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Ashley Metcalfe
June 19, 2024
“When is the best time to visit Merida Mexico?”…
…is a question we asked ourselves when we planned on becoming Merida digital nomads. You want to get it right because we’ve heard some horror stories of people going when it’s been TOO hot and it’s just been unbearable.
After spending a month living in Merida, we got a good feel of what the weather is like, when the crowds of tourists swarm in and when the best events are held.
Here’s everything you need to know about the weather – when to go and when to avoid Merida.
Quick Answer: When’s The Best Time To Visit Merida Mexico?
The best time to visit Merida, Mexico is between late November to March if you want great weather. The worst time to visit Merida is from May to August because the humidity can quickly become unbearable for some people.
6 Key Factors to Consider When Choosing the Best Time to Visit Merida Mexico
We had such a fantastic time in Merida and we honestly picked one of the best months to go, in our opinion.
While the sunshine might be on your mind, it’s not the only thing you need to think of. Here are the 6 factors to think about when choosing the best time to visit Merida.
- Humidity
- Hurricane/cyclone season
- Prices
- Sargassum season (it’s a thing)
- Events and
- Crowds
The way you like to travel will ultimately decide when the best time to visit Merida is. What do I mean?
For example, Matthew and I love to visitdigital nomad destinationsduring the shoulder months. We would sacrifice a couple of days of rain or miss some events to get better apartment deals and fewer crowds.
When we werePlaya del Carmen digital nomads, we arrived during the shoulder months. I’m not kidding when I tell you we experienced not one but two hurricanes while we were there! While it might not have been thebest time to visit Playa del Carmen, we did get insane rental deals and there were fewer crowds. We were still pretty happy!
If you’re struggling to decide when the best time to visit Merida is, ask yourself these questions to help guide your decision:
- Will a few days of rain ruin my trip?
- Can I handle humidity?
- Am I planning to spend a lot of time on the beach?
- Are there any events in Mexico I want to go to?
If you make a list of your preferences, this could make it an easier choice for you. Once you choose the best time to visit Merida for yourself – you can start booking, planning and organizing your trip to the beautiful Yucatan state of Mexico.
When Is The Best Time To Visit Merida Mexico?
The best time to visit Merida Mexico is in November, December, January, February, March and April. You’ll get a good amount of sunshine, a couple of rainy days but cool nights. While these aren’t the hottest months with the most hours of sunshine, the Merida summer might be too humid and hot to handle!
Best Months To Visit Merida
The best months to visit Merida are from November to April. The average temperature during these months is between 72°F to 90°F (23°C to 33°C). These months also have the least amount of rainfall so you can enjoy your days out exploring the beautiful Yucatan peninsula.
The busiest month to visit Merida is December. Most people go on vacation during the month of December and Merida is a popular tourist destination during this time. The prices for apartments during the best months are typically higher than in the heat of the summertime. If you want to get good deals or value for money, you might have to bear the humidity!
Events are a big attraction when choosing a place to visit. For example, lots of people travel to go to a festival or to experience a popular holiday in that country. One of Mexico’s biggest and most famous celebrations is Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), which is in early November.
A popular month for tourism is April because there’s another holiday in Mexico called Semana Santa (Holy Week) in which thousands of tourists flock to different states to join in and experience the holiday. The crowds can get overwhelming during these times but it’s up to you if you want to experience the celebrations still.
When Is The Worst Time To Visit Merida Mexico?
The worst time to visit Merida is from May to September. Locals also try to escape Merida during this time because of the intense heat, humidity and increase in mosquitoes buzzing around.
If you’re looking to have a great time exploring the beautiful colonial city of Merida, you might want to avoid going during the rainy season.
Worst Months To Visit Merida
The worst months to visit Merida are May, June and July. Why?
4 words: Hot flashes. Intense humidity.
The summers are brutal in Merida and sometimes it becomes unbearable to be there. If you don’t have air-conditioning in your Airbnb, it’s going to be an even worse time for you.
Try to avoid going to Merida during the humid months so you don’t melt while you’re on vacation or living there as a digital nomad. Especially avoid going in May, it has an average high temperature of 97°F (36°C – remember, that’s the average!) and it’s the warmest month!
Stats on Merida Weather & Seasons
Here are some quick stats to help give you a better idea of the general weather in Merida:
- Hottest month in Merida: May (97℉ | 36℃)
- Coolest month in Merida: January – (64 °F | 18°C)
- Rainiest monthin Merida: June
- Driest monthsin Merida: February & March
- Most crowded months in Merida: December & January
- Least crowded months in Merida: June, July & August
Temperature Year-Round
Is the temperature a big factor when choosing to visit a place? Then you’ll find the chart below very helpful. The annual average temperature in Merida is around 79°F (26°C).
If you’re trying to escape the cold – Merida is a great destination to get away! A lot of people (sometimes called snowbirds) actually do this and spend their winter in sunny Merida instead of staying in their home country for the winter season. A great choice if you ask me!
Precipitation Year-Round
The rainiest month in Merida is June. Tropical storms tend to hit around June and July which is why there’s so much rainfall. If you love outdoor activities, it might not be the best time to visit Merida for you.
The month with the least amount of rainfall is February. If you get easily worried about the rain ruining your activities, February has cooler temperatures and only around 7 days of rainfall (if that).
Sunshine Year-Round
The best time to visit Merida for some sunshine is November to April. Summer in Merida is technically June to August, but we don’t recommend visiting that time because the sun and humidity are just way too intense. While we were living in Merida, we found a lot of locals telling us that the summer was way too intense for them too.
June and September receive the least amount of sunshine in a month. While both months have a maximum temperature of 93°F (34°C), they experience the most amount of rainfall too. If you love the sunshine, don’t go during those months and you’ll be fine!
The 2 Weather Seasons In Merida: Wet and Dry
Merida has 2 seasons: wet season and dry season. The wet season is when there is the most rainfall and the possibility of hurricanes coming through the Yucatan peninsula. The dry season in Merida means it’s a little cooler during the nights and pretty warm during the days.
The best time to visit Merida specifically is during the dry season. This way you can spend your days exploring the Centro Historico, maybe have a day trip to Chichen Itza and lounge on the beautiful Merida beaches.
Dry Season In Merida, Mexico
The dry season in Merida is from November to April. These months typically receive the least amount of rainfall and you’ll get more sunshine days (who doesn’t want that?!).
The only thing that might stop you from visiting Merida during the dry season is the crowds of tourists that roam the city.
Best things to do in Merida during the dry season:
- Visit and swim in cenotes (Cenote Santa Barbara was our fave)
- Watch the free events in Plaza Grande (there’s something almost every night)
- See a live game of Pok-Ta-Pok on Wednesday @ 8pm
- Take a free walking tour around the Historic Center
- Take a leisurely stroll along the Paseo de Montejo Avenue
- Day trip to Chichén Itzá
Pros of visiting Merida during the dry season:
- Less likelihood of rain interrupting your day
- Good weather to walk everywhere
- Most activities are open
- Lots of events happening in town
Cons of visiting Merida during the dry season:
- Overwhelming amount of domestic and international tourists
- Prices might be higher for accommodation, flights and activities
- Group day-trips tend to be more crowded
Wet Season In Merida, Mexico
The wet season in Merida is from May to September. The month with the highest chance of precipitation is June, with around 19 days of rainfall. This time in Merida is a little weird because you have rainy days combined with some pretty high humidity. Being wet and sticky isn’t great on vacation!
If you visit during the wet season, you will have fewer crowds of tourists and possibly better deals – you just have to deal with the humidity and rainy days.
Best things to do in Merida during the wet season:
- Visit El Gran Museo del Mundo Maya and see Mayan artifacts
- Take a food tour around town
- Take a cooking class and learn how to make Yucatecan food
Pros of visiting Merida during the wet season:
- Fewer crowds to battle with
- Cheaper prices for flights, hotels and activities
- Attractions/group trips won’t be as busy
Cons of visiting Merida during the wet season:
- Higher chance of precipitation (rainy days)
- Fewer outdoor activities you can do in the rain
- Possible tropical storms can keep you inside the hotel
When Can You Get The Best Prices In Merida?
If you’re looking for great deals on flights, accommodation (hotels/Airbnbs) or just a couple of bucks off a day trip activity – the best time to visit Merida is in the months of May to September. This is the rainy season which is why you’re able to save some real money across the board.
The Best Time To Visit Merida Mexico In Our Opinion Is…
November, February and March!
To narrow it down even further, we think the best time to visit Merida is during the shoulder month of November. You might get a couple of rainy days but we barely had any and we got pretty good deals on flights and our Airbnb. There were also fewer crowds during this time and it made seeing cool events like Mexican traditional dances or Pok-Ta-Pok (the Mayan ball game) pretty chill.
While we don’t really visit places during the high seasons because we don’t like crowds – February and March are still great times to visit. You get the best weather and Merida isn’t usually crowded during that time as there aren’t really any events happening.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to visit Merida Mexico?
The best time to visit Merida is in November, February, March and April. These months have the most amount of sunshine, the least amount of rain but are less busy than December and January.
What is the rainiest month in Merida Mexico?
The wet season in Merida is from May to October, with the rainiest month being June (19/30 days of rainfall). Lots of rain and high humidity during this time make Merida a pretty hard place to be, unless you can handle the weather and want to save some money with cheaper prices.
Which is the most crowded month to visit Merida?
Tourists flock to Merida in early November and the month of December. This is because of holidays like Dia de los Muertos and Christmas/New Year’s vacation.
When is it the most humid in Merida?
The highest humidity is during September and October (around 78% humidity).
How safe is Merida Mexico?
Merida is actually considered one of the top 5 safest places in Mexico. While living in Merida as digital nomads, we always felt really safe wherever we went.
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