Is March or April better for Southwest Florida?

April usually grades better (A vs A- in March). Highs are 80°F in March and 83°F in April; April is usually less crowded.

How warm is the water in Southwest Florida at spring break?

About 73°F in March and 77°F in April. Most swimmers find it comfortable.

How does Southwest Florida rank for spring break?

2nd of the 54 beach destinations Veabird grades for March and April. Few places beat it.

Spring break in Southwest Florida

Spring break in Southwest Florida usually means highs near 80°F in March and 83°F in April, water around 75°F, and a typical day grading A- in March and A in April. Beaches are packed in March and busy in April (College & school spring break and Semana Santa / Easter). Both months are outside hurricane season.

March vs April

Month	Typical day	High	Water	Rain chance	Crowds
March	A-	80°F	73°F	29%	Packed
April	A	83°F	77°F	32%	Busy

Best beaches in Southwest Florida for spring break

Resorts with the best typical March and April, and their grades for the next few days.

Vanderbilt Beach Resort Mar A- · Apr AFriA-SatA-SunB+MonATueA+
Edgewater Inn Mar A- · Apr AFriASatA-SunA-MonATueA+
Marco Beach Vacation Suites Mar A- · Apr AFriA-SatA-SunA-MonATueA+
The Ritz-Carlton Naples Mar A- · Apr AFriA-SatA-SunB+MonATueA
Naples Grande Beach Resort Mar A- · Apr AFriA-SatA-SunB+MonATueA
LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort Mar A- · Apr AFriA-SatA-SunB+MonATueA
Edgewater Beach Hotel Mar A- · Apr AFriA-SatA-SunB+MonATueA
JW Marriott Marco Island Mar A- · Apr AFriB+SatB+SunA-MonATueA

Grades for the next few days from Veabird's beach forecast, updated Oct 9, 12:00 UTC. Higher is better: A+ to F.

Questions

Is Southwest Florida good for spring break?: Spring break in Southwest Florida usually means highs near 80°F in March and 83°F in April, water around 75°F, and a typical day grading A- in March and A in April. Beaches are packed in March and busy in April (College & school spring break and Semana Santa / Easter). Both months are outside hurricane season.
Is March or April better for Southwest Florida?: April usually grades better (A vs A- in March). Highs are 80°F in March and 83°F in April; April is usually less crowded.
How warm is the water in Southwest Florida at spring break?: About 73°F in March and 77°F in April. Most swimmers find it comfortable.
How does Southwest Florida rank for spring break?: 2nd of the 54 beach destinations Veabird grades for March and April. Few places beat it.

Plan it

Typical-month numbers from Veabird's year-ahead outlook for the 21 resorts here (median resort): ERA5 climate normals, holiday crowd calendars and the typical seaweed season.