The Best Resorts in Mexico to Avoid Hurricanes, and When Hurricane Season Runs

Key takeaways

• Two seasons, one safe window: Mexico's Pacific hurricane season runs May 15 to November 30 and the Atlantic season runs June 1 to November 30, so December through April falls outside both.

• September leads, October follows close behind: Hurricane landfalls in Mexico peak in September on both coasts, and October brought Kenna in 2002, Wilma in 2005 and Otis in 2023.

• The most-hit states are resort states: Baja California Sur, home to Los Cabos, recorded more hurricane landfalls than any other Mexican state from 1951 to 2000, while Quintana Roo, home to Cancún, accounted for 13 of the 27 landfalls on the Gulf and Caribbean coasts.

• Our top picks: Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal for a Cabo trip booked November to June, Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita for a dry-season family and golf trip on Banderas Bay, and Rosewood San Miguel de Allende for dates that can't move out of September or October.

• No beach resort is hurricane-proof: the month you travel and the coast you pick matter more than the hotel, so every entry below lists its lowest-risk months.

Hurricane season in Mexico, and why the month matters more than the resort

Mexico sits between two hurricane basins. The Pacific coast, from Los Cabos down to Huatulco, faces the eastern Pacific season, and the Caribbean and Gulf coasts face the Atlantic season. Both end on November 30, and the busiest stretch on both runs from late August through October.

No beach resort in Mexico can promise a storm-free stay. Los Cabos took a direct hit from Hurricane Odile in 2014, Cancún's coast was struck by Wilma in 2005, and Acapulco was hit by a Category 5 in 2023. What a traveler controls is the month and the coast, and the historical records are clear about both.

Every resort below was operating in 2026. We ranked them on how often the surrounding coast has seen hurricane landfalls in published records, which months carry the lowest risk there, and how the resort recovered from past storms where that's documented. One inland pick covers trips that can't avoid the peak. Rain, heat and crowds by month are covered region by region in our seasonal planning guide; this page sticks to storms.

When hurricane season runs on each coast

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) sets the official dates for both basins, and its tropical cyclone climatology gives the peaks.

The Pacific coast and Baja California Sur

The eastern Pacific season runs from May 15 to November 30. NHC notes a peak in late August that is less pronounced than the Atlantic peak. Landfalls in Mexico come later: a study of 1951 to 2000 found Pacific landfalls peaking in September and October, and a CICESE analysis of 1970 to 2009 found that storms crossing Baja California Sur clustered in late August, September and early October.

Early-season storms do happen. Hurricane Agatha came ashore in Oaxaca as a Category 2 on May 30, 2022, the strongest May landfall on record in the eastern Pacific, and Hurricane Erick made landfall in western Oaxaca as a Category 3 in June 2025.

The Caribbean and Gulf coasts

The Atlantic season runs from June 1 to November 30. NHC puts its peak on September 10, with most activity between mid-August and mid-October. July isn't automatically safe either: Hurricane Beryl came ashore just northeast of Tulum as a Category 2 on July 5, 2024.

Which coasts get hit most often

A climatology by Ernesto Jáuregui, published in the journal Atmósfera, counted 65 hurricanes making landfall on Mexico's Pacific coast from 1951 to 2000, against 27 on the Gulf and Caribbean coasts. By state, the study recorded 19 hurricane landfalls in Baja California Sur, 18 in Sinaloa, nine in Michoacán, 13 in Quintana Roo and seven in Tamaulipas.

Later work points the same way. Luis Farfán of CICESE counted 96 tropical cyclone landfalls on Mexico's west coast from 1970 to 2009, with 32 in Baja California Sur and 21 in Sinaloa.

Why October deserves as much caution as September

Jáuregui's study found that landfall activity reaches its maximum in September on both coasts, and NHC's Atlantic peak falls on September 10. Several of the storms that did the most damage to Mexico's resort areas arrived a month later:

• Kenna: made landfall near San Blas, Nayarit, as a Category 4 on October 25, 2002.

• Wilma: struck Cozumel and then the mainland near Puerto Morelos on October 21 and 22, 2005.

• Delta: came ashore near Puerto Morelos as a Category 2 on October 7, 2020.

• Lidia: made landfall as a Category 4 near Las Peñitas, Jalisco, about 35 nautical miles southwest of Puerto Vallarta, on the night of October 10, 2023.

• Otis: hit Acapulco on October 25, 2023, the first Category 5 landfall on record on Mexico's Pacific coast.

What the 2026 season added

The 2026 season added another October storm. Hurricane Simon strengthened to Category 4 and, on October 11 and 12, moved parallel to the Jalisco coast with its eye offshore. It never made landfall, but Puerto Vallarta's airport closed to commercial flights until October 13 and more than 100 flights were canceled, and Jalisco suspended classes in 22 coastal municipalities. The 2026 storm details here are current to late October 2026.

1. Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal: Best for a Cabo trip booked November to June

Location: The Pedregal headland in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, facing the Pacific.

Storm record nearby: Hurricane Odile made landfall near Cabo San Lucas as a Category 3 in September 2014.

Lowest-risk months: November through June; the CICESE record places Baja California Sur's landfalls in late August, September and early October, and December through April falls outside the season entirely.

Best for: Couples who want Cabo's Pacific side and can plan around September.

The resort took the Waldorf Astoria name in September 2019, on the site of The Resort at Pedregal, which reopened after about four months of repairs following Odile. A renovation completed in 2026 redesigned its 112 rooms, suites and villas. Baja California Sur leads Mexico in hurricane landfalls. A January or March stay sits well clear of the weeks when Cabo's storms have historically arrived.

2. Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos: Best for an all-inclusive family week in Cabo's off-season for storms

Location: San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur.

Storm record nearby: Odile closed the resort in September 2014, and it reopened in the summer of 2015.

Lowest-risk months: December through April.

Best for: Parents traveling with kids and teenagers to Los Cabos on a meals-included plan.

A $50 million renovation completed in 2025 updated the 248 rooms in Tower B, added new restaurants and expanded the KidZ Club alongside a new Teens Club. School winter breaks fall well outside Cabo's storm months.

3. Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita: Best for a dry-season family and golf trip on Banderas Bay

Location: Punta Mita, Nayarit, where Banderas Bay meets the open Pacific, roughly 45 minutes by road from Puerto Vallarta's airport.

Storm record nearby: Kenna made landfall at San Blas, Nayarit, north of the bay, in 2002; Lidia came ashore near Las Peñitas, Jalisco, south of Puerto Vallarta, in 2023; Simon tracked offshore in October 2026 without making landfall.

Lowest-risk months: December through April, outside the eastern Pacific season.

Best for: Families, multigenerational groups and golfers planning a winter or spring trip.

The first Four Seasons in Mexico, the resort dates to 1999. Its 177 rooms and suites sit in casita-style buildings on 52 acres, with private villas and beach homes alongside, inside a gated 1,500-acre community. The 2026 Forbes Travel Guide list kept it at Five-Star, a run that now stands at 10 years, and AAA first awarded it Five Diamonds in 2001.

The resort has two Jack Nicklaus courses, Pacifico and Bahia. On Pacifico, the par-3 third hole known as the "Tail of the Whale" sets its green on a rock formation offshore, reachable only when the tide is low. Swimmable beaches, kids' programming and villas sized for larger groups suit families traveling across several generations.

For hurricane planning, Banderas Bay has been close to several recent storms: Kenna to the north in 2002, Nora and Lidia to the south in 2021 and 2023, and Simon offshore in 2026. A trip between December and April avoids the eastern Pacific season entirely. Its fall calendar this year includes Catrinas Fest, a Día de Muertos celebration scheduled for October 30 to November 1, 2026. More on the area is in our Punta Mita travel guide.

4. Rosewood San Miguel de Allende: Best for dates that fall in September or October

Location: San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, in Mexico's central highlands.

Storm record nearby: None; Guanajuato has no coastline.

Lowest-risk months: Any month, as far as hurricanes go.

Best for: Travelers whose dates are fixed at the peak of hurricane season.

The hotel's 2026 awards page lists Five-Star status from Forbes Travel Guide, and the 2025 announcement called that rating its seventh straight. There's no beach, which is the trade for taking landfall risk off the table. For a September honeymoon or an October anniversary that can't move, it's the one entry here where the season doesn't shape the booking.

5. Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta: Best for a family all-inclusive in Puerto Vallarta's dry season

Location: Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, on Banderas Bay.

Storm record nearby: Nora made landfall as a Category 1 near Chola, Jalisco, on August 28, 2021, then passed near Puerto Vallarta; Lidia came ashore near Las Peñitas as a Category 4 in October 2023.

Lowest-risk months: December through April.

Best for: Families who'd rather be minutes from Puerto Vallarta's town and restaurants.

Playa Hotels & Resorts finished a $20 million renovation of the resort in 2025, with updated rooms and new restaurants. Playa posts storm updates and an inclement-weather policy online; during Hurricane Melissa in 2025 it waived no-show and early-departure fees at its affected resorts in Jamaica. Anyone booking fall dates here should read the current version first.

6. Grand Velas Riviera Maya: Best for a Caribbean all-inclusive from December to May

Location: The Riviera Maya near Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo.

Storm record nearby: Beryl made landfall just northeast of Tulum in July 2024; Wilma struck Cozumel and Puerto Morelos in October 2005.

Lowest-risk months: December through May, before the Atlantic season opens on June 1.

Best for: Couples and families who want the Caribbean outside the Atlantic season.

Grand Velas Riviera Maya has 539 suites split across three sections: Zen Grand with 254, Ambassador with 195 and Grand Class with 90. Quintana Roo took 13 of the 27 hurricane landfalls on Mexico's Gulf and Caribbean coasts from 1951 to 2000.

7. Le Blanc Spa Resort Cancún: Best for an adults-only Cancún trip outside August to October

Location: The Hotel Zone in Cancún, Quintana Roo.

Storm record nearby: Wilma in 2005 and Delta in 2020 both came ashore near Puerto Morelos, south of Cancún.

Lowest-risk months: December through May.

Best for: Grown-up groups and couples staying in Cancún's Hotel Zone.

A $30 million renovation finished in 2019 redesigned all 260 rooms at Le Blanc, which admits adults only and includes meals and drinks in the rate. Wilma and Delta both reached this stretch of coast in October, while spring has no comparable record.

8. Hotel Mousai Puerto Vallarta: Best for an adults-only winter stay south of town

Location: South of downtown Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, next to Garza Blanca Preserve Resort & Spa.

Storm record nearby: Nora passed near Puerto Vallarta after landfall in Jalisco in 2021, and Simon's eye passed offshore of Cabo Corrientes, at the bay's southern tip, in October 2026.

Lowest-risk months: December through April.

Best for: Couples booking a kid-free Banderas Bay stay for the dry months.

Hotel Mousai admits adults only, holds a AAA Five Diamond rating, and gives its guests use of the pools, restaurants and bars at Garza Blanca next door. Its south-shore site sits closer to Cabo Corrientes, where forecasters expected Simon's strongest effects, than the resorts farther north.

Best for: Travelers who prefer San José del Cabo's end of the corridor to Cabo San Lucas.

One&Only Palmilla stayed closed for about seven months after Odile and reopened after a property-wide rebuild. Its stretch of the corridor took the brunt of Odile along with the rest of Los Cabos, which is why a winter date matters here as much as anywhere in Baja California Sur.

How to plan a Mexico resort trip around hurricane season

December through April is the window with no hurricane season on either coast. Trips that have to fall inside the season carry less risk with four habits.

• Match the coast to the month: the Caribbean opens its season on June 1, two weeks after the Pacific, and both stay active through October.

• Go inland when the dates are fixed: a September or October trip to San Miguel de Allende or Mexico City removes landfall risk entirely.

• Read the storm policy before paying: some operators publish inclement-weather terms that waive fees when airports close, and the terms differ by brand.

• Watch the forecasts in the week before travel: NHC and Mexico's Servicio Meteorológico Nacional post advisories for both coasts, and airports such as Puerto Vallarta's can close for a day or more when a storm passes nearby.

Frequently asked questions

When is hurricane season in Mexico?

The Pacific season runs from May 15 to November 30 and the Atlantic season, which covers Cancún and the Riviera Maya, runs from June 1 to November 30. December through April falls outside both.

What month has the most hurricanes in Mexico?

September. A 1951 to 2000 study of Mexican landfalls found activity peaking in September on both coasts, and NHC puts the Atlantic peak on September 10. October has also produced major storms, including Wilma in 2005 and Otis in 2023.

Which part of Mexico is safest from hurricanes?

Inland Mexico, since landlocked states such as Guanajuato see no landfalls. On the Pacific side, a 1970 to 2010 study ranked Chiapas least affected and Baja California Sur most affected.

How often do hurricanes hit Los Cabos?

Baja California Sur recorded 19 hurricane landfalls from 1951 to 2000, more than any other Mexican state, mostly between late August and early October. The most damaging recent one was Odile, a Category 3 at landfall near Cabo San Lucas in September 2014.

Is it safe to visit Cancún during hurricane season?

Quintana Roo recorded 13 of the 27 hurricane landfalls on Mexico's Gulf and Caribbean coasts from 1951 to 2000, close to half. Wilma in 2005, Delta in 2020 and Beryl in 2024 all came ashore on this coast, so a trip from December to May carries far less storm history.

Does Puerto Vallarta get hurricanes?

Yes. Nora made landfall on the Jalisco coast and passed near the city in 2021, Lidia came ashore near Las Peñitas, about 35 nautical miles southwest, in 2023, and Hurricane Simon's eye passed offshore in October 2026, when the city's airport closed to commercial flights until October 13.