Puerto Vallarta weather in January
In January, Puerto Vallarta sees average daytime highs of 25°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 34 mm of rain across 3 wet days and about 10.9 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 25°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 56% of the time in January, and the air most often feels comfortable.
Daylight stretches from about 10 h 48 min at the start of January to 11 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Puerto Vallarta's 6th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Puerto Vallarta's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 25°
- 12th warmest
- Overnight low
- 16°
- 1st coldest
- Rainfall
- 34 mm
- 3 wet days
- Daylight
- 10 h 54 min
- 7:44 AM – 6:36 PM
- Cloud cover
- 42%
- 6th clearest
- Wind
- 5 km/h
- 5th windiest
- Solar energy
- 4.67 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 8.2
- out of 10
Puerto Vallarta is municipal seat of Puerto Vallarta, State of Jalisco, Mexico.
- Density
- 4,311/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1851
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in January
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 25°C through the month.
A typical January day in Puerto Vallarta reaches about 25°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°C and 27°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and on par with February.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| Avg low (°C) | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 | 16 |
| 2 | 25 | 16 |
| 3 | 25 | 16 |
| 4 | 25 | 16 |
| 5 | 25 | 16 |
| 6 | 25 | 16 |
| 7 | 25 | 16 |
| 8 | 25 | 16 |
| 9 | 25 | 16 |
| 10 | 25 | 16 |
| 11 | 25 | 16 |
| 12 | 25 | 16 |
| 13 | 25 | 16 |
| 14 | 25 | 16 |
| 15 | 25 | 16 |
| 16 | 25 | 16 |
| 17 | 25 | 16 |
| 18 | 25 | 16 |
| 19 | 25 | 16 |
| 20 | 25 | 16 |
| 21 | 25 | 16 |
| 22 | 25 | 16 |
| 23 | 25 | 16 |
| 24 | 25 | 16 |
| 25 | 25 | 16 |
| 26 | 25 | 16 |
| 27 | 25 | 16 |
| 28 | 25 | 16 |
| 29 | 25 | 16 |
| 30 | 25 | 16 |
| 31 | 25 | 16 |
Puerto Vallarta weather by month
How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25° / 16° | 34 | 3 | 10.9 | 8.2 |
| Feb | 26° / 16° | 24 | 2 | 11.3 | 8.4 |
| Mar | 27° / 17° | 10 | 0.9 | 11.9 | 8.5 |
| Apr | 28° / 18° | 4 | 0.6 | 12.5 | 7.9 |
| May | 29° / 20° | 16 | 3 | 13 | 6.8 |
| Jun | 28° / 22° | 200 | 18.8 | 13.2 | 4.7 |
| Jul | 28° / 22° | 285 | 28.6 | 13.1 | 3.6 |
| Aug | 28° / 22° | 342 | 29.8 | 12.7 | 3.4 |
| Sep | 27° / 22° | 333 | 28.3 | 12.1 | 3.5 |
| Oct | 27° / 21° | 149 | 19 | 11.5 | 5.2 |
| Nov | 27° / 19° | 35 | 5.4 | 11 | 7.6 |
| Dec | 25° / 17° | 25 | 2.9 | 10.8 | 8.1 |
Cloud cover in January
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 56% of the time in January.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 34%.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 61 | 62 | 62 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 66 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 70 | 70 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 68 |
| Cloudier (%) | 39 | 38 | 38 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 36 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 61 | 39 |
| 2 | 62 | 38 |
| 3 | 62 | 38 |
| 4 | 63 | 37 |
| 5 | 63 | 37 |
| 6 | 63 | 37 |
| 7 | 63 | 37 |
| 8 | 64 | 36 |
| 9 | 65 | 35 |
| 10 | 65 | 35 |
| 11 | 65 | 35 |
| 12 | 65 | 35 |
| 13 | 66 | 34 |
| 14 | 66 | 34 |
| 15 | 67 | 33 |
| 16 | 68 | 32 |
| 17 | 68 | 32 |
| 18 | 68 | 32 |
| 19 | 68 | 32 |
| 20 | 69 | 31 |
| 21 | 69 | 31 |
| 22 | 69 | 31 |
| 23 | 69 | 31 |
| 24 | 69 | 31 |
| 25 | 69 | 31 |
| 26 | 70 | 30 |
| 27 | 70 | 30 |
| 28 | 69 | 31 |
| 29 | 69 | 31 |
| 30 | 69 | 31 |
| 31 | 68 | 32 |
Chance of precipitation in January
Puerto Vallarta gets around 34 mm of rain over 3 wet days in January. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 10% and peaks near 12% on the wettest days.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 10 |
| 2 | 10 |
| 3 | 10 |
| 4 | 10 |
| 5 | 10 |
| 6 | 10 |
| 7 | 9 |
| 8 | 9 |
| 9 | 9 |
| 10 | 9 |
| 11 | 9 |
| 12 | 9 |
| 13 | 9 |
| 14 | 10 |
| 15 | 10 |
| 16 | 10 |
| 17 | 10 |
| 18 | 10 |
| 19 | 10 |
| 20 | 10 |
| 21 | 10 |
| 22 | 10 |
| 23 | 10 |
| 24 | 11 |
| 25 | 11 |
| 26 | 11 |
| 27 | 11 |
| 28 | 12 |
| 29 | 12 |
| 30 | 12 |
| 31 | 12 |
Humidity in January
Most of January feels comfortable — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, January lands in the comfortable band about 46% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| Comfortable (%) | 43 | 43 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 46 | 46 | 47 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 49 | 50 | 50 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 53 |
| Humid (%) | 42 | 42 | 42 | 41 | 41 | 40 | 39 | 39 | 38 | 37 | 36 | 36 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Muggy (%) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | 43 | 42 | 2 |
| 2 | 13 | 43 | 42 | 2 |
| 3 | 13 | 44 | 42 | 2 |
| 4 | 13 | 44 | 41 | 2 |
| 5 | 14 | 44 | 41 | 2 |
| 6 | 15 | 44 | 40 | 2 |
| 7 | 15 | 44 | 39 | 2 |
| 8 | 16 | 44 | 39 | 1 |
| 9 | 16 | 44 | 38 | 1 |
| 10 | 17 | 45 | 37 | 1 |
| 11 | 17 | 45 | 36 | 1 |
| 12 | 18 | 45 | 36 | 2 |
| 13 | 18 | 45 | 35 | 2 |
| 14 | 19 | 45 | 35 | 2 |
| 15 | 19 | 45 | 34 | 2 |
| 16 | 19 | 45 | 34 | 2 |
| 17 | 19 | 45 | 34 | 2 |
| 18 | 19 | 45 | 33 | 2 |
| 19 | 19 | 46 | 33 | 2 |
| 20 | 19 | 46 | 33 | 2 |
| 21 | 19 | 47 | 32 | 2 |
| 22 | 18 | 47 | 32 | 2 |
| 23 | 18 | 48 | 32 | 2 |
| 24 | 18 | 49 | 31 | 2 |
| 25 | 17 | 49 | 31 | 2 |
| 26 | 17 | 50 | 31 | 2 |
| 27 | 17 | 50 | 31 | 2 |
| 28 | 16 | 52 | 30 | 2 |
| 29 | 16 | 52 | 30 | 2 |
| 30 | 16 | 52 | 30 | 2 |
| 31 | 16 | 53 | 30 | 1 |
Wind in January
Winds average 5 km/h in January.
Across January, daily wind ranges from about 5 km/h on the calmest days to 5 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | calm |
| 2 | 5 | calm |
| 3 | 5 | calm |
| 4 | 5 | calm |
| 5 | 5 | calm |
| 6 | 5 | calm |
| 7 | 5 | calm |
| 8 | 5 | calm |
| 9 | 5 | calm |
| 10 | 5 | calm |
| 11 | 5 | calm |
| 12 | 5 | calm |
| 13 | 5 | calm |
| 14 | 5 | calm |
| 15 | 5 | calm |
| 16 | 5 | calm |
| 17 | 5 | calm |
| 18 | 5 | calm |
| 19 | 5 | calm |
| 20 | 5 | calm |
| 21 | 5 | calm |
| 22 | 5 | calm |
| 23 | 5 | calm |
| 24 | 5 | calm |
| 25 | 5 | calm |
| 26 | 5 | calm |
| 27 | 5 | calm |
| 28 | 5 | calm |
| 29 | 5 | calm |
| 30 | 5 | calm |
| 31 | 5 | calm |
Sunrise & sunset in January
Daylight runs from about 10 h 48 min at the start of January to 11 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 18 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 7:41 AM to 7:43 AM, and sunset from 6:27 PM to 6:46 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.8 | 10.8 | 10.8 | 10.8 | 10.8 | 10.8 | 10.8 | 10.8 | 10.8 | 10.8 | 10.8 | 10.8 | 10.8 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.1 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 7:41 | 7:41 | 7:42 | 7:42 | 7:42 | 7:42 | 7:43 | 7:43 | 7:43 | 7:43 | 7:43 | 7:44 | 7:44 | 7:44 | 7:44 | 7:44 | 7:44 | 7:44 | 7:44 | 7:44 | 7:44 | 7:44 | 7:44 | 7:44 | 7:44 | 7:43 | 7:43 | 7:43 | 7:43 | 7:43 | 7:43 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:27 | 6:28 | 6:28 | 6:29 | 6:30 | 6:30 | 6:31 | 6:31 | 6:32 | 6:33 | 6:33 | 6:34 | 6:35 | 6:35 | 6:36 | 6:36 | 6:37 | 6:38 | 6:38 | 6:39 | 6:40 | 6:40 | 6:41 | 6:42 | 6:42 | 6:43 | 6:44 | 6:44 | 6:45 | 6:45 | 6:46 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10.8 | 7:41 | 6:27 |
| 2 | 10.8 | 7:41 | 6:28 |
| 3 | 10.8 | 7:42 | 6:28 |
| 4 | 10.8 | 7:42 | 6:29 |
| 5 | 10.8 | 7:42 | 6:30 |
| 6 | 10.8 | 7:42 | 6:30 |
| 7 | 10.8 | 7:43 | 6:31 |
| 8 | 10.8 | 7:43 | 6:31 |
| 9 | 10.8 | 7:43 | 6:32 |
| 10 | 10.8 | 7:43 | 6:33 |
| 11 | 10.8 | 7:43 | 6:33 |
| 12 | 10.8 | 7:44 | 6:34 |
| 13 | 10.8 | 7:44 | 6:35 |
| 14 | 10.9 | 7:44 | 6:35 |
| 15 | 10.9 | 7:44 | 6:36 |
| 16 | 10.9 | 7:44 | 6:36 |
| 17 | 10.9 | 7:44 | 6:37 |
| 18 | 10.9 | 7:44 | 6:38 |
| 19 | 10.9 | 7:44 | 6:38 |
| 20 | 10.9 | 7:44 | 6:39 |
| 21 | 10.9 | 7:44 | 6:40 |
| 22 | 10.9 | 7:44 | 6:40 |
| 23 | 11.0 | 7:44 | 6:41 |
| 24 | 11.0 | 7:44 | 6:42 |
| 25 | 11.0 | 7:44 | 6:42 |
| 26 | 11.0 | 7:43 | 6:43 |
| 27 | 11.0 | 7:43 | 6:44 |
| 28 | 11.0 | 7:43 | 6:44 |
| 29 | 11.0 | 7:43 | 6:45 |
| 30 | 11.0 | 7:43 | 6:45 |
| 31 | 11.1 | 7:43 | 6:46 |
Solar energy in January
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 4.67 kWh/m².
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.39 kWh/m² to a high of 7.3 kWh/m² in May across the year — January's 4.67 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 5.0 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4.5 | Bright |
| 2 | 4.5 | Bright |
| 3 | 4.5 | Bright |
| 4 | 4.5 | Bright |
| 5 | 4.5 | Bright |
| 6 | 4.6 | Bright |
| 7 | 4.6 | Bright |
| 8 | 4.6 | Bright |
| 9 | 4.6 | Bright |
| 10 | 4.6 | Bright |
| 11 | 4.6 | Bright |
| 12 | 4.6 | Bright |
| 13 | 4.6 | Bright |
| 14 | 4.7 | Bright |
| 15 | 4.7 | Bright |
| 16 | 4.7 | Bright |
| 17 | 4.7 | Bright |
| 18 | 4.7 | Bright |
| 19 | 4.7 | Bright |
| 20 | 4.8 | Bright |
| 21 | 4.8 | Bright |
| 22 | 4.8 | Bright |
| 23 | 4.8 | Bright |
| 24 | 4.8 | Bright |
| 25 | 4.8 | Bright |
| 26 | 4.8 | Bright |
| 27 | 4.9 | Bright |
| 28 | 4.9 | Bright |
| 29 | 4.9 | Bright |
| 30 | 4.9 | Bright |
| 31 | 5.0 | Bright |
Hazard calendar for Puerto Vallarta
None of Puerto Vallarta's seasonal hazards are active in January. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.
Puerto Vallarta sits in the eastern Pacific hurricane zone; the season peaks August–September.
Puerto Vallarta's monsoon runs June–September, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is January a good time to visit Puerto Vallarta?
Our two travel scores rate January for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
January is one of the better times to visit Puerto Vallarta for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Puerto Vallarta in January
From January's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In January, Puerto Vallarta sees daytime highs around 25°C and nights near 16°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection. About 3 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Puerto Vallarta in January
The nearest coast averages about 25°C in January — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 15 km away) is warmest in August at about 30°C and coldest in March near 24°C.
The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 25 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 26 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25 | Warm |
| Feb | 24 | Warm |
| Mar | 24 | Warm |
| Apr | 25 | Warm |
| May | 26 | Warm |
| Jun | 28 | Tropical |
| Jul | 30 | Tropical |
| Aug | 30 | Tropical |
| Sep | 30 | Tropical |
| Oct | 30 | Tropical |
| Nov | 28 | Tropical |
| Dec | 26 | Warm |
UV index in Puerto Vallarta in January
Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Puerto Vallarta peaks around May 11 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 6 (high).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 7 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Level | High | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | High |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | High |
| Feb | 10 | Very high |
| Mar | 11 | Extreme |
| Apr | 12 | Extreme |
| May | 13 | Extreme |
| Jun | 11 | Extreme |
| Jul | 12 | Extreme |
| Aug | 11 | Extreme |
| Sep | 12 | Extreme |
| Oct | 10 | Very high |
| Nov | 7 | High |
| Dec | 6 | High |
Air quality in Puerto Vallarta in January
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where January falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Puerto Vallarta is worst in May — around 49 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 7.7× the cleanest month (January, 6 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 6 | 7 | 8 | 19 | 49 | 28 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Poor | Moderate | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6 | Good |
| Feb | 7 | Good |
| Mar | 8 | Good |
| Apr | 19 | Moderate |
| May | 49 | Poor |
| Jun | 28 | Moderate |
| Jul | 11 | Good |
| Aug | 9 | Good |
| Sep | 9 | Good |
| Oct | 8 | Good |
| Nov | 7 | Good |
| Dec | 7 | Good |
Where is Puerto Vallarta?
Puerto Vallarta sits at 20.6°N, 105.2°W, 21 m above sea level, in Mexico. The nearest listed city is Ixtapa, 11 km away.
Topography around Puerto Vallarta
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Puerto Vallarta.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Puerto Vallarta has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 635 m around an average of 84 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,878 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,708 m.
The land around Puerto Vallarta is covered by water (38%), trees (36%) and artificial surfaces (24%) within 3 km, trees (51%) and water (31%) within 16 km, and trees (57%) and water (31%) within 80 km.
Mexico travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type A / B
- 120 / 127 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 54% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $13,889
- 2025
- Happiness
- 7.0 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 43%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 24.9
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 12.8
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Upper middle
- World Bank
- English
- Very low
- EF EPI 440
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Puerto Vallarta (20.617°, -105.2302°, elevation 21 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).