Quick answer
The best time to visit Huatulco is December to April, the dry season: in the SMN record, average rainfall stays under 20 mm (0.8 in) a month. January and February are the busiest; April and May, the hottest. The heavy rains run from June to September, with a break in July, and ease off in October. Hurricane season runs from May 15 to November 30. Our pick: the first half of March, still dry, with whale-watching season open and fewer people than in January.
Best time to visit Huatulco, month by month
In Huatulco the year splits in two, and the switch is abrupt. The SMN (Mexico's weather service) station named after the town records, on average, under 10 mm of rain a month from December to March, about 18 in April and 123 in May; August, at 250, is the wettest. The mean temperature goes from 25.6 °C (78 °F) in January to 28.6 °C (83.5 °F) in May. Read it with care: the station sits next to the town of Santa María Huatulco, inland and 225 meters up, not on the bays, and its record has gaps between 1980 and 2025. Use it to see the shape of the year, not to guess how hot the sand at Tangolunda will be.
When are the rainy and hurricane seasons in Huatulco?
June, August and September are the wet months: at the SMN station each one tops 230 mm on average, and July drops to 140. CONANP, which runs Mexico's protected areas, puts the national park's rains from June to November, when the vegetation turns deep green. On top of that comes the Pacific hurricane season, from May 15 to November 30, according to Mexico's Navy (SEMAR), which counted 18 tropical cyclones in the Pacific in 2025. Only one made landfall in Mexico, and it was in Oaxaca: Hurricane Erick, on June 19, as a Category 3 near Santiago Pinotepa Nacional. Traveling in the rainy season is doable, with flexible dates and an eye on SMN alerts.
When is high season and low season in Huatulco?
January and February are the busiest months. Using DataTur figures, the Oaxaca Ministry of Tourism reported 2025 hotel occupancy of 73.4 percent in January and 73 in February, against 42.8 in September, the lowest of the year. Part of the explanation is the airport: five of its six international routes came from Canada, and foreign visitors went from more than 12,000 a month between January and March to 2,715 in September. Even so, the highest peak is Holy Week (Semana Santa): in 2026, occupancy reached 80.42 percent, according to the same ministry. July and August pick up again with mostly Mexican travelers.
Heads up
September's calm has a catch. It's the month with the lowest occupancy, but it falls right in hurricane season, and with rain the national park's dirt roads, like the last stretch to San Agustín, can get rough. If you're traveling between June and October, leave a spare day at the end and don't plan the drive for the day of your flight.
“In Huatulco you trade one thing for another: in January, dry bays and nearly three out of four rooms taken; in September, the lowest occupancy of the year and one eye on the hurricane alerts. Pick what weighs more for you.”
— KORU RENT
Can you get to Huatulco with a KORU vehicle?
Renting in Huatulco, no: KORU has no vehicles listed there today. The alternative is to rent in Puerto Escondido, about 100 to 110 km (62 to 68 miles) along Federal Highway 200, and drive over if your vehicle can make that trip: it depends on the vehicle and the provider, so confirm with the team before you book. In the rainy season, leave early and drive in daylight. If you'd like a heads-up in case that changes, leave your email on the destinations map at korurent.com. And if you live there and have a vehicle, you can list it on KORU from the Become a provider page at korurent.com.
Rent your vehicle in Puerto Escondido
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Huatulco
Nine bays, 36 beaches and all our guides to the destination.
Huatulco bays: which one to choose
Which ones you reach by car, which take a trail or a boat, and where to swim in calm water.
Frequently asked questions
December to April, the dry season: at the SMN station no month in that stretch averages more than 20 mm of rain. January and February are the busiest. For fewer people while whale-watching season is still open, the first half of March.
June to September. At the SMN station, August and September average around 250 mm and June isn't far behind; July brings a break. May marks the start and October eases off. CONANP extends the park's rainy season through November.
From May 15 to November 30, as along the whole Mexican Pacific. That doesn't mean a storm every day, but it does mean you should check SMN alerts before you travel and have a plan B if a cyclone forms off Oaxaca.
For the 2025-2026 season, Semarnat's notice in Mexico's Official Gazette (DOF) set whale watching in the Huatulco National Park area from December 15 to March 21. The dates are published every year, so check the current notice before you book a tour.
Today there are no KORU vehicles listed in Huatulco. If you want to know if that changes, leave your email on the destinations map at korurent.com. Meanwhile, in Puerto Escondido you can enter your dates, see which vehicles are available and book online.
It's about 100 to 110 km along Federal Highway 200, so you get there the same day. Whether it's allowed depends on the vehicle and the provider: confirm with the team before you book. You need a valid driver's license, from Mexico or another country, and any fines are on you.
Our rule for Huatulco: between December and March, outside Holy Week; in the rainy season, with a spare day before your flight. Today there are no KORU vehicles there. If you're leaving from Puerto Escondido, choose your dates and vehicle on its page at korurent.com and book online. Questions? Message us on WhatsApp.