Nayarit is Mexico's rising Pacific-coast star, home to the glamorous Riviera Nayarit beach towns of Sayulita, Punta de Mita, and Nuevo Vallarta, the colonial surf port of San Blas, and the Wixárika (Huichol) heartland of the Sierra Madre Occidental. It blends barefoot-luxury resorts, world-class surf breaks, mangrove wildlife, and small-town Mexican culture within a couple of hours of Puerto Vallarta's international airport.
Nayarit has a sub-tropical coastal climate with two distinct seasons: a dry, warm winter (November-May) and a hot, humid rainy summer (June-October). The coast averages around 300+ days of sunshine a year. August and September are the wettest months and the peak of Pacific hurricane season, though direct hurricane hits on the Riviera Nayarit coast are rare — most rainy-season weather is brief afternoon thunderstorms rather than sustained storms. Inland Tepic and the Sierra Madre are noticeably cooler and can see fog and light rain even in the dry season due to elevation.
Best time to visit
Best: November to April
Peak Season: December to early January, Semana Santa (Easter week), and July-August
Avoid: June to October (rainy/hurricane season, especially August-September, with the odd tropical storm reaching the coast)
Notes: November and April-May are the sweet-spot shoulder months: dry-season weather with lower prices and fewer crowds than the December-January peak.
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- November-April
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- Dry season
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- Warm days (27-32°C / 80-90°F), low humidity, cool evenings, and calm seas — the best all-around window to visit
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- June-October
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- Rainy/hurricane season
- Description
- Hot, humid days (up to 35°C / 95°F) with tropical afternoon downpours, typically 1-2 hours followed by clear evenings; occasional tropical storms
Month-by-month weather
Typical conditions throughout the year.
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The seasons
What to expect in each part of the year.
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Dry season (Sunny, dry, and warm with comfortable evenings; the best conditions for beaches, boat tours, and hiking), Transition/hot season (Temperatures rise and humidity builds before the rains arrive; still mostly dry), Rainy/hurricane season (Daily afternoon showers, high humidity, and the Pacific hurricane season peak (Sept-Oct); mornings are usually sunny)
Crowds & peak times
When to expect tourists and when to avoid them.
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- Late December-early January
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- Very high
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- Holiday peak; book accommodation months in advance
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- Semana Santa (Easter week)
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- Very high
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- Domestic Mexican travelers flood the coast; beaches and roads are busiest of the year
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- February-March
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- High
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- Prime dry season and whale-watching draw steady international visitors
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- November, April-May
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- Moderate
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- Good weather with noticeably thinner crowds
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- June-October
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- Low
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- Rainy season means the lowest crowds and prices, but afternoon storms and humidity are the tradeoff
Major events & festivals
Time your visit around what matters.
Semana Santa (Holy Week)
The single busiest travel week in Nayarit; beach towns fill with domestic tourists and prices spike
Sayulita Festival del Pueblo / San Pancho Festival del Arte
Community arts and street festivals in Sayulita and San Pancho with music, food, and craft stalls
Fiestas de Enero (Tepic)
Tepic's largest annual fair, with rides, concerts, rodeos, and regional food
Día de la Marina / San Blas fiestas patronales
Local patron saint festivities in San Blas with processions and fireworks
Whale watching season
Humpback whales migrate through Banderas Bay near Punta de Mita, peaking January-February