Sol Cayo Santa María beach forecast: weather, water & waves
Cayo Santa María, CU · Cuba's Cays (Jardines del Rey, Santa María, Cayo Largo), Cuba · 22.662, -79.068
Updated : very low seaweed, beach grade B, sea 83°F.
Veabird's call
Wait for Saturday for A- with little seaweed, mostly dry weather and 83°F water.
May and July grade A- and seaweed is usually lowest in February on this southwest facing beach.
Grades from Veabird's beach forecast; wording by AI (Muse Spark), checked against the forecast. Updated Nov 13, 01:00 UTC.
Tell me when Sol Cayo Santa María grades A
One email when 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.
We email you a link to confirm first. Privacy
Plan your trip
Where to stay nearby
Partner links: Veabird may earn a commission at no cost to you. Partners never affect forecasts or scores.
Questions about Sol Cayo Santa María
Does Cayo Santa María get sargassum (seaweed)?
Rarely. Veabird estimates moderate or heavier seaweed on the beach at Sol Cayo Santa María in fewer than one week in ten in every month. Landings vary by year, wind and currents.
How warm is the water at Sol Cayo Santa María?
About 81°F in November. The sea is warmest in September (about 88°F) and coolest in January and February (about 76°F).
When is the best time to visit Sol Cayo Santa María?
For warm water and dry weather, aim for March, April and December. April is usually the quietest of those, with about 9 rainy days and a sea near 80°F.
When is hurricane season at Sol Cayo Santa María, 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 Sol Cayo Santa María in 12 of the 55 seasons from 1971 to 2025, and a hurricane within 58 miles in 5. The riskiest stretch is around August 27, when the chance of a storm passing in any one week is about 2%; across all of September it is about 6%. Flexible bookings and travel insurance help in the peak weeks.
Sargassum season at Sol Cayo Santa María
Sargassum is rare at Sol Cayo Santa María: Veabird estimates moderate or heavier seaweed on the beach in fewer than one week in ten in every month.
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: 1% of weeks here on average, against 54% off Quintana Roo, so 1% of that season. The satellite share (2016–2024, the top fifth of all coast-weeks, adjusted for this beach's exposure of 12%) 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 227°; 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.
Cuba's Cays month by month
Typical weather, water temperature, seaweed and crowds for every month: the best time to visit Cuba's Cays.
Weather, water & seaweed by month at Sol Cayo Santa María
Average highs run from about 77°F in January and February to 86°F in July, August and September. The sea is warmest in September (about 88°F) and coolest in January and February (about 76°F). February is usually the driest, with about 6 rainy days; October is the wettest, with about 21 rainy days.
| Month | Avg high | Sea | Rainy days | Sargassum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 77°F | 76°F | 7 | Very low |
| Feb | 77°F | 76°F | 6 | Very low |
| Mar | 78°F | 79°F | 8 | Very low |
| Apr | 79°F | 80°F | 9 | Very low |
| May | 82°F | 84°F | 14 | Very low |
| Jun | 84°F | 86°F | 15 | Very low |
| Jul | 86°F | 86°F | 13 | Very low |
| Aug | 86°F | 87°F | 15 | Very low |
| Sep | 86°F | 88°F | 19 | Very low |
| Oct | 84°F | 85°F | 21 | Very low |
| Nov | 81°F | 81°F | 14 | Very low |
| Dec | 78°F | 78°F | 10 | 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
- Resort-run; cays are almost entirely resort frontage.
- Resort crews
- Hotel crews rake at dawn.
- Typical clearing time
- same-day to 2 days
Safety notes
US State Dept: Cuba, Level 2; US travel restrictions apply
- Isolated island resorts: limited medical care, evacuations by causeway or air.
- Mosquitoes/no-see-ums at dusk; bring repellent.
- Bring cash (EUR/CAD); US cards generally not accepted.
Check official advisories and local flags before swimming. Decomposing sargassum releases hydrogen sulfide; avoid heavy piles.
Things to do near Cayo Santa María, CU
- Playa Pilar (Cayo Guillermo)
- Pedraplén causeways & flamingos
- Snorkel and catamaran trips
- Remedios & Caibarién (Santa María)
- Cayo Largo turtle farm & Playa Sirena
Fly in for the best beach days
Suggested dates are a week in December. Change them to match the live forecast above.
Opens a flight search in a new tab. Partner link: Veabird may earn a commission.
Nearest airports
- Las Brujas (Cayo Santa María) (BWW), ~9 km
- Santa Clara Abel Santamaría (SNU), ~92 km
Nearby resorts
- Villa Zaida del Río Cayo Santa María, CU · 0 km
- Meliá Cayo Santa María Cayo Santa María, CU · 1 km
- Meliá Las Dunas Cayo Santa María, CU · 1 km
- Playa Cayo Santa María Cayo Santa María, CU · 2 km
- Meliá Buenavista Cayo Santa María, CU · 2 km
- Starfish Cayo Santa María Cayo Santa María, CU · 3 km
Embed this forecast
Hotels and travel sites can show live conditions for Sol Cayo Santa María for free. Get the widget · Data & API