February is the sweet spot of the Oaxaca dry season. It is a degree or two warmer than January, just as dry, and it carries two things worth planning around: Candelaria on 2 February, and the village carnivals in the days before Lent. It also opens with a federal long weekend.
The numbers
Candelaria, and why it follows from 6 January
2 February is Dia de la Candelaria, and in Mexico it closes a loop that started a month earlier. Whoever found the little figure of the Christ child baked into the rosca de reyes on 6 January is expected to dress the family’s Nino Dios figure, take it to be blessed at church on 2 February, and host everyone for tamales afterwards.
In practice this means churches full of people carrying dressed dolls, and tamales everywhere – in Oaxaca usually wrapped in banana leaf rather than corn husk, and often filled with mole negro. It is not a public holiday, so everything stays open.
Carnival in the villages
Mexican carnival runs in the days before Ash Wednesday, which in 2027 falls on 10 February – so the main carnival days are roughly 6 to 9 February 2027.
- Oaxaca’s carnivals are village events, not city ones, and they are masked and often satirical rather than the beach-parade style of Veracruz.
- Putla de Guerrero, in the Mixteca, holds the state’s largest, with the tiliches – figures covered head to foot in strips of rag.
- San Martin Tilcajete and Santa Maria Zacatepec hold their own versions, the first combining carnival with the village’s alebrije workshops.
- Dates and formats are local, so confirm with the village rather than assuming a published date.
What February is good for
- The best all-round weather of the year – 30°C, no rain, clear skies, and nights that are cold but no longer January-cold.
- The coast at its peak – Puerto Escondido, Mazunte, Zipolite and Huatulco are dry and hot, with the humpback season still running.
- Monte Alban and Mitla in hard, clear light.
- The full market circuit – Tlacolula on Sunday, Etla on Wednesday, Zaachila on Thursday, Ocotlan on Friday.
- Mezcal, which is a year-round activity, but pleasant now because the palenque roads are dry.
- The first jacarandas, which start to show purple late in the month.
Where to go in February
- Oaxaca City for Candelaria and the markets.
- Putla de Guerrero or San Martin Tilcajete for carnival, in the first half of the month.
- The Tlacolula valley – Mitla, Hierve el Agua, the Tule tree and Teotitlan on a single road.
- Puerto Escondido and Mazunte for the coast at its driest.
- The Sierra Norte for pine forest, hiking and genuinely cold nights.
Prices and crowds
Busy but not peak. The 1 February long weekend and carnival week fill village accommodation locally; otherwise February is easier to book than either the Christmas period or Semana Santa. Coastal rates stay at dry-season highs. See what a trip to Mexico costs.
What to pack
A warm jacket for evenings – at 1,555 m the nights still drop to about 9°C indoors as well as out. Sunscreen, hat and sunglasses; altitude makes the dry-season sun strong. Comfortable shoes for cobbles and for village dirt roads. Swimwear if the coast is on the plan. No rain gear needed.
The February 2027 calendar
- Monday 1 February – Constitution Day, a federal public holiday observed on the first Monday of February, creating a long weekend.
- Tuesday 2 February – Dia de la Candelaria; blessings of the Nino Dios and tamales everywhere. Not a public holiday.
- Roughly 6 to 9 February – village carnivals in the Mixteca and the central valleys, ahead of Ash Wednesday.
- Wednesday 10 February – Ash Wednesday; Lent begins.
- Through February – dry season, about 3 mm of rain, and humpback whales still off the Oaxaca coast.
- Late February – the first jacarandas come into flower.
Read alongside
- Oaxaca in January – the driest month.
- Oaxaca in March – Semana Santa and the heat building.
- Oaxaca in April – the hottest month.
- 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 February a good time to visit Oaxaca?
It is arguably the best all-round month. Dry, about 30°C by day, clear skies, and busy without the Christmas or Semana Santa crush.
What is Dia de la Candelaria?
2 February, when families take a dressed figure of the Christ child to be blessed and then host tamales. Whoever found the figure in the 6 January rosca de reyes traditionally pays for them.
When is carnival in Oaxaca in 2027?
Roughly 6 to 9 February, ahead of Ash Wednesday on 10 February. Oaxaca’s carnivals are village events – Putla de Guerrero holds the largest – and dates are set locally.
Is 1 February a public holiday in Mexico?
Yes in 2027. Constitution Day is observed on the first Monday of February rather than on 5 February itself, so it makes a long weekend.
Does it rain in Oaxaca in February?
Essentially no – about 3 mm for the whole month, the same as January.
How cold are February nights in Oaxaca?
Around 9°C. Colonial buildings have no heating, so bring a jacket for evenings and for the room.
Can you still see whales in February?
Yes. The humpback season off the Oaxaca coast runs to about March, with trips from Puerto Escondido and Huatulco.
Is the Oaxaca coast good in February?
It is at its dry-season best – hot, rainless and busy. Rates are at their annual high on the coast even as the city eases.
Oaxaca month by month
- January – dry, bright days and genuinely cold nights.
- February – carnival, Candelaria and perfect dry-season weather (this page).
- 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.
- 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.
