Best Time to Visit Sainte Marie Island

When it comes to Sainte Marie Island, the most famous travel activity is whale watching, so the best time to visit Sainte Marie Island should correspond with the whale watching season here, which is from July to September.

Every year, a large number of whales arrive in the waters around the Island to breed from late June to early July, staying for 2 - 3 months. July to September is the time when the whales are most abundant and the probability of seeing them is the highest: you can see them occasionally even from beaches by the sea. During your whale watching sea trip, you will have the chance to watch them swimming around or leaping out of the water. More excitingly, you may also hear the sounds of the whales!

In addition, Sainte Marie Island celebrates the arrival of these amazing animals with the Whale Festival in every July. During the festival, you will see a wealth of traditional performances, beautiful floats, and interesting competitions such as beach soccer.

Whales in the Island from July to September

The weather of Sainte Marie Island during this period:

The temperature is relatively comfortable during these months, with warm days and cool nights. On Sainte Marie Island, which is wet and rainy all year round, July and August have moderate rainfall and September has low rainfall. Therefore, the weather is relatively pleasant during this period, especially in September. The only thing you should pay attention to is to bring rain gear such as raincoats and waterproof shoe covers to protect yourself from the occasional showers.

The number of tourists of Sainte Marie Island during this period:

On the one hand, whale watching is the most attractive activity in the Island, and on the other hand, July and August are the time of summer vacation for countries in the northern hemisphere, so Sainte Marie Island sees its highest number of tourists during these three months, especially in July and August. At that time, price of both hotels and airfare start to increase and it is very difficult to book them. You are advised to make the relevant bookings as early as possible.

 See also: Sainte Marie Island Weather

The climate of Sainte Marie Island is warm and humid year-round, with a little variation. However, if possible, it is still advisable to avoid visiting the island from January to March, when you will not only miss the whales, but also encounter relatively poor weather. This is evident in the nearly 400 mm of rainfall and more than 20 rainy days per month. Additionally, during these months, Sainte Marie Island may also experience hurricanes.

Sea View of the Island in Rainy Season

Airport on Rainy Days

The months with the lowest rainfall on Sainte Marie Island are September, October, and November, with no more than 150 mm of rainfall and 16 rainy days per month on average. During these months, there will just be light rain that won’t affect your travel much. Temperature-wise, it’s warm and comfortable. In addition, due to the low rainfall, all three months have longer hours of sunshine and relatively good underwater visibility. Therefore, if you want to visit Sainte Marie Island in 2025 to enjoy snorkeling or sunbathing on the beach, these three months are the best time to go.

Except for September, one of the whale watching months, the other two months usually just see a quite small number of tourists and cheap hotels and air tickets.

Sunny Seaside of Sainte Marie Island