Riviera Maya in December

When to go

December falls inside the dry season that the Caribe Mexicano tourism site lists as the best time to visit the Riviera Maya, and the Atlantic hurricane season has already ended by then, according to the National Hurricane Center's dates. The tourism site's weather page, built on national weather service averages from the Tulum station, lists the month's temperatures and rainfall, so check them against your plans for beach and cenote days. Christmas Day is a mandatory rest day under Mexican labor law, and the education ministry's school calendar sets a recess around the turn of the year, so check opening hours, tours and transport schedules around those dates.

Trip facts

• The Caribe Mexicano tourism site's weather page for the Riviera Maya lists, for December, a maximum of 29°C (84°F), a minimum of 19°C (66°F) and 42 mm (1.7 in) of rain over 6 days with rain, based on 1991-2020 averages from the Servicio Meteorológico Nacional's Tulum station. (caribemexicano.travel, checked 2026-10-15)
• The National Hurricane Center says the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. (www.nhc.noaa.gov, checked 2026-10-15)
• The Caribe Mexicano tourism site lists the dry season, from December to April, as the best time ("mejor época") to visit the Riviera Maya. (caribemexicano.travel, checked 2026-10-15)
• The Mexican government's PROFEDET page lists December 25 among the mandatory rest days in Article 74 of the Federal Labor Law. (www.gob.mx, checked 2026-10-15)
• Mexico's education ministry (SEP), in a bulletin dated July 15, 2026 on the 2026-2027 school calendar, says the first of two school recess periods runs from December 21, 2026 to January 5, 2027, with classes resuming on January 7. (www.gob.mx, checked 2026-10-15)
• The Caribe Mexicano tourism site says the Riviera Maya runs from Puerto Morelos to Tulum, that two airports serve its coast, Cancún in the north and Tulum in the south, about 120 kilometers apart, and that Cancún is closer to Puerto Morelos and Playa del Carmen while Tulum is closer to Akumal and Tulum. (caribemexicano.travel, checked 2026-10-15)
• The Mexican immigration institute (INM) says that foreign nationals who enter Mexico by air do not have to fill out the electronic Multiple Migration Form (FMMe) or the traditional form, and that the digital form (FMMd) can be downloaded once, within the days granted, by scanning the QR code at the immigration review filters or through the INM Services Portal. (www.gob.mx, checked 2026-10-15)
• The Visitax site of the Quintana Roo Tax Administration Service says the payment for the use and exploitation of public domain goods must be paid by all foreign tourists who visit Quintana Roo, regardless of their way of departure. (www.visitax.gob.mx, checked 2026-10-15)
• The Caribe Mexicano tourism site says four Tren Maya stations serve the Riviera Maya coast (Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and Tulum Airport), that bus terminals in Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen and Tulum serve its three stretches with frequent runs of less than an hour each, and that buses from Cancún International Airport reach Playa del Carmen and Tulum. (caribemexicano.travel, checked 2026-10-15)
• The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) lists the Tulum Archaeological Zone's hours as 8:00 to 17:00, with last access at 15:30. (www.inah.gob.mx, checked 2026-10-15)