Riu Palace Peninsula beach & sargassum forecast
Cancún, MX · Cancún & Isla Mujeres, Mexico · 21.138, -86.746
Updated : high seaweed, beach grade C, sea 85°F.
Also listed as Riu Palace Peninsula - All Inclusive.
Veabird's call
Monday at B- is least rough, but high seaweed and 49% rain linger.
Hotel La Joya, 5 mi away, grades B+ on Monday if you can switch beaches.
Grades from Veabird's beach forecast; wording by AI (Muse Spark), checked against the forecast. Updated Nov 12, 18:00 UTC.
Tell me when Riu Palace Peninsula 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 Riu Palace Peninsula
Does Cancún get sargassum (seaweed)?
Yes, in season. At Riu Palace Peninsula the typical-year risk is moderate or higher from April to September 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 Riu Palace Peninsula?
Worst: July, when heavy seaweed is most likely. Best: October through March, when the risk is usually low.
How warm is the water at Riu Palace Peninsula?
About 84°F in November. The sea is warmest in August, September and October (about 85°F) and coolest in January, February and March (about 80°F).
When is the best time to visit Riu Palace Peninsula?
For warm water, low seaweed and dry weather, aim for February and March. February is usually the quietest of the two, with about 8 rainy days and a sea near 80°F; seaweed risk is low.
Does Riu Palace Peninsula have a sargassum barrier or beach cleanup?
Veabird doesn't track barriers hotel by hotel; this is what the Cancún & Isla Mujeres area does. Offshore barriers in Cancún & Isla Mujeres: floating sargassum barriers deployed by Mexican Navy (SEMAR) and state along exposed Caribbean stretches; north Gulf-facing shore rarely needs them. Resort crews: Large resorts run their own barrier/rake crews at dawn. Typical clearing time: same-day.
When is hurricane season at Riu Palace Peninsula, 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 Riu Palace Peninsula in 20 of the 55 seasons from 1971 to 2025, and a hurricane within 58 miles in 7. The riskiest stretch is around September 17, when the chance of a storm passing in any one week is about 3%; across all of September it is about 12%. Flexible bookings and travel insurance help in the peak weeks.
What guests say about Riu Palace Peninsula - All Inclusive
Guests like Good overall cleanliness · Decent service and entertainment · Good room size · Variety of pool and beach areas
Watch for Food inconsistency · Limited gym facilities · Some cleanliness issues in public areas
- Cleanliness
8.4 - Service
9.4 - Location
8.9 - Room Quality
8.8 - Amenities
8.9 - Value for Money
8.8 - Food and Beverage
7.9 - Overall Experience
9.4
Read all 2,164 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 Riu Palace Peninsula
Sargassum risk at Riu Palace Peninsula typically peaks around July (high: moderate or heavier seaweed on the beach in an estimated 48% of weeks). Months most likely to see heavy seaweed: July. Lowest-risk months: January, February, March, 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) and scales it by how often NOAA AOML satellites see notable seaweed within about 20 km of this stretch of coast: 40% of weeks here on average, against 54% off Quintana Roo, so 73% of that season. The satellite share (2016–2024, the top fifth of all coast-weeks, adjusted for this beach's exposure of 55%) 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 10°; 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.
Cancún month by month
Typical weather, water temperature, seaweed and crowds for every month: the best time to visit Cancún.
Weather, water & seaweed by month at Riu Palace Peninsula
Average highs run from about 79°F in January and February to 85°F in August and September. The sea is warmest in August, September and October (about 85°F) and coolest in January, February and March (about 80°F). April is usually the driest, with about 5 rainy days; October is the wettest, with about 20 rainy days. Seaweed risk is usually lowest in October and highest in July.
| Month | Avg high | Sea | Rainy days | Sargassum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 79°F | 80°F | 12 | Very low |
| Feb | 79°F | 80°F | 8 | Low |
| Mar | 80°F | 80°F | 7 | Low |
| Apr | 81°F | 81°F | 5 | Moderate |
| May | 83°F | 82°F | 7 | Moderate |
| Jun | 84°F | 83°F | 14 | Moderate |
| Jul | 84°F | 84°F | 10 | High |
| Aug | 85°F | 85°F | 12 | Moderate |
| Sep | 85°F | 85°F | 17 | Moderate |
| Oct | 84°F | 85°F | 20 | Very low |
| Nov | 82°F | 84°F | 18 | Very low |
| Dec | 80°F | 82°F | 15 | 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
- Floating sargassum barriers deployed by Mexican Navy (SEMAR) and state along exposed Caribbean stretches; north Gulf-facing shore rarely needs them.
- Public cleanup
- SEMAR sargassum-collection vessels offshore; ZOFEMAT municipal crews on public beaches.
- Resort crews
- Large resorts run their own barrier/rake crews at dawn.
- Typical clearing time
- same-day
Safety notes
US State Dept: Quintana Roo, Level 2 (exercise increased caution)
- Caribbean-facing Hotel Zone beaches have strong surf; north-facing Playa Norte/Gulf side calmer.
- Use authorized taxis; stay in tourist zones at night.
Check official advisories and local flags before swimming. Decomposing sargassum releases hydrogen sulfide; avoid heavy piles.
Things to do near Cancún, MX
- Isla Mujeres & Playa Norte
- MUSA underwater museum
- Whale shark tours (Jun–Sep)
- Chichén Itzá day trip
- Holbox bioluminescence
Fly in for the best beach days
Suggested dates fall in October, typically the lowest-seaweed month ahead for Riu Palace Peninsula. Change them to match the live forecast above.
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Nearest airports
- Cancún Intl (CUN), ~18 km
Nearby resorts
- Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancún, MX · 0 km
- Hotel Riu Cancun Cancún, MX · 0 km
- Hotel Krystal Cancún Cancún, MX · 0 km
- Riu Palace Las Américas Cancún, MX · 1 km
- Selina Hotel Cancun Lagoon Zona Hotelera Cancún, MX · 1 km
- Fiesta Americana Villas Cancun Cancún, MX · 1 km
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