Best Time to Visit Tulum: Month by Month Weather and Seaweed Season

The best time to visit Tulum is February to April. These are the driest months, with just 1.4 to 1.6 inches (35 to 40 mm) of rain and 8 to 10 rainy days, highs of 80.8F to 84.2F (27.1C to 29.0C), and up to 11.8 hours of sunshine a day. From June to October the rain returns, humidity climbs past 80%, and hurricane season sits over the whole stretch.

That is the short version. The longer version is that Tulum is warm enough for the beach in every month, so the real choice is between dry and busy, hot and humid, or cheap and stormy. There is also the seaweed question, which catches out a lot of first-time visitors. We will cover all of it below, month by month, using 20 years of weather data.

Best time to visit Tulum: monthly weather table

These are WeatherApex averages for Tulum from 2006 to 2025. The town, the beach hotel strip and the ruins are close enough together that one set of numbers covers them all.

Look at the rain column first. There is a clear dry window from February to April, a jump in May and a big spike in June (8.3 inches, or 210 mm). July often brings a short break at 3.9 inches before the rain builds again through August, September and October. Temperatures, by contrast, barely move: the difference between the coolest and the warmest month is under 8 degrees F (about 4C).

Month by month in Tulum

December and January: warm, busy, a little unsettled

Winter is high season, and for good reason. January averages 79.5F (26.4C) by day and 70.9F (21.6C) at night, which feels close to perfect for the beach. The downside is that winter cold fronts (locally called nortes) can push in a few cloudy, breezy days at a time. That is why January still shows 13 rainy days and only 9.5 hours of sun, fewer than any other month.

December is similar, at 80.6F (27.0C) with 14 rainy days. Christmas and New Year are the most expensive weeks of the year. If you can, travel in the second week of January instead. You get the same weather with noticeably lower prices. Full detail on the Tulum weather in January page.

February to April: our pick

This is the window we would book, and it is the best time to visit Tulum for most travelers. February has 10 rainy days and 10.6 hours of sun. March drops to 9 rainy days with 11.5 hours of sun and 73% humidity, the lowest of the year. April is the driest month by rainy days (8) and one of the sunniest, with highs of 84.2F (29.0C).

March is the sweet spot for most people. It is warm, dry, sunny and less humid than the summer. The one thing to watch is spring break and Easter week, which can fill hotels and push prices up sharply. If Easter falls in April, early March is usually calmer. The March weather in Tulum page has the numbers.

May and June: the heat and the rain arrive

May is a transition month. Highs hit 85.6F (29.8C) and rain rises to 4.2 inches (107 mm) over 14 days, though sunshine stays high at 11.8 hours. Early May still feels like the dry season. June is a different story: 8.3 inches (210 mm) and 21 rainy days, with 83% humidity. Storms usually come in the afternoon, but some days are grey from start to finish.

July and August: hot summer with a short break

July surprises many people. Rain falls back to 3.9 inches (99 mm) and sunshine returns to 11.6 hours, making it the best of the summer months. It is hot though, with a high of 86.7F (30.4C) and nights that barely dip below 78.8F (26.0C). August is the hottest month at 87.3F (30.7C), with rain back up to 5.6 inches (141 mm). Both months fall inside hurricane season, and both are busy with summer holiday travelers.

September and October: the months we would skip

September and October are the wettest months, at about 7.2 inches (182 mm) each, with 20 to 22 rainy days and humidity of 83% to 84%. They are also the most active part of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. Prices are at their lowest, and some beach clubs and small hotels close for a few weeks. If you go, buy flexible bookings and travel insurance. See Tulum in September for the full picture.

November: the recovery month

November is a good shoulder month. Rain falls to 3.8 inches (97 mm) over 13 days, highs settle at 82.0F (27.8C), and humidity drops back below 80%. Hurricane risk fades as the month goes on. Late November is often an excellent value window before the winter rush begins.

The seaweed problem

Weather is only half of a beach trip in Tulum. Since the mid 2010s, large mats of sargassum seaweed have washed up along the Caribbean coast of Mexico in many years. The heaviest arrivals usually come between late spring and late summer, roughly from April or May through August or September, and the amount changes a lot from one year to the next. Winter is generally the clearest time on the beach.

Sargassum is not dangerous to look at, but it can make swimming unpleasant and it smells as it rots. Some beaches clear it each morning; others cannot keep up. If perfect water is the point of your trip, the best time to visit Tulum is December to March, before the seaweed season gets going. Check recent beach reports in the week before you travel, and consider a hotel with a pool or quick access to cenotes as backup.

Hurricane season: how much it should shape your dates

The Atlantic hurricane season covers half the year, from June 1 to November 30, and the Yucatán coast is exposed to it. Most weeks in that window pass without any storm at all. The risk is concentrated in the late summer and early autumn, usually from mid-August to mid-October, which is also when the rain totals peak.

A storm does not need to make landfall in Tulum to affect a trip. A system moving through the western Caribbean can bring days of heavy rain, close beaches, and disrupt flights into Cancun, the main airport for the area. That is why we rank September and October last, even though they are the cheapest months. If you are set on the summer, June and July carry less storm risk than the weeks that follow, and July has the bonus of the mid-summer dip in rain.

How the time of day changes things

Whatever month you pick, Tulum rewards an early start. In the dry season, mornings are the calmest and clearest part of the day, and the ruins are far less crowded at opening time. In the wet season, storms tend to build in the afternoon, so mornings are your best beach hours. Midday heat from May to September is strong enough that a long lunch, a swim in a cenote or a siesta is a sensible plan rather than a waste of time.

Evenings are pleasant all year. Even in August the night air stays around 79F (26C), so dinner outdoors is comfortable, if a little sticky. In January and February, nights near 71F to 72F (22C) are cool enough that a light layer helps on the beach after sunset.

How to choose your month

• Best weather overall: March. Dry, sunny, warm and the least humid month of the year.
• Clearest beaches: December to March, ahead of the usual sargassum season.
• Lowest prices: September and October, if you accept heavy rain and storm risk. Late November and early December are a safer value pick.
• Ruins and cenotes: any dry month works. Arrive at the ruins when they open, because by late morning the heat and the crowds both build. Cenotes are a cool escape in summer.
• Families: July is the best summer option, with less rain than June or August and long sunny days.
• Combining with Cancun: the two follow nearly the same pattern. Our best time to go to Cancun guide pairs well with this one, and you can compare Cancun in March directly.

Tulum compared with the rest of Mexico

Tulum sits on the Caribbean side of Mexico, so it shares hurricane season with Cancun and Cozumel, but it does not share the bone-dry winters of the Pacific coast or the cool nights of Mexico City. If you want to compare it with other parts of the country, our best time to visit Mexico guide breaks the country down by region and month. Pacific resorts such as Cabo San Lucas are much drier in winter, while Tulum offers warmer water and the cenotes.

What to pack for Tulum

• All year: light, breathable clothes, swimwear, a hat, reef-safe sunscreen (many cenotes require it) and insect repellent for the evenings. Our what to wear in 80 degree weather guide fits almost every month.
• December to February: a light long-sleeve layer for breezy evenings when a cold front passes.
• June to October: a packable rain jacket, quick-dry clothes and a dry bag for phones.
• For the ruins: water and walking shoes. There is little shade and the site gets hot by mid-morning.

How we chose the best time to visit Tulum

All figures here come from WeatherApex: daily weather for Tulum from 2006 to 2025, averaged by month. We weighted rain and rainy days most heavily, then sunshine, then humidity, since temperatures are warm year-round. These numbers describe typical conditions, not a forecast, and a single cold front or storm can change a week completely. For a deeper look see Tulum weather by month, or line up your dates with the trip planner. For official forecasts and storm warnings, see Mexico's Servicio Meteorológico Nacional.

Practical last word: if you are choosing between late February and late March, pick the one that avoids your home country's school break. The weather is nearly identical, but the room rates are not.