Where to escape the cold in Mexico this winter

When the days get short and the forecast turns gray, Mexico is one of the easiest places to find summer again. From December through March, most of its coast is in the dry season, with daytime highs around 80°F or warmer and the sea anywhere from the mid-70s to the low 80s.

The Pacific side adds something the Caribbean can't match in winter: humpback whales arrive in Banderas Bay to breed and calve from roughly December to March, and around Punta Mita they're sometimes visible from shore. Below are seven warm places to go this winter, from the beaches of Riviera Nayarit to the haciendas of the Yucatán, with when to go, what the weather does and where to stay.

Punta Mita, Riviera Nayarit

When to go: December to March

Average winter temperature: Highs around 80°F, lows in the low 60s

Punta Mita is the peninsula at the northern tip of Banderas Bay, the bay Puerto Vallarta sits on, and it's 45 minutes to an hour by car from Puerto Vallarta's airport. Winter's the dry season here, so the days are reliably sunny and the evenings are mild. About 5 miles offshore, the Islas Marietas are a national park, and boats run out to them from the peninsula.

Where to stay: Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita opened in 1999 and is set up for families and golfers, with 177 rooms and suites, a kids' club and two Jack Nicklaus courses. On the Pacifico course, the optional 3B hole, known as the Tail of the Whale, plays to a natural island green in the ocean. In winter, the resort arranges whale-watching boat tours on the bay, with hydrophones aboard for listening to the whales.

On an adjacent site, Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort, is a separate, adults-only property of 15 tented bungalows on 48 acres of forest, each with its own plunge pool. The rate is all-inclusive, covering meals, drinks and one 90-minute spa journey per guest per stay, and the program is built around wellness, including a temazcal ceremony led by a curandero. Whales are part of the stay here too: Andrew Harper's editors reported watching them breach from Naviva's restaurant and from its beach.

Los Cabos, Baja California Sur

When to go: December to April

Average winter temperature: Highs around 80°F to 81°F, lows in the mid-50s

At the southern tip of the Baja peninsula, Los Cabos is where the desert meets the sea, and winter is its dry, mild stretch. Days are warm and sunny, but desert nights drop into the mid-50s, so an evening layer is worth packing. The water's cooler than it is farther south, falling from about 75°F in December to about 70°F by February. Cabo Pulmo National Park is on the East Cape, about 100 kilometers northeast of San José del Cabo.

Where to stay: Las Ventanas al Paraíso, A Rosewood Resort, has been on the corridor between San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas since 1997, about 15 minutes from each town.

La Paz, Baja California Sur

When to go: December to February

Average winter temperature: Highs in the mid to upper 70s, lows in the mid-50s

La Paz sits on the Sea of Cortez, north of Los Cabos, and its winter draw is the whale shark. Mexico's protected-areas agency, CONANP, permits swimming with them in the Bay of La Paz from October through April, and December to February are considered the best months. Numbers vary from year to year, and the activity was suspended from late January 2025 when too few sharks appeared, so it's worth keeping plans flexible. Offshore, Isla Espíritu Santo is part of the Gulf of California islands World Heritage site, and Los Islotes, off the northern end of the archipelago, has a resident sea lion colony.

Where to stay: Baja Club, a hotel built around a renovated 1910 villa, is listed in the Michelin Guide.

Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca

When to go: December to April

Average winter temperature: Highs around 89°F to 90°F, lows around 70°F

Puerto Escondido is a surf town on the Oaxaca coast, best known for the waves at Playa Zicatela, which hosts major surf competitions. Its rains fall mainly from June to October, which leaves winter dry and hot, with highs near 90°F and nights that stay around 70°F. It's one of the two warmest places on this list, and the hotels here are small.

Where to stay: Casona Sforza is an adults-only hotel with 11 rooms and a Michelin Key. Hotel Escondido, from Grupo Habita, has 16 rooms.

Zihuatanejo, Guerrero

When to go: December to March

Average winter temperature: Highs around 89°F, lows in the upper 60s

Zihuatanejo shares the top spot for winter warmth with Puerto Escondido: highs run around 89°F from December through February, and the sea stays in the low 80s. The town sits on its own bay on the Guerrero coast, next to the resort area of Ixtapa. Plan around February if you can. Zihua SailFest, which began in 2001 and is held each February, raises money for local children's education; visiting cruising sailors run it with local volunteers and businesses.

Where to stay: La Casa que Canta has 25 suites, 11 of them with plunge pools, and holds a Michelin Key.

Riviera Maya and Tulum, Quintana Roo

When to go: December to April

Average winter temperature: Highs in the low 80s, lows in the mid to upper 60s

Mexico's Caribbean coast is the straightforward beach choice for winter. Its dry season runs from November to April, and the sea off Cancún sits at about 77°F to 80°F, warmer than Baja or Banderas Bay. It's a swimming and snorkeling destination in winter; the region's best-known wildlife encounter, swimming with whale sharks off Isla Mujeres and Holbox, doesn't start until mid-May.

Where to stay: Rosewood Mayakoba has 129 suites, each with its own plunge pool. Farther south in Tulum, Wakax Hacienda was raised to Two Michelin Keys in 2025.

Mérida and the Yucatán

When to go: December to February

Average winter temperature: Highs in the mid-80s, lows in the mid-60s

Inland Yucatán is at its most comfortable in winter. Mérida's average January high is about 87°F, against about 97°F to 98°F in April and May, which makes this the season for walking the city and visiting the region's haciendas and cenotes. January also brings Mérida Fest, the city's annual celebration of its founding on January 6, 1542.

Where to stay: Chablé Yucatán is a former henequen hacienda in Chocholá, about 25 miles southwest of Mérida, and its spa is built around a natural cenote. It holds Two Michelin Keys.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the warmest place in Mexico in winter?

It's Zihuatanejo and Puerto Escondido, with winter highs around 89°F to 90°F and the sea in the low 80s. Mérida reaches similar highs by February. Baja California Sur is the coolest, with nights in the mid-50s.

Is Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita adults-only?

No. Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita is a family resort with a kids' club and two golf courses. The adults-only property on the peninsula is Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort, a separate, all-inclusive resort of 15 tented bungalows on an adjacent site.

What's the best time to visit Punta Mita?

December through March. The weather is dry, highs run around 80°F, and it's humpback season in Banderas Bay, when whales are sometimes visible from shore.