So though the East End is beautiful and a great option, you need to keep in mind that the beaches could be covered with sargassum seaweed. With that said, once you get past the sargassum seaweed, the water is crystal clear and absolutely beautiful!
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Most of the sargassum is on the east end. We did encounter some diving the north wall, and just a little bit in the West Bay/7 Mile area, but not a full on bloom.
While exposed eastern shores are most likely to get hit by surges of sargassum, some beaches in Mexico have no sargassum. This includes Playa Norte on Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo and Cozumel's western shore. They're generally seaweed-free.
In Grenada, Grand Anse regularly tops the list of the world's best beaches due to its crystal clear waters and its 2 kilometre long stretch of white sand dotted with palm trees. It's also blessedly free of sargassum seaweed.
There's been a record-breaking sargassum seaweed bloom in 2023 in the Caribbean Sea. In order to help you plan your beach vacation, we've created a list of Caribbean beaches not affected by sargassum seaweed historically. This article was originally published in 2019.
Palm Beach in Aruba, Dutch CaribbeanIt's one of the most reliable Caribbean islands without sargassum. While there are several small, boutique-sized hotels in Aruba, here are two of our favourite large resorts on Palm Beach and Eagle Beach.
Since 2011, 2023 still ranks in the top half of the worst sargassum seaweed seasons. With the latest data, USF researchers say in June, sargassum will likely decrease in the Gulf of Mexico, meaning beachgoers may not have such a smelly experience. The USF lab forecasts the decrease to continue through August.
According to an interactive map on sargassummonitoring.com, piles of seaweed have already hit several beaches in Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, and Quintana Roo-area beaches including tourist hotspots in Cancun and Playa del Carmen, as well as on beaches along Cozumel, a popular stop ...
Along Grand Cayman's North Coast, it is not just causing an unsightly malodorous mess but is killing fish and everything else in the ocean under the dense mat of vegetation. As it pushes inland, it is now threatening the mangroves and fish nurseries.
Popular resort hubs, including Playa del Carmen and Tulum, have ramped up efforts to deter sargassum from affecting travelers. What is this? Both destinations have set up temporary barriers and hired more cleaners in an effort to attract more travelers.
Over the past few years, a brown seaweed called sargassum has floated onto the beaches of much of the Florida Keys and the Caribbean. The beaches here on Ambergris Caye have been significantly affected as well.
While the 2023 sargassum bloom isn't as large as originally expected, it will still be a major year for the algae and the lab expected it to continue increasing in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico in March. It is expected to travel west from the Caribbean Sea and become a hazard on some beaches in Florida.