The Journal 6 min read
Best Time to Visit Cabo: November–May, with April–May and November the Sweet Spot
Verdict: November–May is dry and mild; April–May and November give you the same sun with lower rates, and whales from mid-December to April. Month by month: heat, hurricanes, prices.
By The One Happy Aruba Team · Updated Sep 30, 2026 · How we know
Bottom line: Go between November and May. That whole stretch is dry, sunny and mild, and from mid-December to mid-April the humpback whales are in the channel. If you want the same weather for less money, aim for early November or late April through May. August through October is the hottest, cheapest and riskiest window, because that is the heart of hurricane season.
That is the answer. The rest of this page is the reasoning, month by month, so you can pick the week that fits your budget and your reason for going.
The weather, plainly
Los Cabos is a desert on the ocean. Rain is rare, humidity is low most of the year, and the sky does what a postcard promises. What changes across the calendar is heat and water temperature.
| Season | Daytime highs | Sea temperature | Feel |
|---|---|---|---|
| December–February | 70–80°F | 68–72°F | Warm days, cool evenings, cool water |
| March–May | 75–85°F | 70–75°F | Ideal; water warming up |
| June–July | 85–95°F | 75–80°F | Hot, still mostly dry |
| August–October | 90–100°F | 78–82°F | Hottest, humid, storm risk |
| November | 75–85°F | 74–78°F | Dry again, warm water, quiet |
Two things surprise first-timers. The first is that winter water is chilly. At 68°F you can swim, but you will not linger, and a shorty wetsuit is not a silly idea on a January snorkel trip to Chileno or Santa María. The second is that summer heat is real. At 95°F in the shade, a midday walk from the marina to Medano Beach is a chore, and the pool becomes the main event.
The hurricane question
Hurricane season runs June through November and peaks August through October. Most years nothing hits. But Los Cabos is not immune: Hurricane Odile made landfall in September 2014 and did serious damage to the resorts and the airport, and travelers still ask about it because it was the last time the destination truly shut down.
What this means for you: if you book August through October, buy travel insurance with a named-storm clause, and read it before you buy. Many policies will only pay if the storm is not yet named when you purchase, so insure at booking, not the week before. Resorts and airlines generally waive change fees once a storm is forecast, but a waiver is not a refund of your excursion deposits or your prepaid dinners. If a September trip is the only one your calendar allows, go, but go with insurance and flexible flights.
Month by month
December
The high season opens. The first humpbacks show up around mid-month, temperatures sit in the 70s, and the last two weeks are the most expensive of the year. Christmas and New Year's are a full-price, book-early affair, and the marina fills with yachts. Early December, before the holiday crowd arrives, is a quiet little window with good rates.
January
Whales are everywhere, the mornings are cool enough for a sweater, and the afternoons are perfect. Prices come down from the holiday peak but stay firm because this is the month the whole northern half of the continent wants to leave home. The water is at its coldest, so plan on pool and boat rather than long swims.
February
The peak of whale season, with both humpbacks and gray whales in the channel and calves in the mix. Weather is as good as it gets. Expect high resort rates and full boats; book your whale trip before you fly.
March
Still excellent weather, still whales, and spring break. Cabo San Lucas gets loud in March, particularly around Medano Beach and the marina bars. If you are traveling as a family or a couple who wants quiet, stay in San José del Cabo or on the Corridor and treat the town as a day trip. If you are traveling for the party, this is your month.
April
The whales begin thinning out after the first two weeks, spring break ends, and prices soften. Days climb into the 80s and the water is finally comfortable. Late April is one of the best-value weeks of the year.
May
Our favorite month for value. Sunny, mid-80s, warm water, and rates that reflect the lull before summer. The trade-off is fewer whales (they are gone by now) and the start of the wind dying down, which is good for snorkeling and boat days.
June and July
Hot but usually dry. This is a fine time to go if you are pool-and-boat people and want lower prices; it is a hard time for anyone who wants to walk around town at noon. Sea temperatures are up, which makes long snorkel sessions and Cabo Pulmo diving more pleasant than in winter.
August and September
The hottest, most humid weeks, and the peak of storm risk. Prices are the lowest of the year for good reason. Some restaurants and smaller operators close for a few weeks. If you go, insure the trip and plan on a resort with a serious pool.
October
Still warm and still inside hurricane season, but the odds improve as the month goes on. This is also fishing-tournament season: the Bisbee's tournaments bring a serious sport-fishing crowd into Cabo San Lucas, so charter boats and marina-area rooms fill up around those dates. Late October into early November brings Day of the Dead, which is worth seeing in San José del Cabo's plaza.
November
Dry season returns, the water is still warm from summer, and the crowds have not arrived. The first three weeks of November are the second value sweet spot of the year, right up until Thanksgiving week pushes prices back up. Whales are not here yet, so if whales are the point, wait for January.
When to book
For any trip between mid-December and Easter, book flights and the resort three to five months out; the good rooms at the popular places sell first. For whale season, book the boat before you leave home too. Popular morning departures in February sell out days ahead.
For May, June and November, you can book six to eight weeks out and still find good rates. For the storm months, book late and flexible: prices are already low, and waiting costs you nothing except the risk of a full flight.
Flights into SJD are the other variable. Direct flights from the West Coast and Texas are plentiful; from the East Coast you often connect. See getting there for what to expect and how to handle the airport.
The verdict by traveler type
| You are | Go in | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Whale-focused | Late January to early March | Peak sightings, calves, best odds on any given morning |
| Budget-first | May, early November | Full sun, warm water, lowest dry-season rates |
| Family with school-age kids | Spring break week or early June | Whales in March; warm water in June, before the hottest heat |
| Couple after quiet | Early December, late April, November | Fewer people, good weather, softer prices |
| Party crowd | March | Spring break, full bars, busy Medano |
| Fishing | October, or May–June for warm-water species | Tournament season is October; ask the charter what is biting |
| Heat-tolerant deal hunter | August–September | Cheapest rooms, but buy the insurance |
If you already know your dates and want to work backward from there, the month-by-month guide covers each month in more detail, and the trip planner will turn your dates, budget and group into a specific resort shortlist. For a first visit, our starter itinerary assumes a winter or spring trip and shows how whale mornings, boat days and town evenings fit into a week.
Two honest caveats
We have not yet built up a base of community reports on Cabo weather specifically, so the temperatures and water figures above are the typical ranges, not readings from a given year. Individual weeks vary, especially in the shoulder months. And storms are exactly as unpredictable as they sound: the risk months are the risk months, but a clear September and a windy February both happen. Build the trip around what you can control, which is the month you pick and the insurance you buy.