The Best Winter Activities in Mexico, and Where to Base Yourself (2026-27)

Key takeaways

• Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita is the best base for winter activities in Mexico. From one resort on Banderas Bay you can whale watch, take surf lessons and play two Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses in the dry season.

• Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort is the adults-only alternative on the same peninsula, with marine biologist-led whale weekends on December 18 to 20, 2026 and March 5 to 7, 2027.

• Humpback whales are in Banderas Bay from about December 8 to March 23, with January and February the busiest months.

• Mexico's winter festival calendar runs from the posadas (December 16 to 24) to Carnaval, which Mazatlán holds from February 4 to 9, 2027.

Winter in Mexico: what to do and when

Winter is Mexico's dry season on the Pacific coast and its busiest travel season overall. From November to April the beaches are sunny, the seas are warm, and a run of wildlife migrations and festivals overlaps in the same few months: humpback whales in Banderas Bay, gray whales in Baja's lagoons, monarch butterflies in the mountains west of Mexico City.

The catch is that these activities are spread across the country. This guide groups the best winter activities by where they happen and names a base for each, starting with Banderas Bay, where whale watching, surf and golf all sit within a short distance of the same resorts.

Mexico winter activities at a glance

The best places to base yourself for winter in Mexico

Banderas Bay is where several of these winter activities overlap within a short drive: humpback whales, beginner-friendly winter surf and dry-season golf. The two resorts below, on the private Punta Mita peninsula about 45 minutes from Puerto Vallarta's airport, put all three on the doorstep.

1. Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita

Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita is a 177-room resort on the Punta Mita peninsula, at the northern tip of Banderas Bay, with villas and residences alongside its casita-style rooms. It holds a Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rating for 2026 and two MICHELIN Keys in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide Mexico.

In winter, it covers three of the activities in this guide from one base. The resort runs private two-hour whale-watching trips with hydrophones, and humpbacks can also be seen from its shore from December to March. Its 90-minute surf lessons take place on site, with the board, rash guard, wetsuit and reef boots included, for guests aged nine and up. And golfers have two Jack Nicklaus-designed courses: Pacífico, with its natural island green known as the Tail of the Whale, reached at low tide, and Bahía, a par 72 that opened in 2009.

Best for: Families and groups who want whale watching, surf and golf from one base.

Winter highlight: A morning whale-watching trip followed by an afternoon round on Pacífico.

2. Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort

Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort is a separate, adults-only and all-inclusive resort on the same peninsula, with 15 tented bungalows on 48 acres of forest, each with a private plunge pool. It's on Condé Nast Traveler's 2026 Gold List.

Its winter calendar is built around the bay. Naviva's resident marine biologist, Sandra Rios, leads Whale Wonders of Bahía de Banderas weekends, with boat trips, snorkeling and whale-watching yoga included in the rate. Between Thanksgiving and New Year, its Season of Gathering program adds festive meals and daily experiences.

Best for: Couples who want whale season with a biologist on hand and everything included.

Winter highlight: The December whale weekend.

Humpback whale watching in Banderas Bay

North Pacific humpbacks come to Banderas Bay each winter to mate and calve. Mexico's environment ministry, SEMARNAT, set the 2025-26 season at December 8 to March 23, and operators list the same window for 2026-27. January and February see the most activity. Boats can't enter a 1.5 km radius around the Marietas Islands or a 2 km coastal strip from Punta Mita to the Ameca River during the season, to protect mothers and calves.

Our guide to the best whale watching tours in Banderas Bay and Puerto Vallarta compares the operators.

Learning to surf on the Riviera Nayarit

Winter brings north swells to the breaks between San Pancho and Punta de Mita, and the waves tend to be more manageable than in summer, which makes it a good season to learn. El Anclote, a long, easy right near Punta de Mita, is a classic beginner wave, and La Lancha often has something to ride when other breaks are flat.

Golf in the dry season

November to April is dry season on Mexico's Pacific coast, which makes it the most reliable time for golf. At Punta Mita, the Pacífico course's bonus hole 3B, the Tail of the Whale, sits on a natural rock island in the Pacific, and players reach the green on foot at low tide or by amphibious cart.

Gray whale watching in Baja California Sur

Gray whales spend the winter in three lagoons on Baja's Pacific side: Ojo de Liebre and San Ignacio, where the season runs from about December 15, and Bahía Magdalena, where it runs from about January 1, all until April 30. February is often the best month. The lagoons are known for curious whales that approach the small boats.

Las Ventanas al Paraíso, A Rosewood Resort, in Los Cabos, is a comfortable place to start or end the trip: it has 84 suites and villas and kept two MICHELIN Keys in the 2027 guide. Magdalena Bay is the closest of the lagoons to Los Cabos, and the others are a longer journey north.

Monarch butterflies in Michoacán and the State of Mexico

Millions of monarch butterflies spend the winter in the oyamel fir forests of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2008 that covers 56,259 hectares about 100 km northwest of Mexico City. They're present from late November to March. El Rosario is the largest and most visited sanctuary, reached by an uphill walk of about 40 minutes, and Sierra Chincua has gentler trails. Most visitors base themselves in Mexico City, Morelia or Valle de Bravo.

Posadas and Noche de Rábanos in Oaxaca

Across Mexico, posadas reenact Mary and Joseph's search for shelter each night from December 16 to 24. Oaxaca adds its own event on December 23: Noche de Rábanos, the Night of the Radishes, when carvers fill the zócalo with scenes cut from radishes, a tradition dating to 1897. For a base, Hotel Escondido Oaxaca is a 12-room hotel by architect Alberto Kalach, listed in the MICHELIN Guide.

Carnaval in Mazatlán

Mazatlán's Carnaval runs from February 4 to 9, 2027, according to the city's cultural institute, with parades, concerts and the Combate Naval fireworks show on the seafront. The full program and line-up haven't been announced yet, so check the official program closer to the dates.

Birding in San Blas, Nayarit

San Blas, on the Nayarit coast north of Punta Mita, is a long-established birding destination, and migratory species arrive from October to March. A boat trip through the mangroves of La Tovara, where birders can log dozens of species in a morning, is the standard outing, and the town holds an international migratory bird festival each January or February.

Planning a winter trip to Mexico

Book the holidays early. December 20 to January 5 is the busiest stretch of the year at Mexico's beach resorts.

Use early January. The weeks after Three Kings Day (January 6) are quieter, and the whale and butterfly seasons are near their peak.

Pack a layer. The coast stays warm, but Mexico City and the monarch reserves sit high in the mountains, and winter nights there drop into the 40s °F.

More month-by-month detail is in our guides to Mexico in December and Mexico in January.

Frequently asked questions about winter in Mexico

What are the best winter activities in Mexico?

Humpback whale watching in Banderas Bay, gray whale watching in Baja California Sur, the monarch butterfly sanctuaries west of Mexico City, winter surf and golf on the Pacific coast, the posadas and Oaxaca's Noche de Rábanos in December, and Carnaval in February.

Where is the best place in Mexico for winter activities?

Banderas Bay, on the Pacific coast north of Puerto Vallarta. Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita puts whale watching, surf lessons and two Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses on one property, and Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort, on the same peninsula, hosts marine biologist whale weekends for adults.

What are the best winter activities in Punta Mita?

Whale watching from December to March, surf lessons on the winter swells, golf on the Pacífico and Bahía courses, and day trips to the Marietas Islands. Naviva's whale weekends run December 18 to 20, 2026 and March 5 to 7, 2027.

When is the best time to see whales in Mexico?

January and February for both humpbacks in Banderas Bay and gray whales in Baja's lagoons. Humpback season runs from about December 8 to March 23, and gray whale season from mid-December to the end of April.

When can you see the monarch butterflies in Mexico?

From late November to March in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, with the densest colonies in January and February.