Late in the afternoon a thunderhead builds over Bay Street, a shower rattles the awnings around the Straw Market, and half an hour later the sun is back on the wet pavement and the harbor. Out on the cays the water has stayed warm all summer, and in the kitchens crawfish is on the menu again. September in the Bahamas is a month of hot, showery days, bright seas and island-by-island choices, for travelers who like their vacation a little slower and a little more local.
What is the weather like in the Bahamas in September?
Nassau is hot and humid in September, with showers on a good share of the days, while the sea around Nassau, the Exumas, Grand Bahama and Bimini is warm everywhere you might get in. The air figures belong to Nassau and Paradise Island, and the sea columns belong to each island named.
| Month | Nassau average high (°F) | Nassau average low (°F) | Nassau rain days | Sea at Nassau (°F) | Sea at the Exumas (°F) | Sea at Grand Bahama (°F) | Sea at Bimini (°F) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August | 91.0 | 76.4 | 14.4 | 87.6 | 87.3 | 87.3 | 88.1 |
| September | 89.9 | 76.0 | 13.3 | 86.7 | 87.3 | 86.7 | 87.2 |
| October | 87.1 | 74.1 | 10.1 | 84.6 | 85.5 | 84.3 | 82.9 |
In Nassau the afternoons are firmly hot, and the nights hardly cool off, so evenings on a terrace or along the water still feel like summer. Rain arrives mostly as short, heavy showers or a stormy afternoon, then moves on.
Some days are gray and wet from start to finish, so a month like this rewards a loose plan with a few indoor options in reserve. Daylight lasts a little over twelve hours at mid-month, enough for a full day outdoors with a pause when the sky turns.
The sea is where the islands differ most. The waters off Grand Bahama and Nassau sit at nearly the same temperature, the Exumas hold the same warmth as in August, and Bimini is the one that falls fastest as September turns to October. Compared with August, September’s sea is a shade cooler near Nassau and Grand Bahama and almost unchanged in the Exumas.
Where to go in the Bahamas in September
The Bahamas is an archipelago, so September is really a choice between islands, each with its own sea, its own pace and its own reason to go.
Nassau and Paradise Island
Nassau, on the island of New Providence, is the city for a month when the weather can turn indoors. You can wander the Straw Market, rebuilt after the fire that destroyed the original market, and walk the pastel colonial buildings along Bay Street between showers. Prince George Wharf is the port that serves the cruise ships calling at Nassau, so the waterfront has a steady rhythm of arrivals.
Food is the real draw. Arawak Cay is home to Gone Fishing, where stew lobster, big chunks of fresh crawfish in a rich brown gravy, is served at breakfast. Cable Beach and Paradise Island offer the resort side of the island, with long stretches of sand and a sea that stays warm. Expect hot afternoons and plan your beach hours around the clouds.
The Exumas and Staniel Cay
The Exumas are a string of cays where the sea itself is the attraction, and in September it is as warm as it was in August. Around Staniel Cay you find Pig Beach, a sandy beach occupied by pigs, which is as much a fixture of Bahamas postcards as the turquoise shallows behind it.
At Staniel Cay Marina visitors are allowed to swim with nurse sharks at their own risk, and the sharks can bite if you put your hands near their mouths. George Town, on Great Exuma, is the larger settlement, with a harbor and small shops. This corner suits travelers who would rather spend days on a boat or on a quiet shore than in a city.
Grand Bahama and Bimini
Grand Bahama centers on Freeport and Lucaya, where the seafront and the Port Lucaya Marketplace give you a harbor for strolling and an easy place to sit with a cold drink. The sea around Freeport and Lucaya is warm, though a touch cooler than in August. This island rewards slow days and a good seafood lunch more than a packed itinerary.
Bimini, with Alice Town as its main settlement, is the small, fishing-minded island of the group, long tied to sportfishing and to its reputation among anglers. Its sea is warm in September but cools quickly in October, so early in the month is the more summery time. Both islands are places for a change of pace, not a checklist.
The Abacos
The Abacos, with Hope Town on Elbow Cay, Green Turtle Cay and Marsh Harbour, are sailing and small-town islands. Hurricane Dorian made landfall on Elbow Cay on September 1, 2019, and the memory of that storm is part of how the islands speak about September. Look for the harbors, the clapboard cottages and the boats that define the Abacos.
If this is the part of the Bahamas you want to see, keep an eye on the forecast, since September sits in the heart of the Atlantic season. Fine days here are spent around the water: on a ferry or a small boat, on a pier at dusk, or at a table with a plate of fresh seafood.
What to do in the Bahamas in September
The great seasonal pleasure of September is eating crawfish, since the season runs from August 1 to March 31 and the month falls well inside it. It is the Bahamian name for spiny lobster, and it shows up everywhere from beach shacks to dining rooms.
Eating crawfish the Bahamian way
On many menus the words crawfish and lobster are used interchangeably, and if another lobster variety is used it is noted by name. Bahamian crawfish salad is a mix of onions, sweet peppers, lime juice and diced lobster, often served on a bed of greens or on its own, and it also makes a good sandwich. It is a cool, bright lunch for a hot, damp day.
For something heartier, stew lobster is the breakfast to look for at Gone Fishing on Arawak Cay in Nassau, with chunks of crawfish in a brown gravy. Pair it with the usual Bahamian sides of peas and rice or a slice of johnnycake. Conch, fritters and fresh fish round out a table that makes eating the main event of the day.
Wandering between showers
In Nassau, the Straw Market is the natural place to be when a downpour passes, with baskets, hats and carved wooden pieces under one roof. Afterward, Bay Street and the old forts and staircases of the historic center are short outings for the hours when the sky clears. Mornings are usually the kindest light for photographs.
On the Exumas, the draws are Pig Beach near Staniel Cay and the nurse sharks at Staniel Cay Marina. Visitors swim with the sharks at their own risk, so this is something to approach with care, and never with hands near their mouths. Away from the water, a day in September is for sitting on a pier and watching the clouds build and clear.
Time on the water
The sea is the reason many travelers come in September, because it is warm on every island in the table. Around Grand Bahama and Bimini you can spend the day on a boat, on a beach or at a harbor table. Bimini’s sea cools fast into October, so early September is the stretch to spend there if warm water matters most.
Is the Bahamas busy in September?
The summer family rush ends as American schools reopen, so September feels more like breathing room than a crowd. Labor Day, on the first Monday of the month, is the last long weekend of summer for many American families, and it is the moment when the pace on the islands starts to shift.
Nassau stays the most active place, since it is the capital, the largest city and the port at Prince George Wharf that serves the cruise ships calling there. The waterfront and the Straw Market therefore keep a steady flow of people, while the smaller islands, the Exumas, Bimini and the Abacos, run at a gentler tempo, built around boats and small settlements.
The month is also the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, and that shapes the mood more than the calendar of holidays does. Many travelers are weighing the weather as much as the beaches, and a plan with a little flexibility suits the month well. For those who like a quieter table and a slower island, September has its own appeal.
A few practical rhythms are worth picturing. Mornings are for walking and the water, the middle of the afternoon is when a shower or a long lunch makes sense, and evenings are for a harbor-side meal. Fishing towns and marinas on the small islands keep these rhythms naturally, while Nassau offers more to do when the weather turns.
What to pack for the Bahamas in September
Packing for September is about heat, humidity and sudden showers, and the sea is warm on every island, so swimwear matters more than layers. Nassau’s days are hot and its nights stay mild, while the cays call for clothes that dry quickly after a splash or a boat ride.
- Light, breathable clothing for hot, humid days in Nassau and on the other islands.
- Swimsuits, since the sea stays warm all month around Nassau, the Exumas, Grand Bahama and Bimini.
- A light rain jacket or a compact umbrella for the afternoon showers and stormy spells.
- Sunglasses and a hat for the bright hours between showers.
- Sandals or shoes that dry quickly, for wet pavements and boat docks.
Good to know before you go
The U.S. State Department rates the Bahamas Level 2, “Exercise increased caution”, and says most crime occurs in Nassau on New Providence and in Freeport on Grand Bahama.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and its peak is September 10, with most activity between mid-August and mid-October, so September sits at the heart of it. The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation monitors tropical storms and hurricanes and encourages travelers to check the Bahamas.com hurricane page for updates.
U.S. citizens need a passport to enter the Bahamas and do not need a Bahamian visa for a visit of up to eight months. The Bahamas Department of Immigration asks for a return or onward ticket, may ask for proof of sufficient funds, and requires a completed disembarkation and embarkation card. Arriving by air, the passport must be valid for at least six months, and passport cards are not accepted.
Is September a good time to visit the Bahamas?
September is a good time for travelers who want warm water, crawfish on the menu and a slower pace, and the Exumas, with the sea at its warmest, are the most natural place to spend it. It is less suited to anyone who wants every day dry and fixed, since this is the heart of hurricane season and showers are frequent in Nassau.
Compared with August, the air in Nassau is a little less hot, the sea is slightly cooler near Nassau and Grand Bahama, and there are fewer rain days. The Exumas hold the same warmth. August is the hotter and wetter of the two, and September begins to ease off.
October goes further. Nassau is cooler and has noticeably fewer rain days, and the sea cools on every island, with Bimini dropping the most. That makes October gentler on the air, while September keeps more of the summer water for swimming and boat days.
The things that belong to September are the Straw Market on a wet afternoon, a crawfish salad at lunch and stew lobster at Arawak Cay at breakfast. Add Pig Beach near Staniel Cay, and a quiet harbor on Grand Bahama, Bimini or Elbow Cay as the light turns gold after a shower. That mix of warm sea and slow, showery days is what the month offers.
Sources
- NOAA NCEI, GHCN-Daily station BF000078073 (Nassau Airport), normals 1991-2020 computed from the daily record (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=daily-summaries&stations=BF000078073), checked October 10, 2026
- Open-Meteo Marine API, average 2015-2024, checked October 10, 2026
- sunrise-sunset.org, sunrise and sunset calculated for the 15th of the month, checked October 10, 2026
- Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, crawfish season (https://www.bahamas.com/blog/its-crawfish-season), checked October 10, 2026
- NOAA National Hurricane Center, Climatology (https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/), checked October 10, 2026
- Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), Hurricane and storm information (https://www.bahamas.com/hurricane-storm-information), checked October 10, 2026
- Wikipedia, Geography of the Bahamas (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_the_Bahamas), checked October 10, 2026
- Wikivoyage, The Bahamas (https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/The_Bahamas), checked October 10, 2026
- Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (bahamas.com), Island FAQ (https://www.bahamas.com/plan-your-trip/island-faq), checked October 10, 2026
- Wikipedia, The Bahamas (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bahamas), checked October 10, 2026
- Wikipedia, Nassau, Bahamas (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nassau,_Bahamas), checked October 10, 2026
- Wikivoyage, Exuma travel guide (https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Exuma), checked October 10, 2026
- Wikipedia, Abaco Islands (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abaco_Islands), checked October 10, 2026
- Bahamas Department of Immigration, Entry requirements (https://www.immigration.gov.bs/entry-requirements/), checked October 10, 2026
- Bahamas Department of Immigration, Before your arrival (https://www.immigration.gov.bs/entry-requirements/before-your-arrival/), checked October 10, 2026
- U.S. Department of State, The Bahamas Travel Information, Entry and exit requirements (https://travel.state.gov/), checked October 10, 2026
- U.S. Department of State, The Bahamas Travel Advisory, Level 2 (https://travel.state.gov/), checked October 10, 2026
To plan your stay
- Things to Do in the Bahamas: Beaches, Blue Holes, Swimming Pigs and Fish Fry
- Where to Stay in the Bahamas: Best Islands, Resorts, Boutique Stays and How to Choose
- Getting Around the Bahamas: Flights, Ferries, Mailboats and Taxis in Nassau
- Know Before You Go to the Bahamas: Entry Rules, Money, Getting Around and Local Customs