January for the Ati-Atihan. The third week of January, culminating on the third Sunday, is the festival — the one indisputable reason to plan a trip around Kalibo rather than treat it as a stopover. Hotels triple their prices and sell out months in advance, but the streets are extraordinary. If you can be flexible about timing, this is the week to come.
February to May is the cool dry season — daytime temperatures of 28–32°C, lower humidity, and the safest months for Boracay-bound traffic. April and May are the hottest.
June to October is the rainy season, with the heaviest rain in August and September. Typhoons cross the Visayas in this window and occasionally close Kalibo airport. November and December are damp but warm, and the Christmas-period flights from Manila are heavily booked.
Outside the festival the climate decides things more than the month: avoid August and September if you can.