August is the quiet after Guelaguetza. The festival crowds have gone, the valley is at its deepest green, and the city returns to normal at about 29°C with an evening storm most days. The coast is the exception: it fills with Mexican families until school goes back in the second half of the month.
The numbers
Two different Augusts
- Oaxaca City empties once the second Lunes del Cerro is over at the end of July. Hotel rates fall back to low-season levels within days.
- The coast is busy until Mexican schools return, usually in the second half of August. Puerto Escondido, Huatulco and Mazunte are full of domestic holidaymakers.
- By the last week both are quiet, and it is one of the cheapest stretches of the year.
The green season at its peak
August is when the landscape looks least like the guidebooks. The hills around Monte Alban are thick green, the Sierra Norte is in cloud forest conditions, and the waterfalls are running hard. The daily pattern is the same as June and July: clear mornings, cloud over the Sierra by early afternoon, a heavy storm in the evening.
- Morning is the working day. Do Monte Alban, Mitla, Hierve el Agua and the villages before lunch.
- Dirt roads are at their worst after two months of rain. Hierve el Agua in particular wants a high-clearance vehicle or a driver.
- Rivers and streams run high, which is worth knowing on Sierra hikes.
- Mushroom season continues in the Sierra Norte.
The coast, the turtles and the hurricane season
- Olive ridley turtles nest on the Oaxaca coast through the second half of the year, and the mass arrivals known as arribadas at beaches such as La Escobilla build from late summer into the autumn.
- The Mexican Turtle Centre at Mazunte is the place to understand the conservation side of it, and it runs all year.
- August and September are the most active months of the Pacific hurricane season. Most systems track away from the coast, but this is when to watch the forecast.
- The surf is large at Zicatela – a serious wave, not a beginner break.
- Humidity is high and the sea is warm.
Where to go in August
- Oaxaca City, back to itself and cheap again after the festival.
- The Sierra Norte – Cuajimoloyas, Latuvi and Benito Juarez, cool, green and misty.
- The central valley villages in the morning: Teotitlan for rugs, San Bartolo for black pottery, San Martin Tilcajete for alebrijes.
- Mazunte and the turtle centre, especially in the quieter second half of the month.
- Waterfalls in the Sierra and the Mixteca, at full volume.
Prices and crowds
Low season in the city from the first days of August, and on the coast from roughly the third week once Mexican schools return. Along with June and September this is the cheapest part of the year. See what a trip to Mexico costs.
What to pack
A proper waterproof jacket and quick-drying footwear – storms are heavy and streets flood briefly. Light clothes for the day and a layer for 15°C nights. Insect repellent, which matters most now. Strong sunscreen for the clear mornings. A dry bag for electronics if you are out late in the afternoon.
The August 2027 calendar
- Early August – Oaxaca City empties after Guelaguetza and rates drop back to low season.
- Through August – the green season at its peak, about 130 mm of rain in evening storms.
- Second half of August – Mexican schools return and the coast quietens.
- Through August – the most active part of the Pacific hurricane season begins.
- Through August – olive ridley nesting builds on the Oaxaca coast.
- No federal public holidays fall in August in Mexico.
Read alongside
- Oaxaca in July – Guelaguetza.
- Oaxaca in September – the wettest month.
- Oaxaca in October – Dia de Muertos.
- Best time to visit Oaxaca – all twelve months compared.
- Oaxaca travel guide – the city, the valley and the coast.
- Oaxaca itinerary – how to put a trip together.
- Things to do in Oaxaca – the year-round list.
- Oaxaca food guide – moles, tlayudas and the markets.
Frequently asked
Is August a good time to visit Oaxaca?
For the city, yes – the Guelaguetza crowds have gone, it is cheap, and the valley is at its greenest. The coast stays busy with Mexican holidaymakers until schools go back mid-month.
How much does it rain in Oaxaca in August?
About 130 mm, falling as heavy evening storms. Mornings are usually clear.
When can you see turtles in Oaxaca?
Olive ridleys nest on the coast through the second half of the year, with the mass arribadas building from late summer into the autumn. Mazunte’s turtle centre is open year-round.
Is August in the middle of hurricane season?
August and September are the most active months of the Pacific season. Most systems track away from the coast, but this is when to watch the forecast if you are heading to Puerto Escondido or Huatulco.
Can I get to Hierve el Agua in August?
Usually, but the access road is at its worst after two months of rain. Go with a driver or a high-clearance vehicle, and go in the morning.
Is Oaxaca City cheap in August?
Yes, from the first days of the month once Guelaguetza ends. It is one of the cheapest months of the year alongside June and September.
Is it humid in Oaxaca in August?
Moderately in the valley, because of the altitude. On the coast it is very humid.
Are there public holidays in Mexico in August?
No federal ones.
Oaxaca month by month
- January – dry, bright days and genuinely cold nights.
- February – carnival, Candelaria and perfect dry-season weather.
- March – Semana Santa, jacarandas and the heat building.
- April – the hottest and driest month, just before the rains.
- May – the rains arrive and the valley turns green.
- June – clear mornings, afternoon storms, and no crowds.
- July – Guelaguetza, the biggest festival of the year.
- August – deep green season and the quietest city of the year (this page).
- September – Independence, the wettest month and the hurricane peak.
- October – Dia de Muertos and the end of the rains.
- November – dry, clear and arguably the best month of all.
- December – Noche de Rabanos, posadas and the Christmas peak.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.
