Riviera Maya in January

When to go

January sits inside the dry season that Mexico's protected-areas commission describes for Tulum National Park, which also names January as the coldest month there. The Caribe Mexicano tourism site's weather page calls this the season of nortes, cold fronts that cool the nights and sometimes stir the sea, so check sea conditions and the forecast if your plans depend on boats or snorkeling. New Year's Day is a mandatory rest day under Mexican labor law, so check opening hours, tours and transport schedules around it.

Trip facts

• The Caribe Mexicano tourism site's weather page for the Riviera Maya lists, for January, a maximum of 29°C (84°F), a minimum of 18°C (65°F) and 60 mm (2.4 in) of rain over 7 days with rain, based on 1991-2020 averages from the Servicio Meteorológico Nacional's Tulum station. (caribemexicano.travel, checked 2026-10-15)
• The Caribe Mexicano tourism site's weather page says January is the season of nortes, cold fronts that cool the nights and sometimes stir the sea, and that diving with bull sharks off Playa del Carmen runs from November to March. (caribemexicano.travel, checked 2026-10-15)
• Mexico's national protected-areas commission (CONANP) says Tulum National Park has a dry season from December to April, that July and August are its hottest months and that January is its coldest. (descubreanp.conanp.gob.mx, checked 2026-10-15)
• The Mexican government's PROFEDET page lists January 1 among the mandatory rest days in Article 74 of the Federal Labor Law. (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 Caribe Mexicano tourism site says the Playa del Carmen ferry terminal is in the center of town, at the end of Quinta Avenida, and that the crossing to Cozumel takes about 45 minutes. (caribemexicano.travel, checked 2026-10-15)
• CONANP's page for the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve lists daily hours of 7:00 to 18:00 and says access is only by private or rented car, with operating agencies entering with prior reservation or through authorized tourist service providers. (descubreanp.conanp.gob.mx, checked 2026-10-15)