Know the seaweed before you go.
Live sargassum ratings, beachcams, and forecasts for the Riviera Maya — so you spend your trip on clear sand, not scrolling Facebook groups at 6am.
Tap a beach for its full report · colours = today’s rating
Every beach, at a glance
Ratings blend the official Quintana Roo monitoring maps, satellite data, live cams, and traveler reports. Tap any beach for the full report.
Cancún
Quintana Roo
Satellite imagery (NOAA/USF AFAI) showed little to no floating sargassum in the water fronting these beaches on Oct 1, 2026. Exposed beaches should be mostly clear.
Playa del Carmen
Quintana Roo
Satellite imagery (NOAA/USF AFAI) showed dense floating sargassum in the water fronting these beaches on Oct 1, 2026, thicker than a week earlier. Expect significant accumulation on exposed beaches. Have a plan-B beach in mind.
Tulum
Quintana Roo
Satellite imagery (NOAA/USF AFAI) showed dense floating sargassum in the water fronting these beaches on Oct 1, 2026, about the same as a week earlier. Expect significant accumulation on exposed beaches. Have a plan-B beach in mind.
Cozumel
Quintana Roo
Cozumel's resort and dive beaches face west into the sheltered channel, so they usually stay clear even when sargassum is drifting through the region. This rating is set by hand rather than by satellite — offshore readings over-predict for leeward shores.
Akumal
Quintana Roo
Satellite imagery (NOAA/USF AFAI) showed dense floating sargassum in the water fronting these beaches on Oct 1, 2026, thinner than a week earlier. Expect significant accumulation on exposed beaches. Have a plan-B beach in mind.
Isla Mujeres
Quintana Roo
Playa Norte, the island's main swimming beach, faces north-west behind the island and stays clear far more often than the mainland, even in peak season. This rating is set by hand rather than by satellite — offshore readings cover the exposed east side and over-predict for the leeward beaches. The Caribbean-facing east coast does collect sargassum.
Clearest beaches today
Cancún trend
Projected, not forecast · we take today’s satellite reading and step it one level toward its trend after day 3. There is no day-by-day forecast behind the later bars — check daily.
Latest reports
- Minimal Cancún Aug 24, 2026 ✓ Verified
Webcam check 7:15 AM: only thin scattered lines along Playa Delfines, much improved on last week. Tortugas and the north-facing stretch looked clean.
— Mayan Beaches team - Heavy Playa del Carmen Aug 23, 2026
Rough morning on the Playacar stretch — thick mats and brown water past the break. Crews were still working at noon. We ended up at the Cenote Azul instead.
— Renata M. - Minimal Cozumel Aug 22, 2026 ✓ Verified
Cam + map check: west-side beach clubs (Paradise Beach, Mr. Sancho’s) clear and swimmable, same as most of this month.
— Mayan Beaches team - Heavy Tulum Aug 21, 2026
Playa Paraíso had heavy arrivals by mid-morning and the smell was noticeable. Hotel raked a swim lane but it filled back in by the afternoon.
— Owen B.
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Travel guides
Deeper reads on beating sargassum season and picking the right coast.
Cancún vs Cozumel: Which Has Less Seaweed?
Cozumel's west coast almost always beats Cancún on sargassum. Month-by-month verdicts, plus when Cancún's north-facing beaches close the gap.
Read → Guide · updated Aug 24, 2026Riviera Maya Sargassum Season: Month-by-Month Guide
When is sargassum season in the Riviera Maya? Month-by-month ratings for Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum, plus why some years break the pattern.
Read → Guide · updated Aug 24, 2026Best Beaches in Mexico Without Seaweed (August 2026 Update)
Where to swim in Mexico without sargassum right now: Playa Norte, Cozumel's west coast, Holbox, plus Pacific picks that never see seaweed.
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