Cancun weather in November is the month the wet season lets go. Highs sit around 28 to 29°C (82 to 84°F), nights drop to 21 to 23°C (70 to 73°F), the sea is still about 28°C (82°F), and rain falls on roughly 7 to 10 days against October’s 11 or more. Hurricane season officially ends on November 30. The one thing that makes November 2026 different from an average November is sargassum, because this year’s season was the heaviest since official monitoring began and it’s clearing late.
The Numbers
| November in Cancun | Typical |
|---|---|
| Average high | 28 to 29°C / 82 to 84°F |
| Average low | 21 to 23°C / 70 to 73°F |
| Sea temperature | About 28°C / 82°F |
| Days with rain | About 7 to 10 |
| Hurricane season | Ends November 30 |
| Crowds | Low, with three busy windows |
A word on rainfall totals, because you’ll see wildly different figures. Published monthly averages for November range from under 90 mm to well over 120 mm depending on the years a dataset covers. We’d rather give you the range than pick the flattering number. Every version agrees on the direction: November is far drier than October.
What Changes From October
October rain is tropical. It builds through the afternoon and dumps for an hour. November swaps part of that for a different pattern, the “norte”. That’s a cold front coming down from the United States across the Gulf of Mexico.
A norte doesn’t look like a storm. It looks like a grey, breezy day or two with a choppy sea, followed by clear, dry air and the coolest evenings of the autumn. You’ll want a light layer for dinner outdoors. People from cold climates find this funny. People who live here get the jackets out.
The practical effect is on the water, not on the beach. When a front brings strong wind, the port captain can restrict small boats, and that touches snorkeling trips, fishing charters and sometimes the smaller island crossings. Keep any boat day flexible and put it early in your stay, so there’s room to move it.
Hurricane Risk in November
The season runs to November 30, so the risk in the first weeks isn’t zero. It’s low. Atlantic activity peaks around September 10 and most of it falls between mid August and mid October.
For 2026, Mexico’s weather service forecast 11 to 15 named systems, and NOAA put a 55 percent probability on a below average season because of El Niño conditions. A November system that affects Cancun is the exception in any year. If you’re flying in the first half of the month, a flexible hotel rate is cheap insurance. Our hurricane season guide explains the alert colors.
Sargassum: The 2026 Asterisk
In a normal year this section would be short. University researchers who track the seaweed treat November through March as the low season, with the lowest odds of large beach accumulations from December to February.
2026 wasn’t a normal year. Federal authorities reported about 90,548 tonnes collected along the Quintana Roo coast, the highest figure in nearly six years of monitoring. The Navy has since lowered its alert from red to yellow as landings eased. When that happened, tourism operators in Playa del Carmen estimated the water would need about two more months to lose its dark tint in the worst hit spots.
What that means for a November trip: expect clean or nearly clean sand on most days in Cancun’s Hotel Zone and on Isla Mujeres, and expect the stretch from Playa del Carmen south to Tulum to be the last to fully recover. Beach orientation matters as much as the calendar. The sargassum guide breaks it down beach by beach.
Crowds: Three Busy Windows in a Quiet Month
November is shoulder season, with hotel rates still well under the Christmas peak. It isn’t evenly quiet, though. Three windows fill up, and two of them catch foreign visitors by surprise because they’re Mexican dates.
| Dates in 2026 | What’s happening | Who’s traveling |
|---|---|---|
| October 30 to November 2 | Day of the Dead and Hanal Pixán | Mexican families, festival visitors |
| November 14 to 16 | Long weekend for Revolution Day, observed Monday the 16th | Domestic travelers from across Mexico |
| November 21 to 29 | US Thanksgiving week, Thursday the 26th | American families |
Outside those dates, the first three weeks are some of the calmest of the year. If you can choose, November 3 to 13 gives you low prices, thinning rain and no holiday traffic. We’ve written up the two big ones separately: Day of the Dead in Cancún and Thanksgiving in Cancun.
What November Means for Your Airport Transfer
Our rates don’t move with the season. From Cancun Airport it’s from $32 USD to the Hotel Zone, the airport area and downtown, from $52 to Puerto Morelos, and from $69 to Playa del Carmen, per vehicle, one way, for 1 to 6 passengers. Those figures were checked against our published rate table on October 5, 2026, and the full list is here.
Two November specifics are worth knowing. The first is that the weather causing delays is now more likely to be at your end than ours. Early winter storms in the US and Canada push arrivals back, and a driver who follows the actual flight makes that a non event. A shuttle on a timetable doesn’t.
The second is the three busy windows above. The price is the same on those days, but vehicles are finite. If you’re landing on November 14 or the weekend before Thanksgiving, book when you book the flight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is November a good time to visit Cancun?
Yes, for most people it’s one of the best. Rain drops sharply after October, the sea is still warm, hurricane season is ending and prices haven’t reached the December peak. The trade is a few grey, windy days when a cold front passes.
Does it rain a lot in Cancun in November?
Much less than in October. Expect rain on roughly 7 to 10 days, often brief. Published monthly totals vary from under 90 mm to over 120 mm depending on the dataset.
Is November still hurricane season in Cancun?
Officially yes, until November 30. In practice activity peaks in September and falls off after mid October, so a November storm affecting Cancun is uncommon.
Will there be sargassum in Cancun in November 2026?
Less than in summer, but 2026 was a record year and it’s clearing late. Cancun’s Hotel Zone and Isla Mujeres should be clean on most days. The coast from Playa del Carmen to Tulum is recovering more slowly.
What should I pack for Cancun in November?
Summer clothes, plus one light layer for evenings after a cold front and a compact rain jacket. The sea is warm enough that you won’t need anything extra for swimming.
Related Guides
- Cancun Weather in October 2026
- Best Time to Visit Cancún, Month by Month
- Thanksgiving in Cancun 2026
- High Season vs Low Season in Cancún
- What Happens If My Flight Is Delayed?
Sources: 2026 season forecast from NOAA and Mexico’s Servicio Meteorológico Nacional, via Riviera Maya News. Navy alert change and 2026 sargassum collection figure, Riviera Maya News. Sargassum low season per the UNAM study group GIES, via El Universal. Transfer rates from the Yesmytransfer.com published rate table, verified October 5, 2026.
