The Caves beach forecast: weather, water & waves
West End, Negril, JM · Jamaica, Jamaica · 18.253, -78.365
Updated : high seaweed, beach grade D+, sea 85°F.
Veabird's call
Settle on Tuesday for C+ and 59% rain, Friday and Monday sit at D+ with high seaweed.
February grades B+ and seaweed is lowest then, Grand Palladium, 20 mi away, grades B+ Tuesday.
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 Caves
Does West End get sargassum (seaweed)?
Yes, in season. At The Caves the typical-year risk is moderate or higher from March 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 The Caves?
Worst: June and July, when heavy seaweed is most likely. Best: October through February, when the risk is usually low.
How warm is the water at The Caves?
About 86°F in November. The sea is warmest in August, September and October (about 88°F) and coolest in February (about 82°F).
When is the best time to visit The Caves?
For warm water, low seaweed and dry weather, aim for November through February. November is usually the quietest of those, with about 15 rainy days and a sea near 86°F; seaweed risk is very low.
Does The Caves have a sargassum barrier or beach cleanup?
Veabird doesn't track barriers hotel by hotel; this is what the Jamaica area does. Offshore barriers in Jamaica: none. Resort crews: All-inclusive crews rake private frontage daily. Typical clearing time: Same morning at resorts; public beaches slower.
When is hurricane season at The Caves, 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 Caves in 12 of the 55 seasons from 1971 to 2025, and a hurricane within 58 miles in 5. The riskiest stretch is around August 20, when the chance of a storm passing in any one week is about 2%; across all of August it is about 7%. Flexible bookings and travel insurance help in the peak weeks.
What guests say about The Caves
Guests like Excellent service · Relaxing atmosphere
- Cleanliness
9.5 - Service
10.0 - Location
10.0 - Room Quality
10.0 - Amenities
9.5 - Value for Money
10.0 - Food and Beverage
9.5 - Overall Experience
10.0
Read all 26 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 Caves
Sargassum risk at The Caves typically peaks around July (high: moderate or heavier seaweed on the beach in an estimated 64% of weeks). Months most likely to see heavy seaweed: June and July. Lowest-risk months: January, February, 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), 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: 52% of weeks here on average, against 54% off Quintana Roo, so 97% of that season. The satellite share (2016–2024, the top fifth of all coast-weeks, adjusted for this beach's exposure of 20%) 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 270°; 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.
Jamaica month by month
Typical weather, water temperature, seaweed and crowds for every month: the best time to visit Jamaica.
Weather, water & seaweed by month at The Caves
Average highs run from about 85°F in January and February to 91°F in July and August. The sea is warmest in August, September and October (about 88°F) and coolest in February (about 82°F). January is usually the driest, with about 10 rainy days; April, May and October are 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 | 85°F | 83°F | 10 | Very low |
| Feb | 85°F | 82°F | 14 | Low |
| Mar | 86°F | 83°F | 21 | Moderate |
| Apr | 87°F | 84°F | 23 | Moderate |
| May | 89°F | 86°F | 23 | Moderate |
| Jun | 89°F | 86°F | 21 | High |
| Jul | 91°F | 86°F | 21 | High |
| Aug | 91°F | 88°F | 20 | Moderate |
| Sep | 90°F | 88°F | 21 | Moderate |
| Oct | 87°F | 88°F | 23 | Very low |
| Nov | 86°F | 86°F | 15 | Very low |
| Dec | 86°F | 84°F | 11 | 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
- NEPA / parish councils; limited public beach programs
- Resort crews
- All-inclusive crews rake private frontage daily
- Typical clearing time
- Same morning at resorts; public beaches slower
Safety notes
US State Dept: Jamaica, Level 3 (reconsider travel) due to crime — verify
- Violent crime is high in parts of Kingston and Montego Bay; stay in resort zones and use licensed transport (JUTA/JCAL)
- Some neighborhoods are off-limits to US government staff
- Emergency medical care outside Kingston/Mo Bay is limited
Check official advisories and local flags before swimming. Decomposing sargassum releases hydrogen sulfide; avoid heavy piles.
Things to do near West End, Negril, JM
- Dunn's River Falls
- Seven Mile Beach & Rick's Café (Negril)
- Blue Lagoon (Port Antonio)
- Martha Brae rafting
- Blue Mountains coffee
- YS Falls & Pelican Bar
Fly in for the best beach days
Suggested dates fall in October, typically the lowest-seaweed month ahead for The Caves. Change them to match the live forecast above.
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Nearest airports
- Sangster Intl (Montego Bay) (MBJ), ~55 km
Nearby resorts
- Tensing Pen Resort West End, Negril, JM · 0 km
- Villas Sur Mer West End, Negril, JM · 0 km
- The Negril Escape Resort and Spa West End, Negril, JM · 1 km
- The Oasis Resort West End, Negril, JM · 1 km
- Rockhouse Hotel & Spa West End, Negril, JM · 1 km
- Canton Grove Resort West End, Negril, JM · 2 km
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