Puerto Vallarta Weather

Tropical, with two clear seasons: dry and warm, or hot and humid with afternoon storms.

Independent guide · Last updated September 2026

Mangroves at Playa Boca de Tomates
Mangroves at Playa Boca de Tomates. Photo: Virota99, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Puerto Vallarta has a tropical climate — warm all year, with the real variation being humidity and rain rather than temperature. Understanding the two seasons is most of what you need.

Dry season — November to April

Warm days, cooler evenings, low humidity and reliably blue skies. Daytime highs sit around the high 20s°C (low-to-mid 80s°F), nights are pleasant. Virtually no rain. This is the comfortable season — and the busy, pricier one.

Rainy (green) season — June to October

Hot and humid, with most rain arriving as heavy late-afternoon or overnight thunderstorms rather than all-day drizzle. Mornings are often sunny. August and September are the hottest, most humid and wettest. The landscape turns lush and prices drop.

Hurricanes

The Pacific hurricane season runs roughly June to November. Direct hits on Puerto Vallarta are uncommon — the bay is relatively sheltered — but distant storms can bring rain and swell. Travel insurance is sensible if you're travelling in that window.

Sea temperature

The ocean is swimmable year-round, warmest at the end of the rainy season (around 29–30°C in September) and coolest in late winter (around 23–24°C in February–March).

For how this maps to crowds and prices, see best time to visit, and our packing guide.