March is the month the heat arrives and the country travels. Oaxaca is still bone dry at about 32°C, the jacarandas are out, and two things dominate the calendar: Benito Juarez Day on the third Monday, which is a specifically Oaxacan occasion, and Semana Santa, which in 2027 falls entirely inside March.
The numbers
Benito Juarez, and why the date belongs to Oaxaca
Benito Juarez was born on 21 March 1806 in Guelatao de Juarez, a Zapotec village in the Sierra Norte about two hours from the city. He was orphaned young, arrived in Oaxaca speaking no Spanish, and became governor of the state and then president of Mexico. The anniversary is a federal public holiday observed on the third Monday of March – Monday 15 March in 2027, while Guelatao holds its own commemorations on the 21st.
It is worth understanding because it explains a lot of what you see in the state: the Zapotec identity is not folklore here, it is political and current, and Juarez is the reason the state is formally called Oaxaca de Juarez.
Semana Santa 2027 falls in March
- Palm Sunday, 21 March – processions with woven palm fronds; the start of Holy Week.
- Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, 25 and 26 March – the biggest days. Not federal public holidays, but effectively everything closes and most of Mexico stops work.
- Easter Sunday, 28 March.
- The following week is Semana de Pascua and Mexican schools are still out, so the travel peak lasts two weeks, not one.
Practically: the coast is the problem, not the city. Puerto Escondido, Huatulco, Mazunte and Zipolite fill with Mexican families, prices double, and buses and flights sell out weeks ahead. Oaxaca City is busy but survivable, and the processions are the reason to be there.
Jacarandas, haze and the pre-rain heat
- Jacarandas are in full purple through March in the city and the valley.
- The heat builds all month, peaking in April. Midday in the valley is genuinely hot; mornings and nights stay pleasant.
- Haze is common in the late dry season. Agricultural burning before planting, plus dust, can soften the long views from Monte Alban. It is normal and it clears once the rains start.
- Everything is brown. The valley does not go green until June. If you want the green Oaxaca of photographs, come in the rainy season.
Where to go in March
- Oaxaca City for the Semana Santa processions around Santo Domingo and the zocalo.
- Monte Alban, which draws equinox visitors around 21 March.
- Guelatao and the Sierra Norte around the Juarez anniversary, and for cool pine forest when the valley is hot.
- The Tlacolula valley – Mitla, the Tule tree, Hierve el Agua, Teotitlan.
- The coast, but only if booked long in advance – otherwise avoid it in Holy Week.
Prices and crowds
The first half of March is normal high season. From Palm Sunday the country is on the move and coastal prices roughly double for two weeks. If your dates are flexible, the window from 1 to about 18 March is the best value in the month. See what a trip to Mexico costs.
What to pack
Light clothes for the day and a jacket for evenings, which still drop to about 12°C. Serious sun protection – late dry-season sun at 1,555 m is the strongest of the year so far. A hat. Comfortable shoes for cobbles and for standing through processions. Sunglasses for haze and glare. No rain gear.
The March 2027 calendar
- Monday 15 March – Benito Juarez Day, a federal public holiday on the third Monday of March.
- Sunday 21 March – Juarez’s actual birthday, commemorated at Guelatao de Juarez; also the spring equinox and Palm Sunday.
- Monday 22 to Sunday 28 March – Semana Santa. Thursday 25 and Friday 26 March are the biggest days; the coast fills completely.
- Sunday 28 March – Easter Sunday; the following week remains a school holiday.
- Through March – jacarandas in flower; the valley at its driest and dustiest.
- Through March – the end of the humpback whale season on the coast.
Read alongside
- Oaxaca in February – carnival and Candelaria.
- Oaxaca in April – the hottest month.
- Oaxaca in May – the rains arrive.
- 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
When is Semana Santa in 2027?
Palm Sunday is 21 March and Easter Sunday 28 March, so Holy Week runs 22 to 28 March. Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are the biggest days, and the following week is still a school holiday.
Should I avoid Oaxaca during Semana Santa?
Not the city, which is busy but manageable and has the best processions of the year. The coast is a different matter – Puerto Escondido and Huatulco fill completely and prices roughly double.
When is Benito Juarez Day in 2027?
Monday 15 March, a federal public holiday observed on the third Monday. His actual birthday is 21 March and is commemorated at Guelatao de Juarez in the Sierra Norte, where he was born.
How hot is Oaxaca in March?
About 32°C by day in the valley, with nights near 12°C. It is the build-up to April, which is hotter still.
Why is the view from Monte Alban hazy in March?
Late dry-season dust and agricultural burning ahead of planting. It is normal, it varies day to day, and it clears once the rains begin in May.
Are the jacarandas out in Oaxaca in March?
Yes, this is the peak, in the city and across the valley.
Is March too dry and brown for photographs?
The valley is brown until the rains. If you want green hills, come between June and October instead.
Does it rain in Oaxaca in March?
Barely – about 6 mm for the whole month.
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 (this page).
- 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.
