Best Time to Visit Puerto Vallarta: Weather Month by Month

The best time to visit Puerto Vallarta is from November to April, when the days are warm, dry and sunny and humpback whales are in Banderas Bay. May is hotter but still dry. June to October is the rainy season: hot, humid, with heavy afternoon storms, and the quietest and least expensive time to rent a villa. Below is what each month is actually like, using Mexico’s national weather service (CONAGUA) averages for 1981 to 2010.

Puerto Vallarta weather by month

Source: CONAGUA, Servicio Meteorológico Nacional, climate normals 1981–2010. The lows are measured at the weather station and can feel cooler inland and in the hills than on the waterfront.

November to April: high season

This is the dry season and the reason Vallarta fills up in winter. Afternoons are in the high 70s to low 80s °F, there is almost no rain from February to April, and the sea is at its calmest and clearest for snorkelling around Los Arcos and Conchas Chinas. Evenings in January and February can be cool enough for a light layer.
Whales: humpback whales come to Banderas Bay to breed and calve. The official whale-watching season runs from December 8 to March 23, and January and February are the peak months. From a south shore or Conchas Chinas villa, you can often see them from the terrace.
Holidays: Christmas and New Year are the most in-demand weeks of the year, and the best villas are usually committed months ahead. Early December also brings the city’s festival for the Virgin of Guadalupe, with nightly processions to the cathedral in the days up to December 12. Easter week (Semana Santa) is busy with domestic visitors.

May: hot, dry and quieter

May is the shoulder month. It is still dry, but the heat and humidity start to build and nights are warmer. Demand drops after Easter, which makes it a good month for a large group that wants more choice of villas.

June to October: the rainy season

The rains arrive in June and peak in September, which averages almost 17 inches. The pattern is usually a sunny, very humid morning and a heavy storm in the afternoon or overnight. Everything turns green, waterfalls on the south shore run at full strength, and villa availability is at its widest.
This is also the eastern Pacific hurricane season, which officially runs from May 15 to November 30. Most years no hurricane reaches Vallarta directly, but storms offshore can bring several days of rain and rough seas, so flexible travel insurance matters more in these months.
October is the turning point: rain falls sharply, the sea is at its warmest, and the town is still quiet before the winter season starts.

So when should you go?

• For whales and dry, comfortable weather: January to March.
• For a family holiday: Christmas and Easter, if you book early, or late November for the same weather with fewer people.
• For the widest choice of villas: May, or October and early November.
• For a large group on a budget: the rainy season, if you are happy with afternoon storms.

Planning a villa stay

For where to base yourself, see where to stay in Puerto Vallarta; for the coves and boat-only beaches south of town, our Puerto Vallarta beaches guide. You can browse all our Puerto Vallarta villas, from hillside homes in Conchas Chinas to oceanfront villas on the South Shore. For the holiday weeks specifically, read Christmas and New Year villas: when to book.
Send us your dates and group, and we will tell you which villas are open and what the weather is likely to be.