January is Tulum's coolest month: average highs of 29°C, lows of 18°C and about 60 mm of rain, with the sea at 27°C. The first ten days are busy with the holidays, Three Kings Day and two festivals. After that it quietens, making mid to late January a strong time for cenotes.
Tulum in January is mild and, after the first ten days, calm. It is the coolest month: average highs of 29°C and lows of 18°C in the official normals, with about 60 mm of rain and the sea at around 27°C. The first week and a half belongs to the holidays and two big festivals. From about 11 January the crowds thin, and the rest of the month is one of the best times of the year for the cenotes.
| January | |
|---|---|
| Average high | 29°C |
| Average low | 18°C, the coolest of the year |
| Rain | About 60 mm |
| Sea | About 27°C |
| Cenote water | About 24 to 25°C |
The figures are CONAGUA’s 1991 to 2020 normals for the Tulum station, with sea temperature from WeatherSpark. January sits in the middle of WeatherSpark’s cool season (13 November to 9 February). It has a little more rain than December or February in the station record, about 60 mm against 42 mm, but that is a fraction of the 204 mm October gets.
In practice that means warm days and fresh mornings. Bring a light layer for evenings and for cycling out to the cenotes early.
January has two halves.
1 to 10 January is still high season. New Year week is the busiest of the year: Tulum hotels were 83.5% full from 27 December 2025 to 2 January 2026, per Quintana Roo’s tourism department. Mexico’s school winter break ends with classes resuming on 7 January 2027. And 6 January is Three Kings Day (Día de Reyes), a family holiday in Mexico.
This is also festival season:
If you are not here for the music, check your dates against the festivals before you book; where to stay in Tulum compares the areas.
From about 11 January the holidays and festivals are over. The weather is the same, and cenotes, hotels and roads are calmer until the next long weekend on 1 February.
Normally one of the clearer months, because the usual season runs from April to October. But do not count on it. In 2026 the seaweed arrived early: Tulum had already collected 185 tonnes by 27 January, and Riviera Maya News called it an early and constant arrival. Check a live tracker before you book a beach hotel. Our Tulum sargassum guide lists what to watch.
Cool days are good for the trips that are tiring in summer:
Tours on our tours page run all month, including dive trips for certified divers.
December has similar weather and even busier holidays. February is a little warmer, drier and quieter. March is the driest month but has Easter in 2027. The full table is in best time to visit Tulum.
4 hours
A morning run from central Tulum to Gran Cenote, the jump platforms at Cenote Zemway and the mangrove edge of Casa Cenote, with snorkel gear, towels and transport between stops.
No pickup: meet on site
from$135
Check availability1 day
A self-guided admission ticket to both linked basins of Dos Ojos with a life jacket, for people who want to swim the famous cavern at their own pace.
No pickup: meet on site
from$43
Check availability5 hours
For advanced-certified divers: a deep dive in The Pit through the halocline and the hydrogen sulfide cloud at 25 m, then a cavern dive in Dos Ojos.
No pickup: meet on site
from$230
Check availability5 hours
A private car tour to two very different cenotes, Xunaan Ha and Sac Actun, one a cave and one open to the sky, with a regional meal before the drive back.
Pickup: Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos or Puerto Aventuras
from$189
Check availabilityPrices and ratings were taken from GetYourGuide and can change. Booking through these links supports this site at no extra cost to you.
January is the coolest month. The 1991 to 2020 normals for the Tulum station give an average high of 29°C and a low of 18°C, the lowest of the year, with about 60 mm of rain. The sea is around 27°C. Days are warm enough for the beach and cenotes, and early mornings and evenings feel fresh, so pack a light sweater.
Yes, especially after the first ten days. The weather is at its mildest, hurricane season is long over, and once the school holidays end and the festivals leave, the town quietens. The first week is still holiday peak: Tulum hotels were 83.5% full over the 2025 to 2026 New Year week, so book early if you need those dates.
A little. The official normals give about 60 mm across the month, more than December or February, but far less than the 204 mm of October. A wet afternoon is a good time for cenotes, which are sheltered and unaffected by the weather on the coast. Pack a light rain jacket rather than changing plans.
Two big electronic music events. Zamna Tulum's anniversary season runs from 31 December 2026 to 10 January 2027, and Day Zero, a sunset-to-sunrise party at a jungle venue outside Tulum that is not announced in advance, is on 9 January 2027. Three Kings Day, 6 January, is a Mexican family holiday. Book early if your dates overlap.
The sea is about 27°C in January, still warm enough for most swimmers. Cenote water stays at about 24 to 25°C all year, a little cooler than the sea, so a swim on a cool morning feels fresh. A rash guard or thin wetsuit helps, and doubles as sun protection, since many cenotes ban sunscreen.
The best time to visit Tulum is December to April, the dry season, with daily highs of 29 to 31°C and the least rain; March is the driest month.
December is one of the best months for Tulum: dry, with average highs of 29°C, lows of 19°C and 42 mm of rain, and hurricane season over on 30 November.
February is one of Tulum's driest, most settled months: average highs of 30°C, lows of 19°C and about 42 mm of rain.
March is Tulum's driest month, with only about 33 mm of rain, average highs of 30°C, lows of 21°C and the sea at about 27°C.