Riviera Caribe Maya beach & sargassum forecast
Playa del Carmen, MX · Riviera Maya, Mexico · 20.633, -87.069
Updated : very high seaweed, beach grade D, sea 85°F.
Also listed as Hotel Riviera Caribe Maya.
Veabird's call
Skip with very high seaweed all week. Iberostar Cozumel, 17 mi away, grades B on Monday.
January and February grade best and Xcaret park is nearby when grades slip to D.
Grades from Veabird's beach forecast; wording by AI (Muse Spark), checked against the forecast. Updated Nov 13, 06:00 UTC.
Tell me when Riviera Caribe Maya 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 Riviera Caribe Maya
Does Playa del Carmen get sargassum (seaweed)?
Yes, in season. At Riviera Caribe Maya the typical-year risk is moderate or higher from February 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 Riviera Caribe Maya?
Worst: May through July, when heavy seaweed is most likely. Best: October through January, when the risk is usually low.
How warm is the water at Riviera Caribe Maya?
About 84°F in November. The sea is warmest in September (about 87°F) and coolest in February (about 80°F).
When is the best time to visit Riviera Caribe Maya?
For warm water, low seaweed and dry weather, aim for January and December. January is usually the quietest of the two, with about 14 rainy days and a sea near 81°F; seaweed risk is very low.
Does Riviera Caribe Maya have a sargassum barrier or beach cleanup?
Veabird doesn't track barriers hotel by hotel; this is what the Riviera Maya area does. Offshore barriers in Riviera Maya: floating barriers along portions of Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos, Tulum; coverage varies by season. Resort crews: Resorts employ dedicated sargassum crews, some with private barriers. Typical clearing time: same-day, but can be overwhelmed at peak.
When is hurricane season at Riviera Caribe Maya, 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 Riviera Caribe Maya in 16 of the 55 seasons from 1971 to 2025, and a hurricane within 58 miles in 6. 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 11%. Flexible bookings and travel insurance help in the peak weeks.
What guests say about Hotel Riviera Caribe Maya
Guests like Excellent location · Attentive staff
Watch for Cleanliness issues · Noise from the street
- Cleanliness
7.5 - Service
9.0 - Location
9.1 - Room Quality
8.5 - Amenities
8.0 - Value for Money
8.5 - Food and Beverage
8.0 - Overall Experience
8.5
Read all 314 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 Riviera Caribe Maya
Sargassum risk at Riviera Caribe Maya typically peaks around July (high: moderate or heavier seaweed on the beach in an estimated 66% of weeks). Months most likely to see heavy seaweed: May, June and July. Lowest-risk months: January, 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: 77% of weeks here on average, against 54% off Quintana Roo, so the full season applies. The satellite share (2016–2024, the top fifth of all coast-weeks, adjusted for this beach's exposure of 88%) 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 133°; 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.
The Riviera Maya month by month
Typical weather, water temperature, seaweed and crowds for every month: the best time to visit the Riviera Maya.
- The Riviera Maya in January
- The Riviera Maya in February
- The Riviera Maya in March
- The Riviera Maya in April
- The Riviera Maya in May
- The Riviera Maya in June
- The Riviera Maya in July
- The Riviera Maya in August
- The Riviera Maya in September
- The Riviera Maya in October
- The Riviera Maya in November
- The Riviera Maya in December
Weather, water & seaweed by month at Riviera Caribe Maya
Average highs run from about 80°F in January to 89°F in July and August. The sea is warmest in September (about 87°F) and coolest in February (about 80°F). February and April are usually the driest, with about 10 rainy days each; September is the wettest, with about 23 rainy days. Seaweed risk is usually lowest in October and highest in July.
| Month | Avg high | Sea | Rainy days | Sargassum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 80°F | 81°F | 14 | Very low |
| Feb | 81°F | 80°F | 10 | Moderate |
| Mar | 84°F | 81°F | 12 | Moderate |
| Apr | 85°F | 82°F | 10 | Moderate |
| May | 88°F | 84°F | 14 | High |
| Jun | 87°F | 85°F | 21 | High |
| Jul | 89°F | 86°F | 18 | High |
| Aug | 89°F | 86°F | 21 | Moderate |
| Sep | 88°F | 87°F | 23 | Moderate |
| Oct | 86°F | 86°F | 22 | Very low |
| Nov | 83°F | 84°F | 18 | Very low |
| Dec | 81°F | 82°F | 14 | 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 barriers along portions of Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos, Tulum; coverage varies by season.
- Public cleanup
- SEMAR vessels, municipal and hotel crews; heaviest-hit region on this list.
- Resort crews
- Resorts employ dedicated sargassum crews, some with private barriers.
- Typical clearing time
- same-day, but can be overwhelmed at peak
Safety notes
US State Dept: Quintana Roo, Level 2 (exercise increased caution)
- Sargassum peaks May–Aug; decomposing mats release hydrogen sulfide (avoid heavy piles).
- Cenote/snorkel operators vary in safety standards.
Check official advisories and local flags before swimming. Decomposing sargassum releases hydrogen sulfide; avoid heavy piles.
Things to do near Playa del Carmen, MX
- Tulum ruins
- Xcaret & Xel-Há parks
- Cenotes (Dos Ojos, Gran Cenote)
- Cozumel reefs
- Sian Ka'an Biosphere
Fly in for the best beach days
Suggested dates fall in October, typically the lowest-seaweed month ahead for Riviera Caribe Maya. Change them to match the live forecast above.
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Nearest airports
- Cancún Intl (CUN), ~49 km
- Tulum Intl (TQO), ~82 km
Nearby resorts
- The Reef 28 Playa del Carmen, MX · 0 km
- Grand Hyatt Playa del Carmen Resort Playa del Carmen, MX · 0 km
- Playa del Carmen Resorts Playa del Carmen, MX · 0 km
- Mahekal Beach Resort Playa del Carmen, MX · 0 km
- El Tukan Playa del Carmen, MX · 1 km
- Wyndham Alltra Riviera Maya Playa del Carmen, MX · 1 km
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