Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo weather by month & the best time to visit
Mexico · beach resort · tropical — wet & dry seasons climate

The best time to visit Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo is March — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 97/100), with December and January close behind. Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo averages about 3,154 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 32°C / 90°F and roughly 6 mm of rain in March.
When is the best time to visit Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo is March, then December and January. The dullest month is June (70/100, 182 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo?
Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo is one of the sunniest places on Earth: about 3,154 hours of sunshine a year. March (97/100) is noticeably better than June (70). It ranks #30 of 62 destinations in Mexico for annual sunshine, above the national median of 3,138 hours. Rain is strongly seasonal here: roughly 63% of the year's 1,136 mm falls in the three months around August.
Sunshine Score by month
| Month | Score | Day high | Night low | Rain | UV | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 96 | 31° / 88°F | 24° / 75°F | 9 mm | 8 | 28° / 82°F |
| February | 95 | 32° / 90°F | 24° / 75°F | 13 mm | 10 | 28° / 82°F |
| March | 97 | 32° / 90°F | 24° / 75°F | 6 mm | 12 | 27° / 81°F |
| April | 88 | 33° / 91°F | 25° / 77°F | 1 mm | 12 | 26° / 79°F |
| May | 83 | 33° / 91°F | 26° / 79°F | 33 mm | 10 | 28° / 82°F |
| June | 70 | 32° / 90°F | 27° / 81°F | 182 mm | 10 | 29° / 84°F |
| July | 70 | 31° / 88°F | 27° / 81°F | 173 mm | 10 | 30° / 86°F |
| August | 70 | 31° / 88°F | 27° / 81°F | 252 mm | 10 | 31° / 88°F |
| September | 70 | 30° / 86°F | 27° / 81°F | 289 mm | 9 | 31° / 88°F |
| October | 72 | 31° / 88°F | 26° / 79°F | 140 mm | 9 | 30° / 86°F |
| November | 92 | 31° / 88°F | 25° / 77°F | 32 mm | 8 | 30° / 86°F |
| December | 97 | 31° / 88°F | 25° / 77°F | 6 mm | 7 | 29° / 84°F |
Sea temperature in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo by month
The sea off Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo is warmest in August at around 31°C / 88°F, and coolest in April at 26°C / 79°F. The water sits at a comfortable 21°C or warmer roughly all year round. Month-by-month sea-surface temperatures are in the Sea column of the table above.
Nearest destinations
Head-to-head
How Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo compares month by month: Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo vs Toluca · Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo vs Morelia · Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo vs Acapulco · all comparisons
Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo?
Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo is a beach resort in Mexico with a tropical — wet & dry seasons climate — the sea reaches 31°C at its warmest and is swimmable (21°C+) year-round.
How many hours of sunshine does Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo get a year?
Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo gets about 3,154 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around March.
When is the best time to visit Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo?
The sunniest time to visit Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo is March, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 97/100 (with December and January close behind). Expect daytime highs around 32°C / 90°F.
What is the least sunny month in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo?
June is the least sunny month in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, scoring 70/100 with about 182 mm of rain.
What is the sea temperature in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo?
The sea in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo ranges from about 26°C (April) to 31°C (August). Month-by-month sea temperatures are on this page.
How strong is the sun in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo?
The typical midday UV index in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo peaks around 12 (extreme) in March, easing to about 7 (high) in December. Month-by-month midday UV values are in the UV column of the table on this page.
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