Peak season: mid-December to mid-April
Dry, sunny and warm, with the clearest water. Prices are at their highest, especially over Christmas, New Year, Presidents' Day week and spring break in March. Book early if these are your only dates.
Shoulder season: late April to May, and November to mid-December
Our favorite time for value. Prices drop noticeably after Easter, the weather is still good, and resorts are quieter. In Mexico, sargassum seaweed can start building from April, so pick your beach carefully in late spring. Early December, before the holidays, is one of the best-value windows of the year.
Low season: June to October
The cheapest months, and the riskiest. This is Atlantic hurricane season (June 1 to November 30), with the highest risk from mid-August to mid-October. It's also the hottest, most humid time, with short afternoon storms. Sargassum is usually at its worst in June, July and August on the Mexican Caribbean coast.
Low season can still be great. Most weeks have no storms at all. Just buy travel insurance and book a refundable rate. Our hurricane season guide explains how.
Month-by-month cheat sheet
- January: Excellent weather, high prices after the first week.
- February: Excellent weather, high prices, busy.
- March: Spring break crowds and prices. Avoid party resorts if you want quiet.
- April: Prices fall after Easter. Seaweed may start in Mexico.
- May: Good value, hot, seaweed building in Mexico.
- June: Hurricane season starts. Low prices, heat and humidity.
- July: Summer holiday demand lifts family prices. Seaweed often heaviest.
- August: Low prices, storm risk rising.
- September: Usually the cheapest month and the highest storm risk.
- October: Still risky early, improving late. Seaweed fades.
- November: Good value, weather improving, beaches clearing.
- December: Great until about the 20th, then peak holiday prices.
