Margaritas and Mariachis: Surprisingly Genius Things to Do in Mexico in March

Spectacular Things To Do In Mexico In March That’ll Make Your Friends Jealous

Planning a March vacation to Mexico is like finding the secret menu at your favorite restaurant—suddenly you have access to experiences the January snowbirds and July sunbathers can only dream about. The following attractions and activities represent the perfect alchemy of ideal weather, diminished crowds, and seasonal phenomena that make March the connoisseur’s choice for Mexican adventures.

Beach Life Without the Madness

Puerto Vallarta’s beaches in March offer 75°F water temperatures and visibility that would make a submarine captain jealous. Snorkelers exploring Cozumel’s reefs enjoy 30+ feet of crystal clear sightlines—approximately 40% better than during rainy season. The beaches themselves host roughly half the sunbathers you’d find during peak season, meaning your chances of claiming a prime spot upgrade from “lottery winner” to “reasonably optimistic.”

March presents the rare opportunity to visit Playa del Carmen’s shoreline without participating in an unintentional human mosaic. Hotel occupancy drops to 65-70%, compared to February’s 90+%, creating what locals call “breathing room” and tourists call “actually enjoyable.” For water sports enthusiasts, March wind patterns create ideal conditions for sailing along the Pacific coast, with consistent 8-12 knot breezes that aren’t strong enough to capsize beginners but sufficient to keep experienced sailors entertained.

Venture slightly off the tourist radar to beaches like Sayulita (an hour north of Puerto Vallarta) or Bahía Concepción in Baja, where March delivers their annual best conditions. The water clarity, temperature, and wildlife activity align in these locations like planets in rare astronomical events. In Akumal, March marks the beginning of sea turtle spotting season, with morning snorkeling tours ($40-60) offering 70% success rates for swimming alongside these prehistoric-looking creatures without the summer crush of flipper-equipped tourists.

Festival Frenzy that Won’t Break Your Budget

March doubles as Mexico’s unofficial cultural festival month, with events that would make your local community fair look like a game of charades in a parking lot. The Festival Internacional de Cine in Guadalajara (March 10-17) transforms the city into Mexico’s Cannes, minus the Mediterranean prices and French pretension. Screenings cost a reasonable $8-15, and the chances of spotting Mexican cinema royalty in local restaurants rise by approximately 600% during this week.

Mexico City’s Contemporary Music Festival delivers auditory experiences ranging from traditional compositions to experimental works that make jazz seem mainstream. Tickets average $25-40, roughly one-third what you’d pay for comparable performances in New York or Los Angeles. The venues themselves—often historic buildings with acoustics perfected centuries before sound engineers existed—justify the price of admission even before the first note plays.

The first week of March brings Carnival celebrations to coastal cities like Mazatlán and Veracruz. Unlike their Brazilian counterparts, these festivities maintain a family-friendly atmosphere while still featuring enough sequins to bedazzle an entire small country. Mazatlán’s unique twist includes the ceremonial burning of a giant papier-mâché bad mood effigy, which serves as both cultural spectacle and surprisingly effective group therapy for winter-weary tourists.

Perhaps the most remarkable March event happens on the 21st, when the Spring Equinox transforms Teotihuacán’s already impressive pyramids into astronomical wonders. Thousands gather to watch the sun align perfectly with ancient structures, proving that pre-Columbian civilizations understood celestial mechanics while simultaneously making you question what you’ve accomplished with your own life. The savvy traveler arrives by 6am, approximately two hours before the tour buses disgorge their contents, securing prime viewing positions and smugness rights.

Wildlife Spectaculars Before They Migrate Away

March represents the last call for certain wildlife encounters that disappear with the changing seasons. Baja California’s whale watching continues through mid-March, offering 85% sighting probability of gray whales—often with calves in tow—before they begin their northern migration. Tours from Cabo San Lucas and Loreto ($60-100) provide front-row seats to behaviors like breaching and spy-hopping that occur with suspicious regularity near boats, as if these 40-ton creatures understand the concept of performing for an audience.

In central Mexico, the monarch butterfly sanctuaries near Valle de Bravo present one of nature’s most improbable spectacles before the insects depart for Canada. For the price of a movie ticket ($15 entrance fee), visitors witness millions of orange-winged butterflies clustered so densely on trees that branches appear to be moving. The fluttering masses occasionally take flight simultaneously, creating living orange clouds that make professional photographers question their camera settings and amateur ones fill their Instagram feeds for months.

The Yucatán Peninsula transforms into a birdwatcher’s paradise as migratory species prepare for their northern journeys. Celestún’s flamingo populations reach peak density in March, creating pink horizons that appear digitally enhanced but are entirely natural. In the forests surrounding Mérida, March brings the unusual convergence of year-round tropical species with northern migrants stopping for fuel, creating bird diversity statistics that cause ornithologists to hyperventilate with excitement.

Desert regions like Sonora and northern Baja experience their brief but spectacular blooming season in March after winter rains. The normally beige landscape erupts with wildflowers in improbable colors, proving that Mother Nature occasionally moonlights as an abstract expressionist. These blooms last approximately three weeks before summer heat returns the desert to its minimalist aesthetic, making March the only time to witness this botanical anomaly without time-lapse photography.

Spring Break Reality Check

The elephant in the room—wearing board shorts and holding a yard-long margarita—is Spring Break. During the second and third weeks of March, certain Mexican destinations transform into what anthropologists might classify as “undergraduate mating rituals with sunburn.” Cancún and Cabo San Lucas hotel prices surge 40-60% during these peak weeks, while the median age drops faster than the safety standards at all-you-can-drink pool parties.

For travelers allergic to body shots and electronic dance music at 3pm, alternatives exist with similar amenities but dramatically different atmospheres. Puerto Escondido offers comparable beach quality to Cancún at approximately $75 less per night during March, with the added benefit of not featuring in any “Spring Break Gone Wild” video compilations. Zihuatanejo delivers the Pacific coast experience of Cabo San Lucas minus the nightclub soundtracks that make sleep optional rather than necessary.

The savvy March traveler follows this week-by-week breakdown: First week—manageable everywhere; second and third weeks—avoid college hotspots unless you’re nostalgic for sophomore year; fourth week—family-oriented atmosphere returns as students reconcile their credit card statements back in dorm rooms. Even within party destinations, pockets of tranquility exist—Cabo’s Médano Beach might resemble a music festival, but Chileno Bay remains comparatively serene throughout March, proving that geography sometimes trumps calendar.

Cultural Immersion Without the Tourist Crush

March offers behind-the-scenes access to Holy Week preparations that transform ordinary towns into extraordinary cultural showcases. In San Miguel de Allende and Taxco, locals begin crafting elaborate procession elements weeks before the actual events. Visitors in March witness these preparations—from float construction to costume creation—providing cultural insights usually reserved for community members. These preparations offer photography opportunities featuring artisans at work rather than finished products swarmed by Easter week crowds.

Museums and archaeological sites enjoy their most visitor-friendly conditions in March. Tulum’s coastal ruins see approximately 30% fewer visitors than during high season, allowing for photographs that don’t require advanced Photoshop skills to remove strangers from ancient doorways. Chichén Itzá before the equinox crowds provides a dramatically different experience—one where you can actually hear your guide’s explanations rather than the ambient noise of a thousand shuffling tourists.

Culinary adventures reach their seasonal peak as March brings both winter and spring ingredients to market simultaneously. Cooking classes featuring this transitional bounty offer unique dishes impossible during other months. Classes ranging from $40 for market tours with simple preparation to $75 for comprehensive experiences including wine pairings provide hands-on cultural immersion more memorable than any souvenir magnet. Mango and chayote make particularly prominent appearances in March menus, featured in dishes that even well-traveled foodies might find surprising.

Traditional craft workshops operate at full capacity before Easter tourism, making March ideal for participatory cultural experiences. Oaxaca’s textile artisans welcome visitors into their creative processes, offering half-day workshops ($30-50) where participants learn techniques passed through generations. These experiences provide both authentic cultural exchange and personalized souvenirs that won’t be mistaken for airport gift shop merchandise.

Where to Stay: March-Smart Accommodations

Budget travelers find March offers exceptional value, with hostels and budget hotels ($50-80/night) that would be fully booked during high season suddenly accessible without sacrificing quality. Small, family-run establishments in Oaxaca City that maintain waitlists during December become available in March, offering authentic experiences at approximately 25% less than peak rates. These properties often include homecooked breakfasts featuring seasonal ingredients that large hotels can’t match without corporate recipe approval processes.

Mid-range accommodations ($120-200/night) transform from “acceptable alternatives” during high season to “exceptional values” during March. Properties that can’t justify fourth-night-free promotions during Christmas suddenly find inventory flexibility in March, resulting in effective rates 20-25% lower than their December counterparts. Room upgrades that exist only in dreams during January become standard March practice as properties maintain guest satisfaction scores during slightly lower occupancy periods.

Luxury experiences ($250-600/night) that require booking nine months in advance during high season become accessible with mere weeks’ notice in March. Properties like small luxury hotels in San Miguel de Allende or boutique beachfront villas in Tulum operate with 70-80% occupancy instead of 100%, allowing personalized service impossible during peak periods. March’s weather perfection means outdoor amenities—infinity pools, rooftop lounges, private terraces—deliver their intended experiences rather than serving as expensive rain shelters.

Rental properties represent March’s greatest accommodation value proposition. Rates typically run 10-15% lower than February while availability of premium properties—those with optimal locations, exceptional views, or distinctive designs—increases dramatically. Three-bedroom properties that command $350-400/night during high season drop to $300-350 in March while maintaining identical amenities and services. For groups or families, these properties often include kitchen facilities that transform March’s exceptional market ingredients into budget-saving meals with million-dollar views.