Casa Merlin Lodge beach forecast: weather, water & waves
Playa Cocles, CR · Costa Rica Caribbean, Costa Rica · 9.639, -82.717
Updated : moderate seaweed, beach grade C, sea 87°F.
Veabird's call
Monday tops at C+ with calm water and 87°F water on this north-facing beach.
Casitas La Playa, 2 mi away, grades B on Sunday if you want to move.
Grades from Veabird's beach forecast; wording by AI (Muse Spark), checked against the forecast. Updated Nov 13, 01:00 UTC.
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Questions about Casa Merlin Lodge
Does Playa Cocles get sargassum (seaweed)?
Yes, in season. At Casa Merlin Lodge the typical-year risk is moderate or higher from May to August and peaks in July (high). How much lands varies a lot by year, wind and currents.
What are the worst and best months for seaweed at Casa Merlin Lodge?
Worst: July, when heavy seaweed is most likely. Best: September through April, when the risk is usually low.
How warm is the water at Casa Merlin Lodge?
About 85°F in November. The sea is warmest in May, June, September and October (about 86°F) and coolest in February (about 82°F).
When is the best time to visit Casa Merlin Lodge?
For warm water, low seaweed and dry weather, aim for January, February, March, April and September. September is usually the quietest of those, with about 25 rainy days and a sea near 86°F; seaweed risk is low.
Does Casa Merlin Lodge have a sargassum barrier or beach cleanup?
Veabird doesn't track barriers hotel by hotel; this is what the Costa Rica Caribbean area does. Offshore barriers in Costa Rica Caribbean: none. Resort crews: Eco-lodges rake by hand. Typical clearing time: Usually light landings; cleared within a day or two.
When is hurricane season at Casa Merlin Lodge, and how often do storms hit?
The Atlantic hurricane season runs June through November and peaks around September. No tropical storm passed within 86 miles of Casa Merlin Lodge in the 55 seasons from 1971 to 2025.
What guests say about Casa Merlin Lodge
Read all 5 reviews · Compare on Expedia
Scores and reviews come from guests who stayed, through LiteAPI (Nuitée). The likes, watch-fors and category scores are an AI summary of those reviews. Partner links: Veabird may earn a commission.
Sargassum season at Casa Merlin Lodge
Sargassum risk at Casa Merlin Lodge typically peaks around July (high: moderate or heavier seaweed on the beach in an estimated 45% of weeks). Months most likely to see heavy seaweed: July. Lowest-risk months: January, February, March, April, September, October, November and December. Actual landings vary a lot by year, wind and currents; check the live conditions above.
Estimated share of weeks in each month with moderate or heavier seaweed on the beach. Veabird takes the landing season seen on Quintana Roo's beaches (a Puerto Morelos beach camera, 2015–2020, and the Mexican Navy's beach alerts, 2022–2026), the nearest coast with a multi-year beach record (this one has none), and scales it by how often NOAA AOML satellites see notable seaweed within about 20 km of this stretch of coast: 37% of weeks here on average, against 54% off Quintana Roo, so 67% of that season. The satellite share (2016–2024, the top fifth of all coast-weeks, adjusted for this beach's exposure of 24%) measures seaweed offshore, not on the sand: off the Riviera Maya it reads high even in winter, when little lands. Very low under 10%, Low 10–24%, Moderate 25–44%, High 45–69%, Very high 70%+. Beach faces 17°; onshore winds from that direction push seaweed ashore. Satellite sargassum data: USF Optical Oceanography Lab (Sargassum Watch System) via NOAA AOML. The satellite record as open data.
Costa Rica's Caribbean coast month by month
Typical weather, water temperature, seaweed and crowds for every month: the best time to visit Costa Rica's Caribbean coast.
- Costa Rica's Caribbean coast in January
- Costa Rica's Caribbean coast in February
- Costa Rica's Caribbean coast in March
- Costa Rica's Caribbean coast in April
- Costa Rica's Caribbean coast in May
- Costa Rica's Caribbean coast in June
- Costa Rica's Caribbean coast in July
- Costa Rica's Caribbean coast in August
- Costa Rica's Caribbean coast in September
- Costa Rica's Caribbean coast in October
- Costa Rica's Caribbean coast in November
- Costa Rica's Caribbean coast in December
Weather, water & seaweed by month at Casa Merlin Lodge
Average highs run from about 82°F in January, February and December to 85°F in May, August and September. The sea is warmest in May, June, September and October (about 86°F) and coolest in February (about 82°F). March and April are usually the driest, with about 21 rainy days each; July is the wettest, with about 30 rainy days. Seaweed risk is usually lowest in October and highest in July.
| Month | Avg high | Sea | Rainy days | Sargassum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82°F | 83°F | 25 | Very low |
| Feb | 82°F | 82°F | 23 | Low |
| Mar | 84°F | 84°F | 21 | Low |
| Apr | 84°F | 84°F | 21 | Low |
| May | 85°F | 86°F | 25 | Moderate |
| Jun | 84°F | 86°F | 27 | Moderate |
| Jul | 84°F | 85°F | 30 | High |
| Aug | 85°F | 85°F | 28 | Moderate |
| Sep | 85°F | 86°F | 25 | Low |
| Oct | 84°F | 86°F | 26 | Very low |
| Nov | 83°F | 85°F | 27 | Very low |
| Dec | 82°F | 83°F | 27 | Very low |
Monthly averages from 6 years of ERA5 reanalysis (Open-Meteo) for this area's 0.5° grid cell; rainy days have at least 1 mm (0.04 in). Sargassum is the typical-year estimate described above. Any given year can differ.
Cleanup & barriers
- Offshore barriers
- None.
- Public cleanup
- Community and ADI groups clear town beaches.
- Resort crews
- Eco-lodges rake by hand.
- Typical clearing time
- Usually light landings; cleared within a day or two.
Safety notes
US State Dept: Costa Rica, Level 2 (verify)
- Strong rip currents on Playa Cocles and other surf beaches; few lifeguards
- Theft from rental cars and beach bags is common
- Muggings reported after dark in Puerto Viejo
Check official advisories and local flags before swimming. Decomposing sargassum releases hydrogen sulfide; avoid heavy piles.
Things to do near Playa Cocles, CR
- Cahuita National Park
- Tortuguero turtle nesting (Jul–Oct)
- Jaguar Rescue Center
- Gandoca-Manzanillo refuge
- Bribri chocolate tours
Fly in for the best beach days
Suggested dates fall in October, typically the lowest-seaweed month ahead for Casa Merlin Lodge. Change them to match the live forecast above.
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Nearest airports
- Limón Intl (LIO), ~49 km
- Juan Santamaría Intl (San José) (SJO), ~168 km
Nearby resorts
- Namuwoki Lodge Playa Cocles, CR · 0 km
- Playa Chiquita Lodge Punta Uva / Manzanillo, CR · 1 km
- Villas del Caribe Beach Playa Cocles, CR · 1 km
- Hotel La Kukula Lodge Punta Uva / Manzanillo, CR · 1 km
- Tree House Lodge Punta Uva / Manzanillo, CR · 1 km
- Playa Punta Uva Cabinas Punta Uva / Manzanillo, CR · 1 km
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