When to visit
Cabo San Lucas?

Discover the best time of year, based on historical climate, temperature, and precipitation.

Cabo San Lucas
Baja California Sur · Mexico

The best weather in Cabo San Lucas is from February, March, December, but considering flight prices and crowds, the best months to visit are January, February, April.consistent weather climate

Climate score
September
28

Challenging climate

Hot & rainy

Temperature
26–31°C
Hot nights — A/C advised
Feels like
29–37°C
Muggy
Precipitation
102mm
Heavy downpours · 10 days
Sunshine
11.0h
Partly cloudy
Humidity (%)
75%
Muggy
Annual Climate Analysis
Temperature, Rain & Feels Like
Rain
Actual Temp
Feels Like
10°20°30°40°50°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
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Tourist Crowds
Monthly visitor flow
58
Low season
050100JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSep58OctNovDec
Monthly Overview
Score9899100959075492428659399
ClimatePleasantPleasantPleasantPleasantPleasantHot & dryHot & dryHot & dryHot & rainyHot & dryPleasantPleasant
Temperature17–26°C17–26°C18–27°C20–29°C21–30°C24–31°C26–33°C27–32°C26–31°C24–31°C21–29°C18–26°C
Feels like16–26°C16–26°C17–28°C18–29°C20–31°C24–33°C28–37°C30–38°C29–37°C26–35°C22–31°C18–27°C
Precipitation6mm
1 days
8mm
1 days
1mm
0 days
0mm
0 days
0mm
0 days
21mm
2 days
18mm
2 days
82mm
7 days
102mm
10 days
32mm
3 days
14mm
2 days
3mm
1 days
Sunshine10.1h
☀︎ 92%
10.4h
☀︎ 91%
11.2h
☀︎ 93%
12.1h
☀︎ 95%
12.6h
☀︎ 95%
12.6h
☀︎ 93%
12.7h
☀︎ 95%
11.7h
☀︎ 91%
11.0h
☀︎ 90%
11.0h
☀︎ 95%
10.0h
☀︎ 91%
9.8h
☀︎ 91%
WindNW · 17 km/hW · 18 km/hW · 20 km/hW · 23 km/hNW · 24 km/hW · 24 km/hW · 22 km/hW · 21 km/hW · 20 km/hNW · 20 km/hNW · 17 km/hNW · 16 km/h
Humidity (%)58%58%51%48%48%57%61%70%75%66%62%61%
Day length10.9h11.4h12.0h12.7h13.3h13.5h13.4h12.9h12.3h11.6h11.0h10.8h
Tourist CrowdsShoulder seasonShoulder seasonHigh seasonLow seasonShoulder seasonHigh seasonHigh seasonShoulder seasonLow seasonShoulder seasonShoulder seasonHigh season
Events & Festivals
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Bisbee's Black & Blue Marlin Tournament
Gray Whale Watching Season
Los Cabos International Film Festival
Events & Festivals
  • Bisbee's Black & Blue Marlin Tournamentsports
    October· 50k+ visitors

    One of the richest fishing tournaments in the world brings hundreds of sportfishing boats to the marina in late October,…

  • Gray Whale Watching Seasonnature
    December, January, February, March, April· 50k+ visitors

    From December through April, gray whales migrate through the waters off Cabo San Lucas to breed and calve, drawing boat…

  • Los Cabos International Film Festivalcultural
    November· 5k+ visitors

    Held in November when temperatures cool to pleasant levels, this festival brings independent and Latin American films, a…

The story of the seasons in Cabo San Lucas

Standard guidebooks declare March the indisputable peak of Cabo San Lucas, but they are wrong: April delivers the true sweet spot, trading away the suffocating spring crowds for empty sands, glassy seas, and virtually identical desert sunshine.

At the southernmost tip of the Baja California peninsula, the desert does not gently yield to the ocean; it collides with it in a dramatic flare of jagged granite and crashing surf. Cabo San Lucas exists entirely because of this collision. Travelers do not journey to the tip of Los Cabos for urban architecture or museum halls; they come for the electric, untamed marine world where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean, where striped marlin leap beyond the surf and pelicans dive beside granite sea stacks. Yet timing a visit here requires seeing past the standard vacation brochure. If you follow conventional wisdom, you will arrive when the marina is choked with thousands of spring breakers and the beaches feel like an amphitheater. If you read the calendar closely, you can have the cape almost to yourself under virtually flawless skies.

The Real Peak: Desert Sun and Empty Sands

April is the finest month in Cabo San Lucas, and the conventional travel circuit misses it completely. On paper, March holds the statistical crown for pristine temperatures, but March is also the moment the city groans under its heaviest crowds of the year. In April, the spring break rush vanishes overnight, charter boat rates settle, and the beaches suddenly breathe. The weather remains almost indistinguishable from winter perfection: dry, clear desert warmth around 29 degrees, twelve hours of daily sunshine, and not a drop of rain.

Down on Playa El Médano, the town's primary swimming strand, the contrast is startling. You can actually walk the waterline without navigating a dense maze of rented loungers and loud beach clubs. The waters out by El Arco de Cabo San Lucas settle into a tranquil rhythm, clear enough to spot schools of rays and darting reef fish without dodging a flotilla of party catamarans. April also marks the quiet finale of the gray whale watching season, when mothers and calves linger in the sheltered bays before starting their long migration north.

May extends this golden window into early summer. The afternoons warm slightly, nudging into the low thirties, but humidity has not yet arrived to make the air heavy. Breezes coming off the Pacific keep the shoreline crisp, the waters along the Los Cabos Corridor become warmer and more inviting for swimming, and the marina runs at a relaxed, local pace. If you want the luxury of long, quiet afternoons beneath granite cliffs with reliable sun and space to think, this two-month pocket is the prize.

The Winter Swell and the March Stampede

Winter in Cabo is undeniably lovely, but it comes at a cost. From December through February, days are bright, mild, and dry, with daytime highs lingering comfortably around 26 degrees. Gray whales arrive in great numbers, breaching against the backdrop of the Pacific swells. You can sit on the sands of Playa del Amor and watch fountains of mist rise from the offshore water as pods travel past the point. The air is so gentle that light jackets are common after sunset, and the desert nights feel crisp and restorative.

Then comes March, and the atmosphere shifts. While the weather reaches its absolute dry-season peak—virtually zero humidity and unending sun—the town reaches total saturation. March is the busiest month Cabo San Lucas ever experiences. The marina promenade becomes a gauntlet of excursion touts, waterfront bars run at deafening volume, and open boat charters require booking weeks ahead. If you crave quiet coves and relaxed open water, March turns the paradise into a bottleneck.

If you must come during the winter season, aim for late January or early February. You get the full majesty of the whale migration, cool breezes that make hiking the granite bluffs effortless, and a town running at a brisk but manageable hum rather than the fever pitch of peak spring.

The Ocean Warms, the Heat Mounts

Come June, the desert heat begins to show its teeth. Ambient temperatures climb past 30 degrees, but the real change is the humidity creeping up from the south, making midday feel several degrees hotter than the thermometer reads. Tourism numbers bump upward as summer family vacations begin, but the tone changes from winter revelry to pool-bound lounging. The open sun along the exposed sands becomes intensely fierce between noon and four.

July turns the dial further. The sea warms significantly, turning the beaches of the Los Cabos Corridor into bathwater and unlocking world-class snorkeling and scuba diving along the reefs, where visibility peaks and sea life flourishes. Pelagic species—from dorado to schooling manta rays—throng the shelf drop-offs. But outdoor life ashore contracts. Long walks through town give way to air-conditioned siestas or boat days where the breeze off the bow is the only respite.

This is a season best spent entirely on the water. If your goal is deep-sea sportfishing or diving the sea trenches near El Arco de Cabo San Lucas, July delivers prime marine conditions. If your ideal vacation involves exploring coastal trails, wandering nearby San José del Cabo, or relaxing on open sand, the sweltering afternoons will quickly wear you down.

The Low-Season Storm Watch

August and September represent the hardest, stickiest stretch of the Cabo year. Tropical moisture sweeps up the coast, bringing the highest rainfall of any season and pushing the heat index well into the late thirties. August is thick and damp; September is the rainiest month on the calendar, when tropical storms and hurricane-track downpours can wash out roads, turn the ocean churned and brown, and pin visitors indoors under gray skies.

Crowds plummet in September to their lowest levels of the entire year, and it is easy to see why. The sea can be unpredictably rough, shutting down small craft excursions from the marina, and the heavy air makes casual strolls exhausting within minutes. Many independent tour operators and local establishments take their annual hiatus during this window to complete maintenance and escape the suffocating humidity.

There is an undeniable drama to the desert when it storms—rare flash torrents carve temporary arroyos, and the rocky cliffs of Land's End take the brunt of massive Pacific swells. But unless you are a budget-driven traveler who does not mind spending half your trip watching thunderheads roll over the bay from an indoor balcony, this is the one stretch of the calendar to leave off your itinerary.

The Autumn Revival and Tournament Energy

October is Cabo's grand awakening. The hurricane threat wanes, the rains drop off sharply, and the ocean reaches its absolute prime: calm, startlingly clear, and deep sapphire blue. Late October belongs to the sportfishing elite, anchored by Bisbee's Black & Blue Marlin Tournament. Millions of dollars are on the line, hundreds of gleaming sportfishers crowd the slips, and the marina transforms into an open-air spectacle of weigh-ins, cheering crowds, and celebratory energy.

By November, the summer humidity has fully broken, leaving behind crisp apparent temperatures around 31 degrees during the day and pleasantly cooling evenings. It is a stylish, relaxed period. The Los Cabos International Film Festival sets up screenings in mid-November, drawing directors and cinema lovers who mingle casually with travelers along the coast. The water is still warm enough for effortless swimming, yet the desert air has regained the clean, dry clarity that makes winter on the Baja peninsula so seductive.

November gives you the full, rich palette of Los Cabos before the heavy winter crowds arrive: vibrant offshore fishing, world-class diving conditions, smooth seas, and nights cool enough for open-air dining under desert stars.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best time to visit Cabo San Lucas?

The best weather in Cabo San Lucas is from March, February, December, but considering flight prices and crowds, the best months to visit are April, February, January (17–31 °C).

What is the weather like in Cabo San Lucas?

Cabo San Lucas has a climate with an overall score of 7.6/10. Annual temperatures range from 17 °C to 33 °C.

What is the hottest month in Cabo San Lucas?

The hottest month in Cabo San Lucas is July, with average highs of 33 °C and lows of 26 °C.

What is the rainiest month in Cabo San Lucas?

The rainiest month in Cabo San Lucas is September, with an average of 102 mm of precipitation.

When is peak season in Cabo San Lucas?

Peak season in Cabo San Lucas is March, June, July, December. This is the most popular period, with the highest tourism levels and prices.

When is shoulder season in Cabo San Lucas?

Shoulder season in Cabo San Lucas falls in January, February, May, August, October, November. It offers a good balance of decent weather and lower prices compared to peak season.