Playa Bonita beach & sargassum forecast
Tela, HN · Honduras & Bay Islands, Honduras · 15.779, -87.465
Updated : high seaweed, beach grade C+, sea 84°F.
Also listed as Hotel Playa Bonita.
Veabird's call
Sunday C+ with calm water and 84°F water is the fair high point, seaweed stays high.
March is busy with spring break and Semana Santa, January and October grade best.
Grades from Veabird's beach forecast; wording by AI (Muse Spark), checked against the forecast. Updated Nov 13, 06:00 UTC.
Tell me when Playa Bonita is clear
One email when the seaweed clears or the beach grades A, at most once a week per beach. We only ask for your email address, and every email has a one-click unsubscribe.
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Questions about Playa Bonita
Does Tela get sargassum (seaweed)?
Some years. Satellite signal may include murky coastal water: the satellite record for this stretch of coast reads high in every month (28–78% of weeks), but bays and river mouths within range carry murky water that can register as seaweed, so it likely overstates what reaches the sand. Veabird doesn't give a monthly seaweed level here. Check the live conditions before you go.
How warm is the water at Playa Bonita?
About 83°F in November. The sea is warmest in September (about 87°F) and coolest in January and February (about 81°F).
When is the best time to visit Playa Bonita?
For warm water and dry weather, aim for January through May. May is usually the quietest of those, with about 10 rainy days and a sea near 85°F.
Does Playa Bonita have a sargassum barrier or beach cleanup?
Veabird doesn't track barriers hotel by hotel; this is what the Honduras & Bay Islands area does. Offshore barriers in Honduras & Bay Islands: no barriers; fringing reef diverts some mats. Resort crews: West Bay and north-shore resorts rake mornings. Typical clearing time: West Bay rarely affected; east/north shores cleared within a day or two.
When is hurricane season at Playa Bonita, 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 Playa Bonita in 12 of the 55 seasons from 1971 to 2025, and a hurricane within 58 miles in 2. The riskiest stretch is around October 22, when the chance of a storm passing in any one week is about 2%; across all of October it is about 7%. Flexible bookings and travel insurance help in the peak weeks.
Sargassum season at Playa Bonita
Satellite signal may include murky coastal water: the satellite record for this stretch of coast reads high in every month (28–78% of weeks), but bays and river mouths within range carry murky water that can register as seaweed, so it likely overstates what reaches the sand. Veabird doesn't give a monthly seaweed level here. Sargassum does reach this coast in some years. Actual landings vary a lot by year, wind and currents; check the live conditions above.
Grey bars: the satellite signal by month, not a seaweed level (satellite signal may include murky coastal water). Estimated share of weeks in each month with moderate or heavier seaweed on the beach. The satellite share (2016–2024, the top fifth of all coast-weeks, adjusted for this beach's exposure of 30%) 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 359°; 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.
Roatán & the Bay Islands month by month
Typical weather, water temperature, seaweed and crowds for every month: the best time to visit Roatán & the Bay Islands.
- Roatán & the Bay Islands in January
- Roatán & the Bay Islands in February
- Roatán & the Bay Islands in March
- Roatán & the Bay Islands in April
- Roatán & the Bay Islands in May
- Roatán & the Bay Islands in June
- Roatán & the Bay Islands in July
- Roatán & the Bay Islands in August
- Roatán & the Bay Islands in September
- Roatán & the Bay Islands in October
- Roatán & the Bay Islands in November
- Roatán & the Bay Islands in December
Weather, water & seaweed by month at Playa Bonita
Average highs run from about 79°F in January to 88°F in May. The sea is warmest in September (about 87°F) and coolest in January and February (about 81°F). May is usually the driest, with about 10 rainy days; July is the wettest, with about 27 rainy days.
| Month | Avg high | Sea | Rainy days | Sargassum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 79°F | 81°F | 19 | Unclear |
| Feb | 80°F | 81°F | 15 | Unclear |
| Mar | 83°F | 82°F | 14 | Unclear |
| Apr | 85°F | 83°F | 12 | Unclear |
| May | 88°F | 85°F | 10 | Unclear |
| Jun | 87°F | 86°F | 22 | Unclear |
| Jul | 86°F | 85°F | 27 | Unclear |
| Aug | 86°F | 86°F | 25 | Unclear |
| Sep | 86°F | 87°F | 26 | Unclear |
| Oct | 84°F | 86°F | 26 | Unclear |
| Nov | 81°F | 83°F | 24 | Unclear |
| Dec | 80°F | 82°F | 25 | Unclear |
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: satellite signal may include murky coastal water here, so no monthly level (see above). Any given year can differ.
Cleanup & barriers
- Offshore barriers
- No barriers; fringing reef diverts some mats.
- Public cleanup
- Roatán municipality and marine park groups run occasional cleanups.
- Resort crews
- West Bay and north-shore resorts rake mornings.
- Typical clearing time
- West Bay rarely affected; east/north shores cleared within a day or two.
Safety notes
US State Dept: Honduras, Level 3 (verify; Bay Islands generally lower risk)
- Mainland crime high, especially San Pedro Sula; Bay Islands much safer
- Use registered taxis on Roatán
- Cruise days crowd West Bay and Mahogany Bay
Check official advisories and local flags before swimming. Decomposing sargassum releases hydrogen sulfide; avoid heavy piles.
Things to do near Tela, HN
- Roatán Marine Park diving
- West End & West Bay
- Whale sharks off Utila
- Pico Bonito & Cangrejal River (La Ceiba)
- Cayos Cochinos
- Punta Sal / Jeanette Kawas park (Tela)
Fly in for the best beach days
Suggested dates are a week in November. Change them to match the live forecast above.
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Nearest airports
- Ramón Villeda Morales Intl (San Pedro Sula) (SAP), ~61 km
- Golosón Intl (La Ceiba) (LCE), ~66 km
Nearby resorts
- Telamar Resort Tela, HN · 0 km
- La Ensenada Beach Resort & Convention Center Tela, HN · 3 km
- Villa Escondida Tela, HN · 6 km
- Indura Beach & Golf Resort Tela, HN · 8 km
- Coco Cabañas Eco Lodge Tela, HN · 8 km
- Pico Playa Colonia El Porvenir, HN · 58 km
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