Zihuatanejo weather in December
December in Zihuatanejo: sweltering, dry, with clean air — fine if you can take 35°C afternoons.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#6 of 12 months in Zihuatanejo · #115 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 90/100 (tier S)
- Days
- 31°C
- Nights
- 22°C
- Wet days
- 1
- Sun
- 10.1 h
- Humidity
- 77%
- Daylight
- 11 h

Traveller notes on Zihuatanejo in December
Regulars are specific this counts as a favorite window locally, late November through mid-December, the surrounding landscape still lush and green from the rains that have just stopped while crowds stay genuinely manageable. Our row backs that hot, genuinely dry read, 31.4C reading as a scorching 35C, over 22.1C nights feeling 25C, with rain essentially absent, 3.9mm across just 1.4 days, and humidity at 77 percent. Regulars are consistent a steady ocean breeze keeps the heat from feeling oppressive on the beach even as the sun itself stays genuinely intense, any rain that does fall typically confined to an hour or less overnight. The sea sits at a bath-warm 28.9C. The record: 10.1 hours of sun, a 9.1 kph wind and AQI 49.
Other months in Zihuatanejo
Regulars call this the technical start of the rainy season, but say real rain rarely shows up in any volume until July or August, with what does fall usually arriving overnight or early morning rather than during the day. Our row backs that read closely, rain still minimal at 8.5mm across under 2 days, alongside real heat, 31C reading as a hot 36C at 71 percent humidity, over 23.2C nights. Regulars describe the first couple of weeks of the month as genuinely quiet, empty beaches and some tourist-facing restaurants closed for the season, though enough stay open that finding a meal is never a problem. The sea holds a very warm 29.9C. The record: 11.9 hours of sun, an 11.6 kph wind and AQI 52.
Regulars give January as 86F by day and 68F at night with a degree or two of variance, which is our row almost exactly at 30.6C over 20.8C. No rain, little wind, sunny with the odd cloud nobody minds, and an ocean they describe as very nice - 28C on our reading. The two practical notes are about time rather than weather. Walking the town in the afternoon is hot, so they keep their rambles to the mornings and evenings; and Mexican families fill the beaches and the restaurants until about the 8th of January, after which the month belongs to the winter visitors. The record: 5.8mm across 1.2 days, humidity 73 percent, 9.9 hours of sun and AQI 36.
Regulars describe December through April here as unremittingly perfect days, with one anomalous year that put rain in February and February trip reports that simply say perfect as always. Our row does not argue for once: 2.6mm across 0.3 precipitation days, 10.6 hours of sun, 30.4C over 20.4C and a 28C sea. January and February are also the months they like for atmosphere, once the northern snowbirds have arrived and the town has its winter energy. If price matters more than company, they point at November for much the same weather with fewer people. The heat reads as 34C in 71 percent humidity, so the middle of the day still wants shade. The record: an 11 kph wind and AQI 36.
April here is like February and March but with the season emptying out - the last week in particular gets described as clear skies and no crowds, which is the pick of the month. Sun every day, warm water, and humidity that is always present on this coast and building from late March towards the summer. The practical advice regulars give is to move the exercise: golf and anything strenuous belongs to the early morning, not the middle of the day. One honest note from the same threads - the water is warm but not at its clearest in April. The record: 29.8C days that feel like 34C, 20.3C nights, effectively no precipitation days, 11.7 hours of sun and a 28.5C sea.
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Zihuatanejo climate normals — December
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Zihuatanejo in December
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
BusyChristmas and New Year peak, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Zihuatanejo's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Fair weatherZihuatanejo's weather peaks February–April.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Zihuatanejo in December
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Nature
Olive ridley nesting
1 Aug – 15 Dec · usuallyTurtle nestingOlive ridleys nest on Playa Larga and Barra de Potosi through the autumn, and the camps hold hatchling releases at dusk most evenings in the season.
- Season
Sailfish season
1 Nov – 31 Mar · usuallySailfish and marlin are offshore through the cool months and the town's small fleet is built around them, most of it now catch and release. The pier fish market at dawn is the free version.
- Nature
Humpback season
15 Dec – 20 Mar · usuallyWhale seasonHumpbacks come into the bay and the water off Playa Larga through the winter, close enough that the pangueros run short trips out of the pier before the fishing boats leave.
- Holiday
Christmas and New Year peak
18 Dec – 5 JanChristmas & New YearCrowdedBook earlyIxtapa's hotels and the Zihuatanejo bay fill with domestic holidaymakers for a fortnight, prices roughly double and the beach restaurants take bookings for New Year's Eve months ahead. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Zihuatanejo — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Zihuatanejo?
Zihuatanejo in December — FAQ
- Is December a good time to visit Zihuatanejo?
- December in Zihuatanejo: sweltering, dry, with clean air — fine if you can take 35°C afternoons. It ranks #6 of 12 months for Zihuatanejo on SeasonMap's comfort score (90/100).
- What is the weather like in Zihuatanejo in December?
- In December, Zihuatanejo averages a daily high of 31.4°C and a low of 22.1°C, with about 3.9 mm of rain over roughly 1.4 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Zihuatanejo in December?
- Zihuatanejo has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 49 in December.
Within 300 km: Morelia's Monarch butterfly season around 10 Nov – 15 Mar, and Acapulco's Christmas and New Year on 15 Dec – 6 Jan.