Mexico, North America

Oaxaca in March

Heat building but still pleasant. Semana Santa can fall in late March, bringing processions and local crowds.

GoodDry and warm, highs near 86F (30C)

The ruins of Monte Alban above Oaxaca — OaxacaPhoto: DavidConFran, CC BY-SA 3.0

The straight answer

March is a good month to visit Oaxaca. Heat building but still pleasant. Semana Santa can fall in late March, bringing processions and local crowds.

Weather: Dry and warm, highs near 86F (30C)
Crowds: 3 of 5
Prices: 3 of 5

What March is like in Oaxaca

March is dry and getting warmer, with highs near 86F (30C). Mornings and evenings are still pleasant, but midday sun is strong. Crowds and prices creep up, and if Easter is early, Semana Santa falls this month, bringing processions and Mexican holiday travelers.

It suits most travelers who plan outdoor sights for the morning. If Semana Santa lands in March, expect fuller hotels and book ahead, or come earlier in the month. Travelers who dislike heat should aim for January or February, which are cooler and calmer.

Make the most of March

What is especially good about Oaxaca this month.

Semana Santa, in some years

When Easter falls early, solemn processions move through the Centro in the week before Easter. Check the date for your year.

Mezcal village tours

Dry roads and clear skies make it an easy time to visit family palenques around Santiago Matatlan with a driver.

Santo Domingo at its best light

Late afternoon sun on the church facade and the gilded interior is a highlight before an evening walk on the pedestrian streets.

What to pack for March

Breathable cotton or linen clothes
A wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses
A light layer for cooler nights
Electrolyte packets for hot afternoons

Our timing tip

Check when Easter falls this year, and if Semana Santa is in March, book your hotel as early as you can.

Book Oaxaca for March.

Sponsored links to Expedia and Vrbo. We may earn a commission; it never changes a verdict.

Hotels. Expedia
Hotels in Oaxaca
Opens a hotel search for Oaxaca in March, dates filled in. Book early for the best months: the good rooms go first.
Hotels for March
Vacation rentals. Vrbo
Vacation rentals in Oaxaca
Whole homes, condos and villas. Usually the better deal for families and groups, with a kitchen and room to spread out.
Rentals on Vrbo
Tours and tickets. Expedia
Tours and tickets in Oaxaca
Timed-entry tickets, day trips and guided tours in Oaxaca for March. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
Tours and tickets

What's on in March

Semana Santa

The week before Easter, March or April

Processions and solemn ceremonies in the Centro. Mexican holiday travelers fill hotels.

Things to do in Oaxaca

Full guide

Monte Alban

The Zapotec capital on a leveled mountaintop above the city. Go when it opens to beat the heat and the tour buses; bring a hat, there is little shade.

Tickets and tours →

Templo de Santo Domingo and the Museo de las Culturas

The gilded church interior is one of Mexico's baroque masterpieces; the former convent next door holds the treasures of Tomb 7 from Monte Alban.

Tickets and tours →

Mercado 20 de Noviembre and Benito Juarez market

The smoke-filled grill aisle for tasajo and chorizo, then chocolate, mole pastes, and chapulines next door. Go at lunch.

Tickets and tours →

Museo Textil de Oaxaca

A small, excellent museum of regional and international textiles in the Centro. Free and often overlooked.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

Hierve el Agua

Mineral springs and petrified waterfalls about 90 minutes away. Access has occasionally been closed by local disputes, so confirm before you go.

Tickets and tours →

Mitla and the Tule tree

Combine the stone fretwork of Mitla with the massive ahuehuete tree in Santa Maria del Tule, one of the widest trees in the world.

Tickets and tours →

Beat the crowds

For Dia de Muertos, book hotels four to six months ahead, and consider arriving a week early to see altar building and markets before the peak crowds arrive.
January and February are the empty, sunny months. You get the same food and markets at half the Dia de Muertos price.
Go to Monte Alban at opening time and save the markets for the afternoon, when the ruins are hot and busy.
For the Guelaguetza, free community versions and parades happen around the city even if the main auditorium tickets are gone.

Know before you go

Many museums close on Mondays, which catches visitors out. Check hours for any museum you plan around.
Christmas through January 6 and Semana Santa are Mexican holiday periods: sights are open but crowded, and some small businesses shut for a few days.
Access to Hierve el Agua and some villages is occasionally closed by local community disputes or blockades. Ask your hotel before heading out.
Teacher and labor protests sometimes block streets in the Centro or roads to the airport, especially in late spring. Leave extra time and follow local news.