When to visit Puerto Vallarta: which month best meets your travel interests?

Living successful Puerto Vallarta, you people the changes successful the twelvemonth by antithetic ebbs and flows — tourists and temperatures. Winter months are electrical and afloat of life, portion summers are sleepy, slow, rain-soaked and quiet. There are festivals that airy up the streets, and days erstwhile it feels similar the full metropolis belongs to you. Over time, I’ve learned to emotion each mentation of Vallarta — adjacent the sweaty, stormy ones.

If you’re wondering erstwhile is the champion period to sojourn Puerto Vallarta, the information is, there’s nary atrocious time. It conscionable depends connected the benignant of acquisition you’re after. Here’s a local’s instrumentality connected what each period feels similar successful Puerto Vallarta.

January

The edifice metropolis of Puerto Vallarta is located connected the Pacific seashore of the Mexican authorities of Jalisco, which means beaches and heavenly sunsets. (María Ruiz)

January successful Puerto Vallarta is the saccharine spot — that aureate clip of twelvemonth erstwhile the skies are impossibly blue, the water breeze is crisp, and the full metropolis feels similar it’s waking up successful technicolor. The days are lukewarm but not sweltering (hovering astir 82°F), and the nights are chill capable for a airy sweater connected the Malecón.

It’s decidedly precocious season—considered by galore the champion period to visit—so, yes, the beaches are buzzing and you’ll privation to marque meal reservations — but there’s besides an electrical vigor that makes the metropolis consciousness live successful the champion way.

This is premier clip for whale watching, too. Humpbacks are everyplace successful Banderas Bay, and seeing 1 breach conscionable offshore ne'er gets old.

Whether you’re sipping a margarita astatine sunset oregon strolling the Zona Romantica, January successful Vallarta is axenic magic.

February

Puerto Vallarta’s botanical gardens marque for a low-key amusive enactment twelvemonth round, but it’s an particularly bully sojourn successful the post-holiday period of February.

February successful Puerto Vallarta feels similar the metropolis is exhaling. The upwind is inactive dreamy — sunny days, debased humidity and temperatures that beryllium comfortably successful the debased 80s. The vacation crowds person thinned conscionable enough, giving the beaches and cobblestone streets a much relaxed, easygoing vibe.

It’s the cleanable period for agelong lunches by the water, sunset cruises with idiosyncratic special, oregon lazy afternoons wandering the Vallarta Botanical Gardens, which are successful afloat bloom this clip of year.

There’s romance successful the aerial — literally, with Valentine’s Day drafting successful couples from each implicit — but it’s besides a large clip for solo travelers and groups who privation that perfect blend of buzz and breathing room.

Bonus: The whales are inactive hanging around, truthful publication that vessel thrust if you missed it successful January.

March

Whether you emotion to enactment oregon unbend successful solitude, you tin find a Puerto Vallarta formation nine that’s your small portion of heaven. (Mantamar)

March successful Puerto Vallarta is erstwhile things commencement to rev up. The upwind is inactive connected its champion behaviour — deliberation bright, sunny days successful the mid-80s and hardly a driblet of rainfall — but the vigor gets kicked up a notch.

Spring breakers commencement rolling into town, particularly successful mid-month. They bring their formation parties, barroom crawls and an other dose of nightlife to the city. If you’re into the scene, it’s a blast.

If not, determination are inactive plentifulness of pockets of bid — aboriginal mornings connected the Malecón, quiescent hikes up to the Mirador de la Cruz oregon vessel rides to Yelapa earlier the crowds aftermath up. Weekly ArtWalks proceed downtown, and there’s ever thing unexpected happening successful the plazas. 

April

Every facet of the week-long pageantry successful Puerto Vallarta successful April is handled with cautious deliberation and takes into relationship tradition: Jesus’ crown of thorns for Holy Week celebrations is made by the aforesaid household each twelvemonth and has been for generations. (Graciela López Herrera/Cuartoscuro)

April successful Puerto Vallarta is an underrated month. The upwind is inactive adjacent cleanable — lukewarm days, cooler nights and hardly a hint of humidity — but the crowds commencement to bladed out, particularly aft Semana Santa (Holy Week), erstwhile Mexican families caput backmost location and the beaches get their breathing country back.

It’s a saccharine spot for travelers who privation to acquisition Vallarta successful a much relaxed, mundane rhythm. You tin snag a large array without a reservation, chat with bartenders who aren’t swamped and agelong retired connected the soil without jockeying for space.

The ocean’s warming up, sunsets are inactive epic, and prices commencement to travel down. For galore locals, April is 1 of the champion months to beryllium successful Puerto Vallarta.

May 

As always, Puerto Vallarta plays big to immoderate of Mexico’s champion vibes, parties and events. (Visit Vallarta)

May successful Vallarta turns up the vigor — some virtually and figuratively. The temperatures commencement to ascent into the precocious 80s and debased 90s, and you’ll consciousness the displacement toward summer. But with the rising temps comes a noticeable dip successful crowds, making it 1 of the champion months for scoring deals connected hotels and enjoying a much section vibe.

It’s besides 1 of the astir vibrant months culturally: Vallarta Pride takes implicit the metropolis with parades, formation parties and rainbow everything, portion the metropolis celebrates its day with fireworks and concerts.

The sunsets get particularly fiery this clip of year, and you’ll find less radical connected the beaches to stock them with. Pack light, enactment hydrated, and hole to autumn successful emotion with Vallarta’s steamy, spirited side.

June

If you similar outdoor activities successful PV successful June, get them done aboriginal successful the a.m. to debar the month’s day thunderstorms. (Hiking Vallarta/Facebook)

June successful Puerto Vallarta is erstwhile the metropolis starts to consciousness a small much chaotic and tropical. With mean highs astir 90°F (32°C) and lows adjacent 75°F (24°C), the rainy play begins to tiptoe in, usually with melodramatic day oregon evening storms that rotation successful similar clockwork.

But don’t interest — mornings are often wide and gorgeous, cleanable for formation strolls oregon aboriginal hikes. The surrounding mountains burst into green, and there’s a fresh, earthy scent successful the aerial that locals cognize and love.

It’s besides mango season, truthful expect juicy effect stands connected each corner. Tourism quiets down large time, which means edifice deals are saccharine and the beaches are blissfully uncrowded.

June is simply a large period for travelers who don’t caput a small humidity and privation to spot Puerto Vallarta successful its much intimate, untamed state.

July

Like it blistery and humid? Come to Vallarta successful July. (Vallarta Botanical Garden/Facebook)(Vallarta Botanical Garden/Facebook)

July successful Puerto Vallarta is hot, humid, and wonderfully alive. With mean temperatures hovering astir 91°F (33°C) during the time and 76°F (24°C) astatine night, this is the bosom of the rainy play — but don’t fto that scare you off.

The thunderstorms are theatrical, often sweeping successful aft sunset and cooling disconnected the aerial with a melodramatic flair. The jungle is successful afloat bloom, the rivers are flowing, and the full portion feels similar it’s humming with energy.

It’s besides 1 of the quietest months tourism-wise, which means less radical and amended prices connected everything from boutique hotels to beachfront massages.

If you’re into nature, lush landscapes, and don’t caput a small (or a batch of) sweat, July shows you a locals-only broadside of Vallarta.

August

August successful Puerto Vallarta is steamy and quiet. With mean highs astir 91°F (33°C) and balmy lows adjacent 75°F (24°C), it’s decidedly blistery — and the humidity doesn’t clasp back. But if you tin thin into the tropical vibes, you’ll find a quieter, slower-paced mentation of the city.

The rainfall usually comes successful melodramatic bursts successful the precocious day oregon evening, leaving down cooler breezes and glowing sunsets that airy up the mountains. Tourism hits its summertime lull, truthful you’ll person much of the beaches, spas, and restaurants to yourself — and for a fraction of the cost.

It’s the cleanable clip to unplug, recharge, and bask a overmuch much subdued mentation of the city.

September

(Visit Puerto Vallarta)

September successful Puerto Vallarta is each astir section life, tons of rain, and nationalist pride.

It’s the rainiest period of the year, with mean highs astir 90°F (32°C) and lows adjacent 74°F (23°C), and, yes — it’s humid.

Tropical downpours permission the mountains covered successful each shadiness of green. The water is lukewarm (though sometimes you person to cheque the h2o quality, arsenic the rivers from the mountains tin transportation a batch of discarded into the Bay). The metropolis is quiet, but for September 15 and 16, erstwhile the streets erupt to observe El Grito de Dolores (Mexico’s Independence Day). Then you’ll find fireworks, mariachi, and tequila-fueled fiestas spilling into the streets.

Other than that, you won’t find crowds oregon agelong lines successful September. It’s a large clip to sojourn for question deals if you tin withstand the temperatures and humidity.

October

If you’re looking for “untouched beaches and wild, windswept quality spark joy”, arsenic Travel & Leisure describes it, Costalegre mightiness beryllium the destination for you. (Gobierno de Jalisco)

October successful Puerto Vallarta is simply a period of modulation — everything’s verdant, quiescent and a small spot connected edge. The rains commencement to taper off, the humidity begins to ease, and mean temps hover astir 89°F (32°C) during the time and 73°F (23°C) astatine night. But inquire immoderate local, and they’ll archer you: the archetypal fractional of October is besides erstwhile we support 1 oculus connected the entity and the different connected the hurricane forecast.

Ever since Hurricane Patricia successful 2015 — which miraculously spared Vallarta but slammed the Costalegre coastline conscionable southbound — there’s a lingering consciousness of caution successful the air. Most years, it’s thing but passing storms and melodramatic sunsets, but that hostility is inactive there.

By mid-month, things shift: the upwind calms, the metropolis wakes backmost up, restaurants reopen and locals statesman prepping for Day of the Dead. It’s a enarthrosis play gem with a moody, magical vibe — and if you’re into offbeat travel, it mightiness conscionable beryllium your favourite clip to visit.

November

Day of the Dead is celebrated each implicit Mexico, but nary 1 does it rather similar Puerto Vallarta. (Visit Puerto Vallarta/Instagram)

November kicks disconnected precocious play erstwhile the metropolis starts to deed its stride. The rains are gone, the skies are blue, and the aerial is caller —  each with daytime highs astir 87°F (31°C) and cool, comfy lows adjacent 68°F (20°C). Restaurants reopen, galleries popular with caller exhibits and the vigor starts to aftermath up without crossing into overwhelming.

Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) kicks disconnected the period with altars, parades and marigolds carpeting the plazas — a profoundly beauteous clip to witnesser Mexican civilization successful afloat bloom.

Later, the International Gourmet Festival brings world-class chefs to municipality for tastings and collaborations astatine immoderate of Vallarta’s finest restaurants. It’s the cleanable reawakening earlier the December vacation slam.

December

December successful Puerto Vallarta is the astir festive and busiest clip of the year. With daytime highs astir 84°F (29°C) and cooler evenings dipping to 63°F (17°C), you tin walk each time astatine the formation and inactive scope for a sweater successful the evening.

The period kicks disconnected with the Festival of the Virgin of Guadalupe (Dec. 1–12), erstwhile nightly processions upwind done downtown, blending fireworks, indigenous dances and heartfelt devotion. 

The metropolis feels electrical — and past comes Christmas, erstwhile families stitchery for tamales and ponche and the Malecón glows with lights. New Year’s Eve is next-level here, with fireworks implicit Banderas Bay and parties that spill from rooftops to the sand.

Hotel rates and formation prices are astatine their highest, but December is 1 of the biggest parties successful Puerto Vallarta that visitors hold for each year.

Are you a PV veteran? When bash you similar to beryllium successful Puerto Vallarta? Let america cognize successful the comments.

Meagan Drillinger is simply a New York autochthonal who has spent the past 15 years traveling astir and penning astir Mexico. While she’s connected the roadworthy for assignments astir of the time, Puerto Vallarta is her location base. Follow her travels connected Instagram astatine @drillinjourneys oregon done her blog astatine drillinjourneys.com.