November is when Bacalar turns the corner: rain eases after October, the heat drops a few degrees and the dry season comes into view. Hotel rates sit close to spring levels, except over the Revolution Day long weekend, and it is the best month of the autumn for the Ichkabal ruins.
What You Should Know
- November is the turning point of Bacalar's year. Rain falls on about 8 to 11 days, down from 13 to 15 in October, and afternoons drop to 30 to 31°C (86 to 88°F), by the official normals for the nearest stations. The first cold fronts of the winter can arrive.
- Hotel rates sit close to spring levels for most of the month. Comparing 16 hotels' November 2026 rates with their own early-March 2027 rates, the typical hotel was about the same; 5 were 10% to 50% cheaper and 4 dearer.
- The Revolution Day long weekend (Saturday November 14 to Monday November 16, 2026) is the month's pricey stretch: 9 to 10 of the 16 hotels charged more than midweek, some by 30% or more. Day of the Dead (November 1 to 2) moved fewer prices.
- It is the best autumn month for the Ichkabal ruins: cooler, with rainy-season greenery and wildlife. November is the tour's busiest month for reviews, and it runs Monday, Wednesday and Friday with hotel pickup.
Bacalar in November: The Honest Picture
⭐ Best November window: November 17 to 25. After the Revolution Day long weekend and before US Thanksgiving, hotel rates in our sample are at their steadiest, the rain is easing and the lagoon is quiet. November 3 to 12 is a good alternative.
| Factor | November Rating |
|---|---|
| Weather | 7/10: warm, drying out; showers on 8 to 11 days |
| Crowds | 8/10: quiet, busier over the long weekend |
| Prices | 7/10: about spring rates; higher Nov 13–16 |
| Lagoon Colours | 8/10: more clear days than October |
| Paddling & Sailing | 8/10: calm mornings; breezy on front days |
| Rain | 6/10: easing after October (10 = none) |
| Ruins & Jungle | 8/10: cooler, green and full of wildlife |
| Families | 7/10: schools in session; mild weather |
| Couples | 9/10: quiet, cooler evenings, early sunsets |
💰 November hotel prices (Bacalar, hotels with 80+ guest reviews):
Most nights: the typical hotel about the same as its early-March 2027 rate · Revolution Day weekend (Nov 13–16): 9–10 of 16 higher than midweek · US Thanksgiving (Nov 26): 7 of 16 higher
Live rates for the same 16 hotels, each priced for every night from 31 October to 1 December 2026, two adults, one night, cheapest meal plan, before taxes, pulled 23 October 2026, compared hotel by hotel with their own early-March 2027 rates and with their own rates for November 10 to 12.
Yes, Bacalar is good in November, and it gets better as the month goes on. October's heavy rains ease, the heat drops a few degrees, and the lagoon starts to see more clear days. The official normals for the three nearest stations show rain on 8 to 11 days, against 13 to 15 in October, and the first cold fronts of the winter can arrive late in the month.
The month's events shape the calendar. Day of the Dead (November 1 and 2) brings altars and celebrations across Mexico. The Revolution Day holiday falls on Monday, November 16 in 2026, creating a long weekend when Mexican travellers head for places like Bacalar, and in our sample more than half the hotels raised their rates for it. Most people don't realize that the rest of the month costs about the same as the dry season, so the long weekend is the only real price trap.
In our view, November suits couples and anyone interested in the Maya sites: the jungle is green after the rains, the temperatures are kinder, and Ichkabal is at its best. It is less ideal if you need guaranteed sunshine, which starts in December.
Where to Stay on a November Trip to Bacalar
Avoid the Revolution Day long weekend if price matters: in our sample 9 to 10 of 16 hotels charged more from Friday November 13 to Monday November 16 than midweek, some by 30% or more. The rest of the month was close to spring rates for the typical hotel, with a smaller bump at some hotels around US Thanksgiving (November 26).
With cooler evenings and fewer storms, November is a good month for a lagoon-front hotel with its own dock. Town hotels cost less and put you a short walk from restaurants and the tour docks. Our guide to the best hotels in Bacalar ranks 12 options on both sides.
Compare Live Bacalar Hotel Prices for November
Live rates from our hotel reservation system for a sample three-night stay in November for two adults, so you can see what a November trip costs before you pick tours.
Change the dates at checkout to match your own trip, and book with instant email confirmation.
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Puerta del Cielo Hotel Origen
Adults-only, about 3 km north of town, with lagoon views from the terraces and a pool; 9.8 on 568 reviews, the highest score in Bacalar. You will need taxis into town.
Villa Marilu B&B
A small B&B on the Costera, about 1.5 km south of the square, with a private dock, kayaks and breakfast facing the lagoon; 9.7 on 243 reviews. Confirm the child policy before booking.
Cristalino Lagoon Front Hotel
A newer hotel on the Costera with two pools above the lagoon and docks you can swim from; 9.6 on 230 reviews. Its booking record says no children.
Hotel Rancho Encantado
Bungalows in tropical gardens on the lagoon north of town, some with a private dock, plus kayaks and paddleboards for guests; 9.2 on 401 reviews. Some rooms feel dated.
Gran Jaguar Hotel
A spotless, simple hotel about 800 metres from the square with breakfast included and free parking; 9.5 on 383 reviews. No pool and no lagoon frontage.
Casa Delia Hotel Downtown
A quiet in-town hotel with a pool and courtyard parking, about ten minutes' walk from the square; 9.0 on 231 reviews. Rooms are simple.
Indicative nightly rate for 3 nights, Nov 15 – 18, 2026, 2 adults. Live pricing at checkout.Room only. Local taxes and fees are added at checkout and can add roughly 20%.
Search all resorts & dates →Compare and Book Bacalar Tours in November
These are the Bacalar tours with published November dates: the Ichkabal ruins and Los Rápidos day with hotel pickup, Wild Wave's shared sail, ViveSUP's sunrise paddle, DayTour Bacalar's shared boat tour with cenote stops and its private Bacalar 101 pontoon, and the floating yoga class. Compare live options below, then book November's pick, the Ichkabal day, directly.
Bacalar Weather in November: Rain Easing, Cooler Days
| Metric | November |
|---|---|
| Avg High | 30–31°C (86–88°F) |
| Avg Low | 20–21°C (68–70°F) |
| Lagoon Water Temp | ~25°C (77°F), estimate |
| Rain Days | ~8–11 |
| Humidity | Moderate to high, easing |
| Wind | Calm mornings; breezy on cold-front days |
| Hurricane Risk | Low (season ends November 30) |
There is no long-term weather station in Bacalar itself. Temperatures and rain here come from the 1991 to 2020 normals of Mexico's Servicio Meteorológico Nacional at Chetumal, about 22 km south on the same coast, and Chacchoben, about 35 km north and further inland. We found no official lagoon temperature series; climate guides put the water around 25°C in November.
Temperature and Humidity
November brings the first relief from the heat. Afternoon highs fall to about 30 to 31°C (86 to 88°F) at the three stations, and nights to about 20°C (68°F) inland at Chacchoben and 21°C (70°F) on the coast at Chetumal. Humidity eases through the month, and mornings start to feel fresh, especially on the water.
Rain Pattern
Rain drops sharply after October: the normals give 60 to 133 mm on about 8 to 11 days, against 135 to 208 mm on 13 to 15 days in October. Showers are typically shorter, and clear days become more common as the month goes on.
Lagoon Conditions
With more clear days, the lagoon's colours return to strength. Mornings are usually calm. Cold fronts can begin to reach the Yucatán in November, bringing a day or two of north wind, cloud and cooler air; on those days the open lagoon gets choppy and the colours flatten.
Crowds and Prices in November: Week by Week
We priced the same 16 hotels for every night from October 31 to December 1, 2026, and compared each with its own early-March 2027 rate and its own rate for November 10 to 12.
- Day of the Dead (November 1 to 2): a small effect. Four of the 16 hotels charged more than midweek later in the month; the typical hotel was at its spring rate.
- November 3 to 12: steady. The typical hotel charged about its early-March rate.
- Revolution Day long weekend (Friday November 13 to Monday November 16): the month's peak. Nine to ten of the 16 hotels charged more than on November 10 to 12, and several by 30% or more.
- November 17 to 25: back to normal, the steadiest stretch of the month.
- US Thanksgiving (Thursday November 26) and the weekend after: 7 of the 16 hotels charged more than midweek.
Across the month, the typical hotel charged about the same as its own early-March 2027 rate: 5 of the 16 were 10% to 50% cheaper and 4 were dearer. Tours kept their usual prices, except Wild Wave's sail, which stayed on its $40.50 sale to at least mid-November in our checks (it was back to $45 by November 16), and ViveSUP's paddle at about $36 per person on November dates.
The Best Autumn Month for the Ichkabal Ruins
November's highlight is on land rather than water. After the rains the jungle around Ichkabal is at its greenest, the heat has dropped, and the site is quiet.
Ichkabal in November
Ichkabal is a large Maya city in the jungle west of Bacalar that opened to visitors only recently, with massive, largely unrestored pyramids. November is the busiest month for reviews of Mehran's Ichkabal and Los Rápidos tour, and November and December guests describe monkeys and foxes on the jungle road, a quiet site ("we were the first ones to arrive at the ruins in the morning"), breakfast with the group and an afternoon floating at Los Rápidos. A word of caution on the reviews: many are short and arrived in clusters, so we leaned on the longer ones.
Los Rápidos
The full-day version ends at Los Rápidos, the river channel south of town where you float with a gentle current past stromatolites. With cooler air in November, the float is refreshing rather than essential, and likely quieter than in the summer holidays.
Earlier evenings
Sunset comes at about 6:20 pm on November 1 and 6:15 pm on November 30, the earliest of the year, and sunrise at about 6:53 am to 7:09 am. The 3 pm boats now finish around sunset, which makes them a good choice for golden-hour light.
Long Weekends, Showers and the First Cold Fronts
Risk level: low to moderate. November's downsides are a holiday weekend, some lingering rain and the first fronts of the winter.
- Revolution Day long weekend (November 14 to 16, 2026): busier and pricier; more than half the hotels in our sample charged more. Book early or avoid it.
- Showers: rain on about 8 to 11 days, usually shorter than in October. Keep a flexible morning.
- Cold fronts: the first nortes can bring wind, cloud and cooler air for a day or two; the open lagoon gets choppy. Ichkabal and Los Rápidos are good front-day plans.
- Tour availability: on some dates in early November 2026, Ichkabal and ViveSUP's paddle had no space in our checks, so book a few days ahead.
We think the tradeoff is small: outside the long weekend, November gives you cooler weather and spring prices on a quiet lagoon.
The Best Things to Do in Bacalar in November
| Activity | November Rating | Best Time of Day | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ichkabal ruins + Los Rápidos | 9/10 | 8 am | Cooler and green; Mon, Wed, Fri; hotel pickup |
| Sunrise paddle (ViveSUP) | 9/10 | Dawn | About $36 on November 2026 dates; no Wednesdays |
| Shared sailboat (Wild Wave) | 8/10 | 3 pm | Finishes near sunset; $40.50 sale to mid-November |
| Boat tour with cenotes (DayTour) | 8/10 | 8 am | $29 at 8 am; no Wednesdays |
| Private boat (Bacalar 101) | 8/10 | 8 am or 3 pm | $215 per boat for up to six; no Wednesdays |
| Floating yoga | 7/10 | 6 am | Fresh mornings; chilly on front days |
| Cenote Azul swim | 8/10 | Midday | Quiet before the dry season |
| San Felipe fort and museum | 8/10 | Afternoon | Comfortable heat for walking |
Ichkabal and Los Rápidos: November's pick
Mehran's small-group day runs Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8 am with hotel pickup in an air-conditioned van. It costs about $70 per person for the four-hour Ichkabal visit with breakfast, or about $122 for the full eight-hour day that adds an afternoon floating at Los Rápidos; entrance fees, a life jacket and snorkel mask are included. It is rated 4.98 across 98 reviews, the smallest review base on our shortlist. We'd book the full day in November, when the weather is kind to both halves. In our checks it had no space on November 2 and 6, 2026, so book ahead.
On the water
ViveSUP's sunrise paddle was about $36 per person on November 2026 dates. Wild Wave's shared sail was $40.50 to mid-November and $45 after; its 3 pm departure now finishes near sunset. DayTour's shared boat is $29 at 8 am and its private pontoon $215 per boat for up to six. Our Bacalar boat tours guide and Bacalar paddleboard and kayak guide compare them all.
More November Activities Worth Knowing About
We do not have dedicated guides for these yet, but they fit a November trip well:
- Day of the Dead (November 1 and 2): altars, marigolds and family celebrations across Mexico.
- Los Rápidos on your own: the river channel south of town where you float with the current past stromatolites.
- Fuerte de San Felipe: the 18th-century fort above the lagoon in the centre of town, with a small museum about the pirates who raided the area; comfortable for walking again in November.
- Calakmul day trip: the great Maya city in the Campeche jungle is a very long day from Bacalar, and November's cooler weather makes the walking easier.
- Floating yoga: Amir AdvenTours runs a 6 am class on a floating platform for about $25. It has only 16 reviews and the newest is from June 2026, so read recent feedback before booking.
Our Take
The one date that matters in November is the Revolution Day long weekend. In our sample, more than half the hotels raised their rates for it, some by half again, while the weeks either side cost about the same as the dry season, so moving a trip by a few days saves more than any other choice this month.
Tips for Visiting Bacalar in November
- Avoid November 13 to 16 if price matters. 9 to 10 of 16 hotels in our sample charged more over the Revolution Day long weekend.
- Book Ichkabal ahead. It runs only Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and some early-November dates were full in our checks.
- Take advantage of tour sales. ViveSUP's paddle was about $36 on November 2026 dates, and Wild Wave's sail $40.50 to mid-month.
- Pack a light layer. Mornings on the water are fresher, and a cold front can bring a cool, breezy day.
- Use the 3 pm boats for sunset. With sunset around 6:15 pm, the afternoon departures finish in golden-hour light.
- Check the weekday. DayTour Bacalar's boats and ViveSUP's paddles do not run on Wednesdays.
- Visiting at a different time of year? Our Bacalar in December guide covers the start of the dry season and the Christmas and New Year peak, and our Bacalar in October guide covers the wettest month and its short-notice deals, and our Bacalar in January guide covers the start of the dry season. For everything else to do in town, whatever the month, see our guide to the best things to do in Bacalar.
How We Put This Guide Together
Weather figures come from the 1991 to 2020 climate normals of Mexico's Servicio Meteorológico Nacional for Chetumal and Chacchoben, the nearest official stations to Bacalar, and sunrise and sunset times are calculated for Bacalar's coordinates and time zone and checked against an online almanac. Hotel prices are live rates for the same 16 Bacalar hotels on every night from October 31 to December 1, 2026, pulled on October 23, 2026, and compared hotel by hotel with the same hotels' early-March 2027 rates and their own mid-November rates. Tour prices, schedules and November 2026 availability were checked against live booking data on the same day, and every tour here has guest reviews from the past six months except the floating yoga class, which we flag. The conditions details come from reading November reviews of each tour, including the critical ones. Public holiday dates are from Mexico's Federal Labor Law.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bacalar good in November?+
Yes, and it improves through the month. Rain eases after October to about 8 to 11 days, afternoons cool to 30 to 31°C (86 to 88°F), and hotel rates sit close to spring levels except over the Revolution Day long weekend. It is also a good month for the Ichkabal ruins.
What is the weather like in Bacalar in November?+
Warm and drying out, with highs of about 30 to 31°C (86 to 88°F) and lows of 20 to 21°C (68 to 70°F), based on the official 1991 to 2020 normals for Chetumal and Chacchoben. Expect showers on about 8 to 11 days, and occasional cold fronts.
Does it still rain in Bacalar in November?+
Less than in October. The normals give 60 to 133 mm on about 8 to 11 days, against 135 to 208 mm on 13 to 15 days in October. Showers are usually shorter, and clear days become more common as the month goes on.
Is November hurricane season in Bacalar?+
Technically yes, until the Atlantic season ends on November 30, but the risk is much lower than in August to October. The weather to plan for in November is more often a cold front, with a day or two of wind and cooler air.
Is November expensive in Bacalar?+
Not for most of the month. Comparing 16 hotels' November 2026 rates with their own early-March 2027 rates, the typical hotel was about the same. The exception is the Revolution Day long weekend (November 13 to 16), when 9 to 10 of the 16 charged more than midweek.
What is the best week to visit Bacalar in November?+
November 17 to 25, 2026: after the Revolution Day long weekend and before US Thanksgiving, with hotel rates in our sample at their steadiest. November 3 to 12 is a good alternative.
Is Bacalar busy on the Day of the Dead?+
A little. In our sample only 4 of 16 hotels charged more on November 1 and 2, 2026, than later in the month, much less than over the Revolution Day long weekend. Some tours were full on November 2, so book a few days ahead.
Is November a good time to visit the Ichkabal ruins?+
Yes, one of the best. The heat has dropped, the jungle is green after the rains and the site is quiet. Mehran's tour runs Monday, Wednesday and Friday with hotel pickup, from about $70 for Ichkabal or about $122 with an afternoon at Los Rápidos.
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