Best Time to Visit Playa del Carmen

Panorama von Playa del Carmen (ALF photo / stock.adobe.com)  lizenziertes Stockfoto 
License Information available under 'Proof of Image Sources'
On this page, you will find information about the climate and the best time to visit Playa del Carmen. We created climate tables and charts for the location of Playa del Carmen. These contain details about temperatures, precipitation and more.

Furthermore, we analyzed all climate data and provide a recommendation about which months are best to visit Playa del Carmen for your holiday.

Climate Overview

Thermometer Symbol 18 °C to 33 °C
Waves Symbol 26 °C to 29 °C
Rainy Cloud Symbol 1.111.18 in (4 – 16 Days of Rain)
Show temperatures in degree

Geographical location

Playa del Carmen is a city in the state of Quintana Roo on the southeast coast of Mexico. The city belongs to the popular holiday region Riviera Maya on the Caribbean coast and is an important tourist centre.

Playa del Carmen is the city with the highest population growth in Mexico, as the population has risen from only 200 fishermen in 1970 to over 150,000.

Nevertheless, the original charm of the lively seaside resort of Playa del Carmen has largely been preserved. The long beach is considered one of the most beautiful in Mexico. The landscape around the Riviera Maya and Playa del Carmen is very flat and wooded, there are hardly any natural elevations like mountains.

Playa del Carmens ferry port is a main access point to the Caribbean island of Cozumel. Cancun Airport is the usual connection of holidaymakers and is about an hour’s drive away. Other popular holiday resorts of the Riviera Maya such as Puerto Morelos and Playacar are in the immediate vicinity.

Climate in Playa del Carmen

Portal Maya (David Stanley)  [flickr.com]  CC BY 
License Information available under 'Proof of Image Sources' The temperatures in Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya are usually between 27 °C to 32 °C during the day, with little fluctuation throughout the year. The climate is subtropical, the hottest months are the summer months from April to September. It is sunny in Playa del Carmen almost continuously, in the months between June and October however most precipitation falls in the southeast of Mexico and it comes to thunderstorms.

In addition, the period between the beginning of June and the end of November is officially considered the hurricane season on the Caribbean coast. The months of September and October are not only hot, but also show a very high humidity. From mid-November it gets noticeably cooler with pleasant day temperatures of around 29 °C, until May the dry season in Playa del Carmen and the surrounding area draws in.

Best Time to Visit Playa del Carmen: Overview

JanuaryJan
Best time to traveltime
PerfectPerf. climate in
Playa del Carmen
FebruaryFeb
Best time to traveltime
PerfectPerf. climate in
Playa del Carmen
MarchMar
Best time to traveltime
PerfectPerf. climate in
Playa del Carmen
AprilApr
Best time to traveltime
PerfectPerf. climate in
Playa del Carmen
MayMay
Sticky and Hotsticky + hot
yet little rainLittle of rain
JuneJun
Beginning of Rainy SeasonBeg. Rainy Season
Beginning of Hurricane Seasonrisk of Hurricane
JulyJul
Rainy SeasonRainy Season
Hurricane Seasonrisk of Hurricane
AugustAug
Rainy SeasonRainy Season
Hurricane Seasonrisk of Hurricane
SeptemberSep
Rainy Season, stickyRainy Season / sticky
risk of Hurricanerisk of Hurricane
OctoberOct
Rainy Season, stickyRainy Season / sticky
risk of Hurricanerisk of Hurricane
NovemberNov
Beginning of Dry SeasonBeg. Dry Season
weather getting more pleasantpleasant weather
DecemberDec
Best time to traveltime
PerfectPerf. climate in
Playa del Carmen

When to go to Playa del Carmen?


You can travel to Playa del Carmen all year round, as the sun shines on about 300 of 365 days and bathing in the sea is almost always possible. Due to the above weather risks during the rainy season, however, occasional restrictions are to be expected in summer. The hurricane threat is also a concern for many holidaymakers, although early warning systems and very good emergency plans ensure the safety of locals and tourists.

The best time to visit the Riviera Maya is from the end of November to May, as the temperatures are now very pleasant and there is considerably less rain. The humidity is correspondingly lower and the climate is warm in summer, but not too hot. The water temperature remains absolutely suitable for swimming even in February and March at a low of 26 °C.

Climate Chart Playa del Carmen

Climate Chart Playa del Carmen
Show temperatures in degree

Source of Data: German Weather Service (Offenbach) and Wikipedia

Climate Table Playa del Carmen

In the following, you will find the climate table for Playa del Carmen, containing information about Temperatures, Precipitation, Water Temperatures, and Hours of Sunshine.

Temperatures, Precipitation, Sunshine

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Day Temperature28°29°30°31°32°32°33°33°33°31°29°29°
Night Temperature18°18°19°21°23°24°24°23°23°22°19°18°
Water Temperature27°26°26°27°28°28°28°29°28°28°28°27°
Precipitation (inch)2.411.991.112.023.076.024.974.976.6511.195.132.88
Rainy days84447119101516107
Hours of Sunshine891010111010109888
Show temperatures in degree
Temperatures
The annual average temperature is 25.8 °C.

For comparison: London 11 °C, NYC 12 °C, LA 17.9 °C

Warmest month: August (28.1 °C)
Coldest month: January (22.9 °C)

The maximum water temperature is 29 °C. You can take a bath at these temperatures.

Months with water temperature of at least 21 °C (adequate for beach vacation):
all months

Precipitation
Overall annual precipitation: 52.41 inch on 105 rainy days

For comparison: London 24.06 in, NYC 41.57 in, LA 12.01 in

Rainy season (months with more than 6.9 in of precipitation): October
Overall precipitation in the rainy season: 11.19 in

You cannot expect snow in any month.

Sunshine
As our climate table shows, May is the sunniest month with an average of 11 hours of sunshine per day. Over the year, there are 9.3 hours of sunshine per day on average. For comparison: London has 4.1, NYC has 7 and LA has 8.9 hours of sunshine per day on average.

Highlights and Attractions


Diving and snorkelling on the coast off Playa del Carmen is particularly recommended. A stroll along the colourful shopping street Quinta Avenida is part of the standard programme, numerous restaurants and bars vie for the favour of holidaymakers. Worth seeing are the Xcaret Eco Theme Park and the Xplor Park as well as various zipline parks near the city (for example Aventuras Mayas and Local Quickies).

With the ferry the island Cozumel can be visited without problems for a day trip, also here there are fantastic beaches and excellent diving areas. Only on days when the big cruise ships are in port, the experience is somewhat clouded in our opinion by all the hustle and bustle. However, many travellers love this particularly lively atmosphere.

The many archaeological sites of the Yucatán Peninsula such as the Mayan ruins on the beach of Tulum are also suitable for day trips, the particularly impressive Chichén Itzá is about 2.5 hours drive away and rewards the long journey with incomparable impressions.

More information about the best things to do: Mexico

Popular Activities

More attractions

Riviera Maya: Cobá and Chichén Itzá Tour with Cenote & Lunch | Playa del Carmen: Riviera Maya Buggy Tour with Cenote Swim | Xcaret Park: Plus Full-Day Admission with Night Show & Lunch | Xcaret Park: Full-Day Ticket with Night Show | From Playa del Carmen: Tulum, Coba, and Cenotes Day Trip | Playa Del Carmen: Round-Trip Ferry Ticket to/from Cozumel | Cancun & Riviera Maya: Xcaret Plus with Buffet & Transport |

Current Weather and Forecast

Current Weather in Playa del Carmen
clear sky     clear sky, 22 °C
Clouds: 0 %       Wind: 0 mph
Air Pressure: 1016 hPa       Humidity: 88 %
Last updated: 7th Feb 2023, 09:42 am
The next days …
7th Feb 20238th Feb 20239th Feb 202310th Feb 202311th Feb 202312th Feb 2023
light rain22 °C to 28 °Clight rain23 °C to 28 °Clight rain23 °C to 28 °Clight rain21 °C to 28 °Clight rain19 °C to 23 °Csky is clear18 °C to 25 °C
22 °C to 28 °C23 °C to 28 °C23 °C to 28 °C21 °C to 28 °C19 °C to 23 °C18 °C to 25 °C
Clouds: 28 %Clouds: 3 %Clouds: 2 %Clouds: 3 %Clouds: 86 %Clouds: 6 %
0.07 in of rain0.07 in of rain0.07 in of rain0.12 in of rain0.1 in of rainNo Precipitation
Weather information provided by OpenWeatherMap. (CC BY-SA)
Show temperatures in degree

Mexico: Regions

Playa del Carmen is part of the holiday destination Mexico. We analyzed the climate for additional regions, in order to provide you with information about the best time to visit and the expected holiday weather:

Playa del Carmen: Experiences of our Visitors

There are 21 reviews for Playa del Carmen holiday already. Average rating is 4.4 of 5 stars.
  1. Avatar Preview
    Sandra, 29 years old was there in July

    Simply wonderful. Not a day of rain, always sunshine, unclouded… a great vacation!!!

    Weather Rating: 5 stars – Excellent

  2. Avatar Preview
    Janet, 43 years old was there in January

    Bright sunshine, turquoise water, white beach – what more could you want. There was always a light breeze, so it was really fantastic all the time. Also the evenings were pleasantly warm. Only recommended!

    Weather Rating: 5 stars – Excellent

  3. Avatar Preview
    Robert, 34 years old was there in November

    Within 15 days 3 short showers, cloudless or cloudy during the day, very warm (around 30 degrees), slightly cooled at night. Water very pleasantly warm.

    Weather Rating: 5 stars – Excellent

  4. Avatar Preview
    Torsten, 50 years old was there in April

    We’ve been there several times in April. Last for 4 weeks. The weather was always great. Not too hot and a short rain shower once a week. Good travel month…

    Weather Rating: 5 stars – Excellent

  5. Avatar Preview
    Sonja, 60 years old was there in November

    Beautiful weather in November on 12.5 days, it rained one afternoon and still with interruption the next morning. Water wonderfully warm, but unfortunately a little wavy. Perfect temperature in the evening, not too hot. During the day only pure sun.ca 28degrees

    Weather Rating: 5 stars – Excellent

  6. Avatar Preview
    Petra, 42 years old was there in August

    The weather was wonderful. Gave a short rain shower once in a while, but after that it was nice again.

    Weather Rating: 5 stars – Excellent

  7. Avatar Preview
    Uwe, 42 years old was there in June

    We were in June 2017 in playa del Carmen, the weather was very hot, the cooling in the Caribbean Sea was of course very pleasant. Temperature air about 32 degrees, water about 27 degrees, humidity about 78%.
    This year we fly back to México in 2018 to get to know even more of México, as there is a lot to discover and we also want to try one star 5* more.

    It was a good time.

    Weather Rating: 5 stars – Excellent

  8. Avatar Preview
    Markus, 52 years old was there in January

    At 2 weeks vacation, once in the afternoon rain, otherwise 70%clouds, 30% sun.20-25 degrees. A light jacket is worn in the evening.

    Weather Rating: 3 stars – Mixed

  9. Avatar Preview
    Joanna, 34 years old was there in May

    I was there for 8 days in May 2015 and all I had was sunshine.
    The water temperature was really top and the area was fantastically beautiful.
    Of course, the humidity is much higher than here, but you quickly get used to it????
    Mexico is always worth a trip.

    We’re thinking of going there in early July 2018. Has anyone had any experience with the rainy season in July? Would be very nice to know. Thanks in advance????

    Weather Rating: 5 stars – Excellent

  10. Avatar Preview
    Ricardo, 28 years old was there in November

    In the first week it was fantastic during the day and only rained heavily at night. In the second week of vacation it rained through 5 days!

    Weather Rating: 3 stars – Mixed

  11. Avatar Preview
    Oskar, 62 years old was there in April

    We were there for two weeks. The weather was very, very windy! Partly very cloudy and partly heavy rain. From the 2 weeks only 5 days were possible in the water. In the evening it was very windy every day so it was not possible to enjoy a good cigar outdoors! Won’t be going back there in April!

    Weather Rating: 2 stars – Tricky

  12. Avatar Preview
    Brigitte, 47 years old was there in November

    had probably luck, because the travel weather in november was absolutely excellent. two weeks of sunshine and only two short showers

    Weather Rating: 5 stars – Excellent

Share your Experience and Win

We want to know: how was the weather during your Playa del Carmen holiday? You can win a travel coupon of 1000 $. The price will be raffled among all submissions. Info Icon
When was your Playa del Carmen holiday?
Please rate the weather with 0 to 5 stars.
Describe the travel weather during your holiday in your own words!
First Name
years old
E-Mail (voluntary disclosure, will not be shared)
All information entered will be stored according to our privacy policy.
Strand von Playa del Carmen an der Riviera Maya (Simon Dannhauer / stock.adobe.com)  lizenziertes Stockfoto 
License Information available under 'Proof of Image Sources'
Playa Del Carmen - Mexico-15 (Christopher William Adach)  [flickr.com]  CC BY-SA 
License Information available under 'Proof of Image Sources'
Mexico-5754 - The Mayan Swim Team... (Dennis Jarvis)  [flickr.com]  CC BY-SA 
License Information available under 'Proof of Image Sources'

Playa del Carmen: Holidays in Mexico

Destinations in the Vicinity …

Preview: Best Time to Travel Fort Myers
Best Time to Travel Fort Myers
including Climate Table and Climate Chart
Preview: Best Time to Travel Alaska
Best Time to Travel Alaska
including Climate Table and Climate Chart
Preview: Best Time to Travel Bahamas
Best Time to Travel Bahamas
including Climate Table and Climate Chart
Preview: Best Time to Travel Haiti
Best Time to Travel Haiti
including Climate Table and Climate Chart
Preview: Best Time to Travel Varadero
Best Time to Travel Varadero
including Climate Table and Climate Chart
Preview: Best Time to Travel Alaska Cruises
Best Time to Travel Alaska Cruises
including Climate Table and Climate Chart