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Mexico / When To Visit

When is the best time to visit Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula?

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  • Best Time To Visit Mexico

The Yucatan's high season runs from the start of November to the end of April

Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is a genuine year-round holiday destination although, invariably, certain times of year are more favourable to travel than others.

As with the Caribbean, the Yucatan Peninsula’s high season runs from the start of November to the end of April. During these winter months, the weather tends to be drier, cooler and less humid than the hotter, wetter, more humid summer months which run from May through October.

However, it’s important to stress that the weather in the Yucatan is anything but predictable with rain showers not uncommon during the dry season and long, dry spells no great surprise during the wet season.

Deciding on when to visit the Yucatan Peninsula will also depend on one’s reasons for visiting. Due to the cooler temperatures during the winter months, this is much the most popular time of year to ‘tour’ the region.

For clients looking to extend their stay with time at the beach, there is no wrong time to do this although, occasionally, it can get slightly too cool in December & January while you are more likely to experience grey sky and rain showers during the summer months (generally in the afternoon).

In terms of variations across the region, the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan Peninsula tends to be cooler and wetter than the coast on the Gulf of Mexico while temperatures in the region’s interior can be significantly higher in April, May & June.

Another meteorological consideration that many visitors perhaps should take into account is variations in daylight. As the Yucatan Peninsula is in the northern hemisphere, the weather may be ‘better’ during the winter months but visitors will enjoy longer days (by up to 2 hours) during the summer months.

However, just to really complicate matters, during winter months the Caribbean coast is one hour ahead of the Gulf coast, a deliberate policy designed to maximise daylight hours at the beach!

A final, and no less important consideration, relates to crowds and pricing. As with pretty much anywhere one travels, high season means bigger crowds and higher prices with hotel rates in the high season often being double those for travel in May, June, September & October.

Due to higher demand, and a scarcity of accommodation, clients looking to travel during the high season (and especially Christmas, New Year & Easter) should book as far in advance as possible.

When to visit Yucatan

  • January

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Month by Month

  • January

    January is one of the coolest months of the year in which to visit the Yucatan Peninsula and is ideally suited to touring holidays, especially clambering around Mayan ruins. Beach extensions are still very much an option although, on occasion, it can get a little too cool.

  • February

    The temperatures begin to gradually rise and the weather become more settled as the Yucatan Peninsula enters the busiest time of the year. Apart from the growing crowds and high hotel rates, this is a great time of year to visit the region.

  • March

    March is almost identical to February but, if anything, even better with a near perfect combination of warm days and comfortable evenings, not to mention extended daylight hours. Our favourite month to visit the Yucatan.

  • April

    Temperatures continue to rise and can become distinctly hot in the Yucatan’s interior although the Caribbean coast still enjoys near perfect conditions, especially as daylight hours extend still further into the early evening. Depending on annual variations, flight and hotel rates rise sharply over the Easter holidays.

  • May

    May marks the official start of the summer and it can get very hot in the Yucatan Peninsula’s interior. Touring the region is still very much an option although its pays to avoid doing too much exploring in the late afternoon. On the plus side, hotel rates tend to drop significantly.

  • June

    As the summer begins to take hold, humidity builds up and rainfall increases although generally in the afternoons. On the plus side, visitor numbers and hotel rates are relatively low and daylight hours are at their peak.

  • July

    Temperatures and humidity remain high throughout July & August. Despite this, and because of the school holidays, air fares tend to be high and hotel rates also rise. Families and teachers aside, these are two months you might want to avoid.

  • August

    Temperatures and humidity remain high throughout July & August. Despite this, and because of the school holidays, air fares tend to be high and hotel rates also rise. Families and teachers aside, these are two months you might want to avoid.

  • September

    The weather remains hot and humid and, if there is to be a hurricane, this is statistically the most likely month of the year for it to happen although it is less likely here than in Cuba and you’d be very unlucky to be caught up in one.

  • October

    Into the tail end of the hurricane season, the weather slowly begins to get cooler and drier making this is popular time to visit the Yucatan Peninsula while avoiding the often significantly higher hotel rates over the winter months.

  • November

    There is no sudden, overnight change in the weather as the Yucatan Peninsula enters its winter / high season but, as the month progresses, temperatures continue to gradually fall. Although there is no seismic change in the weather, many hotel rates jump from 1st November.

  • December

    Together with January, December is the coolest time of year to in which to visit the Yucatan Peninsula and ideal for exploring the region. For the first half of the month things are generally quite calm before, in the build-up to Christmas and New Year, both airline and hotel rates reach their peak.

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