Villa Mariposas beach & sargassum forecast
Las Terrenas, DO · Dominican North Coast & Samaná, Dominican Republic · 19.320, -69.543
Updated : moderate seaweed, beach grade B, sea 86°F.
Veabird's call
Friday is workable at B with 86°F water, but expect moderate seaweed and busy crowds.
Villa Flamboyan, 22 mi away, grades A- on Monday if you can switch.
Grades from Veabird's beach forecast; wording by AI (Muse Spark), checked against the forecast. Updated Nov 13, 06:00 UTC.
Tell me when Villa Mariposas 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 Villa Mariposas
Does Las Terrenas get sargassum (seaweed)?
Yes, in season. At Villa Mariposas 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 Villa Mariposas?
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 Villa Mariposas?
About 85°F in November. The sea is warmest in September and October (about 88°F) and coolest in January, February and March (about 81°F).
When is the best time to visit Villa Mariposas?
For warm water, low seaweed and dry weather, aim for January. January brings about 15 rainy days and a sea near 81°F; seaweed risk is very low.
Does Villa Mariposas have a sargassum barrier or beach cleanup?
Veabird doesn't track barriers hotel by hotel; this is what the Dominican North Coast & Samaná area does. Offshore barriers in Dominican North Coast & Samaná: none. Resort crews: Resort crews rake frontage. Typical clearing time: Same morning at resorts; slower on open public beaches.
When is hurricane season at Villa Mariposas, 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 Villa Mariposas in 19 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 4%; across all of September it is about 13%. Flexible bookings and travel insurance help in the peak weeks.
Sargassum season at Villa Mariposas
Sargassum risk at Villa Mariposas 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), 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: 56% 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 51%) 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 32°; 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 Dominican North Coast month by month
Typical weather, water temperature, seaweed and crowds for every month: the best time to visit the Dominican North Coast.
- The Dominican North Coast in January
- The Dominican North Coast in February
- The Dominican North Coast in March
- The Dominican North Coast in April
- The Dominican North Coast in May
- The Dominican North Coast in June
- The Dominican North Coast in July
- The Dominican North Coast in August
- The Dominican North Coast in September
- The Dominican North Coast in October
- The Dominican North Coast in November
- The Dominican North Coast in December
Weather, water & seaweed by month at Villa Mariposas
Average highs run from about 82°F in January, February and December to 89°F in June, August and September. The sea is warmest in September and October (about 88°F) and coolest in January, February and March (about 81°F). March is usually the driest, with about 14 rainy days; October is the wettest, with about 22 rainy days. Seaweed risk is usually lowest in October and highest in July.
| Month | Avg high | Sea | Rainy days | Sargassum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82°F | 81°F | 15 | Very low |
| Feb | 82°F | 81°F | 15 | Moderate |
| Mar | 84°F | 81°F | 14 | Moderate |
| Apr | 84°F | 82°F | 20 | Moderate |
| May | 87°F | 83°F | 18 | High |
| Jun | 89°F | 85°F | 18 | High |
| Jul | 88°F | 86°F | 19 | High |
| Aug | 89°F | 87°F | 20 | Moderate |
| Sep | 89°F | 88°F | 21 | Moderate |
| Oct | 88°F | 88°F | 22 | Very low |
| Nov | 85°F | 85°F | 20 | Very low |
| Dec | 82°F | 83°F | 19 | 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
- Municipal crews in Puerto Plata, Sosúa, Cabarete
- Resort crews
- Resort crews rake frontage
- Typical clearing time
- Same morning at resorts; slower on open public beaches
Safety notes
US State Dept: Dominican Republic, Level 2 (exercise increased caution) — verify
- Petty theft and motorbike snatch-thefts in Sosúa, Cabarete and Puerto Plata town
- Strong surf and currents at Cabarete, Encuentro and Playa Grande
- Humpback whale season in Samaná Bay (Jan–Mar) brings peak crowds there
Check official advisories and local flags before swimming. Decomposing sargassum releases hydrogen sulfide; avoid heavy piles.
Things to do near Las Terrenas, DO
- Samaná humpback whale watching
- 27 Waterfalls of Damajagua
- Cabarete kitesurfing
- Puerto Plata cable car (Mount Isabel de Torres)
- El Limón waterfall
- Playa Rincón
Fly in for the best beach days
Suggested dates fall in October, typically the lowest-seaweed month ahead for Villa Mariposas. Change them to match the live forecast above.
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Nearest airports
- Samaná El Catey Intl (AZS), ~22 km
Nearby resorts
- Hotel Puerto Plaza Las Terrenas, DO · 0 km
- Las Terrenas Beach Resorts Las Terrenas, DO · 0 km
- Hotel Albachiara Las Terrenas, DO · 1 km
- Hotel Casa Robinson Las Terrenas, DO · 1 km
- Aligio Apart-Hotel Las Terrenas, DO · 1 km
- Donoma Las Terrenas Resort & Villas, Autograph Collection Las Terrenas, DO · 1 km
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