Mexico in November: Día de Muertos and the Start of Dry Season

November is one of the best months to visit Mexico — Día de Muertos at the start of the month is one of the most moving cultural events in the Americas, dry season begins on the Caribbean coast, and prices remain below December peak levels. The wildlife calendar also shifts, with whale watching and monarch butterflies beginning their seasons.

Día de Muertos (1-2 November)

The Day of the Dead is not a Mexican Halloween. It’s a pre-Columbian celebration of the deceased, merged with Catholic All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days. Families build elaborate home altars (ofrendas) with photos, favourite foods, and marigolds for deceased relatives. Cemetery vigils on the night of 1-2 November — particularly in Oaxaca’s cemeteries and the island of Janitzio (Lake Pátzcuaro) — are deeply atmospheric.

Oaxaca: the celebrations here are among the most extensive. Cemetery vigils at Xoxocotlán cemetery attract visitors from around the world. Neighbourhood comparsas (costumed parades) wind through the streets. Restaurants serve special Día de Muertos menus featuring mole negro and hot chocolate.

Pátzcuaro and Janitzio island: the candle-lit boat processions to the island cemetery and the vigils through the night are among the most photographed and moving events in the country. The lake communities maintain traditions with minimal commercial overlay.

Mexico City: the Zócalo hosts massive Day of the Dead installations and public altars. The city now runs an actual Día de Muertos parade through Paseo de la Reforma — an event that didn’t exist before the James Bond film Spectre featured a fictionalised version.

San Andrés Mixquic (near Mexico City): a smaller, more traditional celebration in a village 40 km from CDMX. The cemetery vigils are more intimate and less tourist-oriented than Oaxaca.

Weather in November

Dry season is beginning or established across most of Mexico.

Caribbean coast: early November still has some rain, but the pace slows quickly. By mid-to-late November, conditions are excellent — warm, sunny, and far less humid than the summer months. Sargassum seaweed recedes in most years.

Mexico City: the rains have ended. Highs of 20-24°C, cool evenings. Excellent for city exploration. The air quality tends to decline as dry season sets in — worth noting for sensitive travellers.

Oaxaca: very pleasant (22-26°C), dry. One of the best months for the city and the surrounding valleys.

Pacific coast: dry season arriving. Puerto Vallarta, Sayulita, and Los Cabos transition to dry, sunny conditions. Water visibility improves for snorkelling and diving.

Whale watching begins

Humpback whales arrive in Banderas Bay (Puerto Vallarta) from November, staying through March. Boat tours from Puerto Vallarta and Sayulita offer sightings from mid-November onwards.

Grey whales begin entering the lagoons of Baja California Sur (San Ignacio, Ojo de Liebre, Magdalena Bay) in late November, though the season peaks in January-February. Early arrivals can sometimes be seen from shore.

Monarch butterflies

The Michoacán sanctuaries (El Rosario, Sierra Chincua) officially open in November. Monarch butterflies arrive in massive numbers, clustering on oyamel fir trees at altitude. November visits show the butterflies in their early settling phase — they become more active and spectacular in December-February as temperatures fluctuate.

Accommodation around Día de Muertos

Oaxaca and Pátzcuaro require bookings 3-6 months in advance for 30 October-3 November. Mexico City requires earlier bookings than the rest of the year but is not as constrained as Oaxaca. Outside the first week of November, accommodation across Mexico is straightforward to book.

Prices

November is a shoulder month before the Caribbean coast’s December high season. Prices are notably lower in early-to-mid November than post-Thanksgiving. The exception is Día de Muertos accommodation in Oaxaca and Pátzcuaro, which commands peak rates. From the last week of November (US Thanksgiving), prices on the Caribbean coast begin their climb toward December highs.

Cenote clarity

November marks the return of improving cenote clarity as the rains end and runoff decreases. By late November, the cenotes around Valladolid and the Ruta de los Cenotes near Puerto Morelos are approaching their dry-season best — clear blue water with excellent visibility.

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Related City Guides

• Oaxaca City Travel Guide
• Mexico City Travel Guide
• Pátzcuaro Travel Guide
• Puerto Vallarta Travel Guide
• Sayulita Travel Guide