If you are looking for a beach destination to travel to during the summer, consider Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. While the peak season in this sunny beach destination is between December and April because the weather is cooler, really anytime is a good time to visit Puerto Vallarta. If you are wondering: “Is summer a good time to visit Puerto Vallarta?”, read on.
What is the Best Time to Visit Puerto Vallarta?
Puerto Vallarta is a beach resort city that lies on a narrow coastal plain at the foot of the Sierra Madre Mountains, on Mexico’s Pacific Ocean’s Bahía de Banderas. Because of its unique location, the weather in Puerto Vallarta is warm and sunny all year round, which makes it a perfect vacation destination no matter the season.
While the winter months are considered the best time to visit Puerto Vallarta because that’s when the temperature and the humidity are at their lowest, the summer can also be a good time to visit if you like the heat, rainstorms, and less crowded beaches.
During the high season, tourists from colder cities and countries flock to Puerto Vallarta to escape from chilling temperatures and get some sunshine, which is perfect at this time of year, as it’s not too hot. However, this means that most hotels, beaches, restaurants, and other attractions are filled with tourists from all over the world, which may make it a little bit too crowded if your ideal holiday includes having the beautiful beaches all to yourself.
So, if you dream of enjoying Puerto Vallarta without the crowds, you may want to consider traveling here during the summer months.
What is Puerto Vallarta like in the Summer?
The summer season in Puerto Vallarta tends to be much more low key than in the winter, and you will find the city is less busy at this time of year, which is perfect if you plan to enjoy the city at your leisure.
Not only is it much less crowded, but the weather is usually great. The water temperature is warm, which is a delight when you want to go out to swim, dive, or snorkel. The tropical landscape is also at its best, and the foliage turns from brown to lush green because of the rainfall.
Since the summer months are the rainy season, also known as hurricane season, there will be summer rains, however, they often happen at nighttime, which means you can enjoy hot summer days and at night, the rains cool everything down, making everything breezy.
They also bring an amazing and unexpected surprise: have you ever seen a lightning storm over the ocean? Lighting storms are a beautiful spectacle to watch from your balcony, as the lightning occurs out over the ocean and illuminates the night sky.
While the weather tends to be hot and humid during the day with an average high temperature of 90°F and rarely falling below 87°F, this can be pleasant for spending a day in the pool or in the ocean and then retreating back to the comfort of air-conditioning when you feel like taking a rest.
Even though the summer months are the hurricane season, one of the main benefits of Puerto Vallarta’s location in the middle of Banderas Bay is that the mountains lovingly wrap around the city on all sides, providing a protective shield, which makes it one of the safest destinations to visit in Mexico during hurricane season. Even if a hurricane hits, the damage is usually fairly minimal. The worst hurricane that hit Puerto Vallarta in the last 20 years, was Hurricane Kenna in 2002.
Summer Activities in Puerto Vallarta
When the weather starts to warm up, the ocean temperatures start to rise as well, which makes them perfect for water sports such as snorkeling and scuba diving because the higher temperatures allow the waters to be clearer, as there are no plankton blooms, which occur on the cooler months. Therefore, visibility improves greatly, which makes it the best season for exploring the rich marine life.
Summer is also sea turtle hatching season, and many hotels sponsor sea turtle protection projects that allow visitors to release baby turtles into the sea when they hatch, making this a one of a kind experience!
Other activities you might enjoy during the summer in Puerto are sunbathing and cooling off by the pool. Just remember: the sun is stronger during the summer, so you will need to use sunblock at all times, reapply constantly, and you do not want to expose yourself to UV/UVA rays between 2:00 to 4:00 pm; the highest exposure times.
Is it Good to Visit Puerto Vallarta in June?
June is a good time to visit Puerto Vallarta, the average temperature rests in the mid-80s °F, which is still not too hot, but warm enough to deliver amazing ocean temperatures ideal for swimming, diving, and enjoying most water activities with the best visibility which allow you to catch a glimpse of the various local species, such as giant manta rays, sea turtles, and dolphins! Also, the rainy season doesn’t typically start until the latter half of the month, so you won’t find it as humid as during the later summer months.
June is also the end of the very busy tourist season, since winter and spring breaks are way over, which means you can explore the town at your leisure, and visit the many beaches without the crowds. As an added perk, you can find amazing flight and hotel deals for your stay!
Is it Good to Visit Puerto Vallarta in July?
The short answer is: yes. However, you need to know that July is the hottest month of the year, with temperatures that spike the most, with an average high that sits in the 90s °F. Also, there’s a higher chance of rainstorms during the evenings because July is the peak rainy season month, which will cause an increase in humidity. If none of these conditions represent an issue, then, yes, July is an amazing month to visit Puerto Vallarta!
During July, you might find there are some fun activities such as fantastic beach and water activities with all the natural beauty that Jalisco has to offer. You can charter a fishing boat and during the month of July you can expect to catch fish like red snapper, mahi mahi, grouper, tuna, and black and blue marlin during your charter. July is one of the best months to catch tuna, since they like the warmer waters. Other fun activities you can participate in are golfing, scuba diving, and sail and snorkel tours.
You can also schedule some fun activities for rainy evenings, such as chocolate or wine tastings, chocolate-making classes, or even bar-hop in the Old Town.
Is Summer a Good Time to Visit Puerto Vallarta?
As you can see, the summer months are the perfect time to visit Puerto Vallarta if you want to enjoy the sunniest season: you will find great weather with warm water to enjoy underwater activities, amazing deals, less tourists roaming around, amazing vegetation thanks to summer showers, and much more! This is why seasoned travelers prefer to visit Puerto Vallarta during the summer.
