Best time to visit Mexico: Yucatán and Cancún

Mexico is a big country with very different climates – from the highlands around Mexico City to the deserts of the north. This article focuses on the destination most travellers from Europe head for first: the Yucatán Peninsula with Cancún, the Riviera Maya around Tulum and the colonial city of Mérida. Here it is tropically warm all year, and the sea is always warm enough to swim. What makes the difference is the rainy season, the hurricane season and the seaweed on the beach. We analysed the weather data for 2015 to 2024.

The short answer

• Best time: December to April. 26 to 29 °C by day in Cancún, 22 to 24 °C at night, and the driest time of the year with 37 to 46 mm of rain in February and March.
• Hot inland: April and May. Mérida then averages 35.5 to 35.9 °C by day. On the coast it stays more bearable at around 30 °C.
• Rainy season: June to October. Cancún gets 198 mm in June and around 180 mm each in September and October – mostly in heavy showers, not all day.
• Hurricane season: officially 1 June to 30 November, with most storms from August to October.

Cancún's climate: all 12 months

Temperatures and rain: monthly averages 2015–2024 from the ERA5 reanalysis (Open-Meteo), rounded. Values apply to a grid cell of about 25 km, which near Cancún lies largely over the sea.

In Cancún the temperature varies by just under five degrees over the year: 26.1 °C by day in January, 31 °C in August. The rain matters more. From February to April only 37 to 46 mm fall per month, while June gets 198 mm. Notice the drier July with 87 mm between two wet months – a short break in the rainy season that occurs in many years. Combined with the high humidity, the summer months feel much hotter than the numbers suggest.

Coast and interior compared

Monthly averages 2015–2024, ERA5 reanalysis (Open-Meteo), rounded. Temperatures in Tulum are very close to those in Cancún.

Further south on the Riviera Maya it rains a little more in the rainy season: Tulum gets 252 mm in June and 207 mm in October. In winter it is as dry as Cancún.

Mérida inland has a different climate: it rains less, only 16 to 19 mm in February and March, but it gets hotter because there is no cooling sea air. In April and May the average daytime high is 35.5 to 35.9 °C. In return, winter nights are fresher than on the coast at around 19 °C. For Mérida and the inland ruins, December to February are the most pleasant months.

Hurricane season and sargassum

The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from 1 June to 30 November, and most storms form from August to October. A hurricane does not hit any particular place every year, but when one does, it brings storm winds, heavy rain and closed airports and roads. If you travel in these months, follow the warnings of the US National Hurricane Center and the Mexican authorities, and look for flexible cancellation terms when booking.

The second issue on the Caribbean coast is sargassum, a brown seaweed that in many years washes up in large quantities on the beaches from Cancún to Tulum. How much varies greatly from year to year and from beach to beach; it mostly affects the months from spring to late summer, and in winter it is usually hardly an issue. There is no reliable forecast weeks in advance. If the beach matters most to you, that is another reason to choose December to April.

Yucatán month by month

December to February

Peak season: 26 to 27 °C by day in Cancún, around 22 °C at night, and little rain. Ideal for beach, ruins and Mérida alike. Around Christmas and New Year hotels and flights^* are at their most expensive and book up early. In January cold fronts from the north sometimes pass through, making it windy and cooler for a day or two.

March and April

The driest months, with 37 to 39 mm in Cancún and 28 to 29 °C by day – for many the best time for a beach holiday. In March many students from the US come to Cancún for spring break, and around Easter many Mexicans travel themselves. Mérida already gets very hot in April at 35.5 °C. Around the March equinox, the afternoon sun casts the shadow of a serpent on the great pyramid of Chichén Itzá; it is particularly busy then.

May

The transition: at 30 °C on the coast and 35.9 °C in Mérida, the hottest month inland, and rain increases (82 mm in Cancún). Still a good time for a beach holiday with fewer crowds.

June to October

Rainy season and hurricane season. It is hot and humid, around 30 to 31 °C on the coast, and rain mostly comes in heavy afternoon showers. July, with 87 mm in Cancún, is often a drier break. Rain and storm risk are greatest in September and October. In return, prices are lower and the ruins quieter.

November

The rainy season fades out, but at 112 mm in Cancún it is not yet dry, and the hurricane season runs until the end of the month. Towards late November the weather usually becomes more settled, and the peak season begins.

What to do in the best months

Beyond the beach, Yucatán is one of the great regions of Maya culture. Chichén Itzá with the El Castillo pyramid is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, 199 km from Cancún, about 2:30 h of pure driving time – add about a third for breaks. In the morning it is cooler and quieter there. The ruins of Tulum stand right on a cliff above the sea. For trips to both there are tours with transfer^*; if you want flexibility, drive yourself.

Typical of Yucatán are the cenotes, limestone caves and sinkholes filled with fresh water where you can swim – a welcome cool-down in the heat, and a good option on rainy days too. Mérida is worth at least two days for its colonial old town, cathedral and markets. Off Cancún lies Isla Mujeres, reached by ferry. You can compare rental cars in Mexico^* for a road trip at Localrent, for example.

How YesTrip helps with this trip

In YesTrip you enter Cancún, Tulum or Mérida and your travel dates and get a day plan with a map: beach days, an early start to Chichén Itzá, cenotes or Mérida's old town – arranged so the distances stay short. The weather forecast covers your travel days, so in the rainy season you can move excursions to the drier mornings. The packing list remembers sun protection, light clothing, insect repellent and the right plug adapter. Travelling with others, you share the trip and log shared expenses; the map also works offline.

What to know before you go

• Entry: UK and EU citizens do not need a visa for tourist stays; you need a valid passport. Check the current rules on gov.uk or with your own government.
• Flight: from London, direct flights to Cancún take about 10.5 hours.
• Power: 127 volts, sockets for American flat-pin plugs (type A and B). You need an adapter; check that your devices can handle the lower voltage.
• Mobile data: roaming in Mexico is expensive on most plans. A travel eSIM is usually much cheaper.
• Transfer: Cancún's hotel zone is close to the airport; Tulum is 118 km away, about 1:35 h of pure driving time. You can book an airport transfer in Mexico^* in advance, for example with Kiwitaxi.

If you want to see more of the peninsula than the beach, try our 10-day Yucatan itinerary with all the driving times.

* Ad – Partner link: if you book there, we earn a commission. Your price stays the same.