Lima · Month comparison
November vs February
February ranks #1 overall vs November at #4. The warmest month of the year — peak ceviche season, and Lima's best beach weather.
November
#4 of 12 months
Best match
Lima's spring proper — sunshine returning, temperatures rising, and still great value.
- ↑November marks the clear end of the garúa season — sunshine hours (5.2 daily) exceed half the daylight hours, temperatures warm to 21°C, and the Pacific views from the Miraflores Malecón are restored for more days than not. The paragliding season is in full operation, the clifftop parks are populated by locals, and the beach clubs begin preparing for December's summer opening.
- ↑November hotel prices remain at shoulder-season levels despite the significantly improved weather — this timing gap (weather better, prices not yet summer-peak) makes November one of the best value months to visit Lima. A Miraflores boutique hotel at USD 140 rather than USD 185 for essentially the same outdoor conditions is a meaningful saving.
February
#1 of 12 months
Best match
The warmest month of the year — peak ceviche season, and Lima's best beach weather.
- ↑February is Lima's warmest month — 27°C average highs with the most sunshine of any month (7.8 hours daily) and the Pacific warming enough for genuine beach comfort. The combination of warm air, warm sea (22–23°C), and the southward tilt of the sun creates conditions that the rest of the year cannot replicate. The Miraflores beach clubs — La Rosa Náutica restaurant on its famous pier, the beach terrace at the Park Hotel — are operating at full capacity.
- ↑Carnival (Carnaval) falls in February or early March, and while Lima's version is more restrained than Barranquilla or Rio, the Barranco neighbourhood celebrates with particular enthusiasm — water balloon battles in the streets (a Peruvian carnival tradition called "mojadas"), street music, and the general festive irreverence that defines the southern Bohemian quarter at its most characterful. Carnival Sunday and Monday are neighbourhood events worth timing an itinerary around.
| Factor | November | February |
|---|---|---|
| Weather score | 7 | 9 |
| Value score | 7 | 5 |
| Crowd score | 7 | 5 |
| Events score | 5 | 8 |
| Atmosphere | 8 | 9 |
| Avg high temp | 21.5°C | 27°C |
| Monthly rain | 1mm | 2mm |
| Daily sunshine | 5.2hrs | 7.8hrs |
November trade-offs
- ↓November's improving weather is not yet fully reliable — cloudy periods and garúa mornings still occur, particularly early in the month. The full summer experience of Lima is still weeks away in November.
- ↓International tourist volumes begin building in November as Southern Hemisphere summer travel starts — hotel prices edge upward in the last weeks of November in anticipation of the December high season.
February trade-offs
- ↓February — particularly Carnival week — drives accommodation prices to their annual peak in Barranco and Miraflores. The combination of domestic high season and Carnival brings Lima's closest equivalent to peak tourism conditions.
- ↓The summer humidity (76%) in February makes the heat feel more oppressive than the raw temperature suggests — particularly in the inland districts (Lima Centro, San Isidro business corridor) where sea breezes don't penetrate as effectively as on the Miraflores clifftop.
Scores compare months within Lima. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →