The Don CeSar beach forecast: weather, water & waves
St. Pete Beach, FL · Tampa Bay Beaches, United States · 27.711, -82.740
Updated : high seaweed, beach grade B, sea 76°F.
Veabird's call
Monday is the call at B+ with moderate seaweed, calm water and 4% rain.
Plan a Salvador Dali Museum visit in St. Petersburg for a slower beach morning.
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 The Don CeSar
Does The Don CeSar get sargassum (seaweed)?
Only a little in most years. At The Don CeSar the typical-year risk stays low, even around July, the usual peak (moderate or heavier seaweed on the beach in an estimated 23% of weeks). Landings vary by year, wind and currents.
How warm is the water at The Don CeSar?
About 74°F in November. The sea is warmest in July (about 89°F) and coolest in January (about 63°F).
When is the best time to visit The Don CeSar?
For warm water and less rain, aim for May, June, September and October. September is usually the quietest of those, with about 22 rainy days and a sea near 87°F.
When is hurricane season at The Don CeSar, and how often do storms hit?
The Atlantic hurricane season runs June through November and peaks around September. A tropical storm passed within 86 miles of The Don CeSar in 18 of the 55 seasons from 1971 to 2025, and a hurricane within 58 miles in 3. The riskiest stretch is around August 27, when the chance of a storm passing in any one week is about 4%; across all of September it is about 11%. Flexible bookings and travel insurance help in the peak weeks.
What guests say about The Don CeSar
Guests like Beachfront location · Iconic historic hotel and strong location · Beautiful, clean property (pleasant smell noted) · Excellent pool and beach area
Watch for Pricey / poor value for money · Room issues: tiny, outdated, uncomfortable mattress, obstructed views · Noise from road / nearby building site · Inconsistent or rude service (valet, check-in delays, lack of assistance)
- Cleanliness
9.2 - Service
8.6 - Location
9.6 - Room Quality
7.6 - Amenities
8.5 - Value for Money
6.5 - Food and Beverage
8.2 - Overall Experience
9.0
Read all 975 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 The Don CeSar
Low sargassum risk year-round at The Don CeSar: even around July, the usual peak, Veabird estimates moderate or heavier seaweed on the beach in about 23% of weeks. 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: 19% of weeks here on average, against 54% off Quintana Roo, so 35% of that season. The satellite share (2016–2024, the top fifth of all coast-weeks, adjusted for this beach's exposure of 25%) 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 255°; 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.
Tampa Bay month by month
Typical weather, water temperature, seaweed and crowds for every month: the best time to visit Tampa Bay.
Weather, water & seaweed by month at The Don CeSar
Average highs run from about 70°F in January to 89°F in June, July and August. The sea is warmest in July (about 89°F) and coolest in January (about 63°F). February is usually the driest, with about 5 rainy days; July is the wettest, with about 26 rainy days.
| Month | Avg high | Sea | Rainy days | Sargassum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70°F | 63°F | 8 | Very low |
| Feb | 75°F | 64°F | 5 | Very low |
| Mar | 79°F | 70°F | 8 | Very low |
| Apr | 83°F | 75°F | 8 | Low |
| May | 87°F | 83°F | 14 | Low |
| Jun | 89°F | 87°F | 22 | Low |
| Jul | 89°F | 89°F | 26 | Low |
| Aug | 89°F | 88°F | 25 | Low |
| Sep | 87°F | 87°F | 22 | Low |
| Oct | 84°F | 80°F | 11 | Very low |
| Nov | 79°F | 74°F | 7 | Very low |
| Dec | 74°F | 67°F | 6 | 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 deployed offshore.
- Public cleanup
- Pinellas County mechanical raking; seaweed left to decompose on low-traffic beaches.
- Resort crews
- Beachfront hotels rake morning of heavy wrack days.
- Typical clearing time
- 1–2 days
Safety notes
US domestic
- Red tide episodes possible; check FWC.
- Strong rip currents near passes (Pass-a-Grille, Clearwater Pass).
Check official advisories and local flags before swimming. Decomposing sargassum releases hydrogen sulfide; avoid heavy piles.
Things to do near St. Pete Beach, FL
- Salvador Dalí Museum (St. Petersburg)
- Clearwater Marine Aquarium
- Fort De Soto Park
- Busch Gardens Tampa
- Siesta Key sand
Fly in for the best beach days
Suggested dates are a week in October. Change them to match the live forecast above.
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Nearest airports
- Tampa Intl (TPA), ~36 km
- St. Pete–Clearwater Intl (PIE), ~23 km
Nearby resorts
- Hotel Zamora St. Pete Beach, FL · 0 km
- Miramar Resort St. Pete Beach, FL · 1 km
- Gulf Strand Resort St. Pete Beach, FL · 1 km
- Dolphin Beach Resort St. Pete Beach, FL · 1 km
- Sirata Beach Resort St. Pete Beach, FL · 2 km
- RumFish Beach at TradeWinds St. Pete Beach, FL · 2 km
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