Hurricane Simon Closes Puerto Vallarta's Airport and Sends Tourists to Shelters as a Category 4 Storm Nears Mexico
With hurricane warnings up from Manzanillo to Punta Mita, hotels pausing bookings and flights cancelled until Monday, here is what travellers on Mexico's Pacific coast have been told on Saturday.
Saturday, October 10, 2026/2 min read
Hurricane Simon is a Category 4 storm moving slowly towards the west-central coast of Mexico, and one of the country's busiest resort stretches is shutting down around it. The National Hurricane Center expected the storm to strengthen further, with a possible peak near 155 mph (250 km/h) on Saturday evening, The Rio Times reported.
At midnight local time Simon had sustained winds near 140 mph and sat about 140 miles (225 km) south of Manzanillo, crawling north at about 5 mph. The centre should arrive near or just inland of the coast around Colima and Jalisco later on Saturday or on Sunday, though forecasters were not sure whether it would cross the shore or stay offshore.
Hurricane-force winds extend about 15 miles (30 km) from the centre, so the strongest winds cover a relatively narrow band, but the rain does not. The forecast favours a landfall followed by rapid weakening over the mountains, with the system dissipating by early next week.
Is Puerto Vallarta airport closed because of Hurricane Simon?
Yes. The airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico announced that Puerto Vallarta will be shut from 18:00 on Saturday 10 October until 08:00 on Monday 12 October, and that flights scheduled after 17:00 on Saturday and all of Sunday are cancelled, N+ reported. Manzanillo's airport closes at 18:00 Saturday and is due to reopen at 08:00 on Sunday, with airlines having cancelled all commercial flights planned for Sunday. The operator asked passengers not to go to the airports and to stay in hotels or official shelters, and said reopening depends on weather and safety inspections.
Treat those times as provisional. If Simon moves differently than forecast, the closures could shift in either direction.
What have authorities told tourists to do?
A hurricane warning covers the coast from Punta San Telmo to Punta Mita, which includes Manzanillo and Puerto Vallarta, and a watch runs from Punta Mita to El Roblito, including the Islas Marias. Forecasters warn of life-threatening floods and mudslides through Sunday, and the mountains behind the coast raise that risk.
Puerto Vallarta has opened five temporary shelters, mostly in schools and university buildings, according to The Rio Times. Several hotels have suspended weekend bookings, and the state of Jalisco asked visitors to reconsider weekend trips. About 500 people had been evacuated in Cabo Corrientes, and President Claudia Sheinbaum urged people in vulnerable areas to move to shelters.
What should travellers with bookings do now?
Contact the airline or hotel directly before travelling and do not head to an airport that has announced a closure. Follow local civil protection instructions, and keep away from beaches, rivers and streams. The storm is expected to weaken quickly over the mountains and dissipate early next week, but the rain is the lasting danger. Check what a travel insurance policy and a booking cover before the next advisory arrives.
Published in The Outspoken Digest
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