for mandatory insurance per person.
10The Big Island's March weather scores 8.3: highs of 78°F (26°C), a 78°F sea and 3.8 inches of rain. It makes the list on things to do: Kilauea has erupted in episodes since December 2024, and park entry is $30 a car. Kona rooms were $261 on January 13, 2027, with nonstops from 14 US airports. Beaches are fewer than on Maui. Some state parks were still closed in October after the 2026 hurricanes.
In this guide
We blend 55% March weather with 45% of our other scores: beaches, things to do, access from the US, hotel value and crowds. March weather combines the daytime high, sea temperature, rain and sunshine from ten years of data. An island needs a March weather score of at least 7, and no region takes more than three places. See how we score islands for the formula.
All three score a 10 for March weather. Jamaica wins on value and flights: a $53 room in Montego Bay and nonstops from 24 US airports. It gives up 0.4 points for its conditional verdict after Hurricane Melissa, because seven large Montego Bay resorts reopen only in 2027.
Puerto Rico, Barbados, Antigua, Grenada and St. Lucia all score above 8.7 for March, higher than our #5, but the Caribbean already has three places. Puerto Rico is the no-passport choice and the easiest to reach, from 41 US airports. Our Caribbean ranking for March covers them all.
On Maui, March is drier than January and February, and humpback whales are still around. Maui ranks #4, Oahu #7 and the Big Island #10. Kauai does not make it: after Hurricane Lowell in September 2026, Koke'e Road and most Kauai state parks were still closed on October 19. See the best Hawaiian island in March.
Bali is improving but still in the tail of its wet season. It ranks from April.
Our hotel prices are for Wednesday, January 13, 2027, the nearest date we priced, with taxes in. Spring-break weeks can cost more. Maui, Oahu and the Big Island need no passport; everywhere else here does. Thailand gives US citizens 30 days visa-free since September 15, 2026, and Zanzibar charges a $100 visa plus $44 insurance per person.
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 Caribbean, Thailand, the Philippines, Zanzibar and Hawaii. On our data, March highs are 83°F (28°C) in Jamaica, 85°F in Curaçao, 86°F on Koh Samui and 79°F on Maui.
Yes. It is still the dry season and well before hurricane season, which starts June 1. Eleven Caribbean islands score a perfect 10 for March weather on our data. Spring break is the main downside.
Maui, Oahu and the Big Island are on this list. Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands score just as well for weather and are closer to the East Coast. See islands without a passport.
Yes. Koh Samui scores a 10 for March weather and Phuket 9.2, though Phuket is hot, with highs of 90°F. Both coasts are dry before the southwest monsoon arrives around mid-May.
It is one of the best. Palawan's dry season runs from December to May, and March's weather score is 9.2, with highs of 84°F.
Further reading
