Playa del Carmen beach. Credit: Wikimedia Creative Commons license

The average monthly weather in Riviera Maya has much in common with Cozumel and Cancun because of their close proximity to each other.

Riviera Maya is a long stretch of hotels and resorts along Mexico’s Caribbean coast. Playa del Carmen, the most popular city along the Riviera Maya, is about 35 miles south of Cancun. The island of Cozumel is less than 25 miles southeast.

They share the same hot summer temperatures, cool but comfortable winter nights and heavy rain during the fall.

Riviera Maya is both a popular resort and cruise destination. Cruse ships dock at nearby Cozumel; visitors often take quick ferries over to Playa del Carmen for various shore excursions.

Monthly Temperatures

Nearby Cozumel is a helpful source of Riviera Maya monthly temperatures. © 2020 Scott S. Bateman

The daily maximum temperature for Playa del Carmen averages in the low 80s Fahrenheit during the winter months of December through February

They average in the mid to upper 80s in the spring and fall, and more than 90 degrees in the summer.

Despite warm winter temperatures during the day, some visitors experience cooler conditions in the water. They are the result of strong trade winds with a resulting wind chill factor.

The average low temperatures—mainly at night—will drop into the upper 60s Fahrenheit during the winter, the low 70s spring and fall, and the mid 70s during the summer.

Cool nighttime temperatures also play a role in cooler seawater. They make time on beaches less than ideal during the winter and more comfortable in the spring and early summer.

Monthly Rainfall

© 2020 Scott S. Bateman

Rainfall is much more variable in the region than the temperatures.

Total rainfall is lowest from January through April. It reaches a moderate 4 inches in May and December.

Rainfall climbs much higher from June through November during the annual Caribbean hurricane season.

Historically, the monthly rainfall in Riviera Maya has averaged as much as 10 inches each in September and October, which are the peak hurricane season months. In addition, it rains an average of 15 days each during those months.

The number of days it rains is lowest during the drier months of January through April.

The best times to visit Riviera Maya are from late spring to late summer because of the combination of warm temperatures and moderate rain.

The worst times to visit because of the risk of rain are September and October.

Other months have less than ideal weather because of cool seawater and trade winds, but the risk of rain is much lower.