One of the most popular public beaches in Cancun, Playa Gaviotas Azul is located at the northern tip of the hotel zone. May 10, 2023 The continued presence of sargassum seaweed (a.k.a sargasso, sargazo) on the beaches of Mexico continues to be a concern to many travelers. Note that red tide and sargassum seaweed are two different problems. Whether it lands in Cancun, Chetumal, Tulum or the Riviera Maya depends much upon atmospheric conditions such as trade winds. Sargassum on its own is not harmful to humans; however, when it floats in the hot sun or washes up onto the beach it can become home to microbes and bacteria. 3 Best Cancun beaches that are seaweed free, What measures are being taken to address the Cancun seaweed. If you want to stay local in Cancun, try visiting Playa Mujeres, in the northern hotel zone. Another option is to try Playa Mujeres north of Cancun or Coral Beach. It has been a windy January, with some strange wind blowing from the southeast; however, the water is clear. Florida beaches brace for 5,000-mile blob of seaweed to deposit rotting The seaweed when floating at the top of hot, shallow waters, can start to play host to microbes and strains of bacteria the skin is not accustomed to coming in contact with. If you want to avoid the worst time for seaweed in Cancun and reduce the likelihood of it ruining your vacation, its worth considering which beaches to choose for your vacation. Your email address will not be published. If it does arrive, then you could take a short ferry to Isla Mujeres or Cozumel where the west-facing beaches rarely receive any seaweed at all. The color code progresses to yellow, orange, and red marking the beaches that have an excessive amount of seaweed. This can also harm delicate coral reef systems. We will be staying at Grand Velas. Although tonnes of seaweed threatens to spoil Mexico's stunning beaches, Mexico is one of the most amazing places for North American tourists right now. This means you can expect a risk of sargassum seaweed in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and other beach destinations on Mexicos Caribbean Coast as well as along Floridas coast in 2023. Hi, Re: Cancun Seaweed 1 year ago Save Typically, there's little to no sargassum in February, but it begins to come in larger amounts at the end of the month. The problem goes beyond the potential for economic loss if tourists stop coming during the seaweed months. The 4 Least Crowded Beaches In Clearwater, Florida. 30,000 Tons of Smelly Seaweed Headed for Cancun. Cenotes are located all throughout the jungle, making them free from any seaweed. There are popular beach destinations that still have white sand and crystal-clear waters. Experts Fear Early Arrival of Massive Amounts of Seaweed in Cancun Cancun Seaweed Season 2023: When is it and How to Avoid it! There is a proposal to block the seaweed with a 60-kilometer barrier south of the Cozumel Channel. Seaweed is a natural phenomenon that you can avoid if you consult resources. Try not to worry! Sargassum would naturally arrive in mangroves and stay there. Mia Reef Hotel is located on El Yunque Island, which is a tiny island that is connected to Isla Mujeres by a bridge. Some beach restaurants will charge a small fee to park your car and access the beach through their property. Cancun VS Punta Cana: Which one is better? This is Isabella, the owner, and writer of this site. This year, small amounts of sargassum are expected to wash ashore in isolated incidents as early as March. For only being 20 kilometers from Cancun, you will feel like you are in a different world. Its beautiful here. If you are local, you can volunteer at public beach cleanups. That is a hard question to answer since the conditions change frequently. Here you will have one hour of free time to enjoy the island before returning to Cancun. Cenotes are freshwater pools that connect the surface to underground river systems. Sargassum is not only a problem for the tourism industry, but also for the ocean. Its worth checking on the resources Ive listed and register for updates from the Grupo de Red de Minitoreo de Cancun on Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/2272972109391283/) as they publish maps and forecasts for the coast of Mexico. Based on the large size of the sargassum mat currently in the Atlantic, experts forecast that Tulum could have a major seaweed problem in 2023, depending on ocean and wind currents. It includes suggestions on how to find the best beaches for swimming, even during the height of seaweed season in Cancun. This current, paired with favorable wind directions, makes the west side seaweed free almost always. Explore ancient Mayan Ruins They include: The Yucatan Peninsula depends on tourism. The summer of 2018 witnessed the worst influx of sargassum brown algae in recent history. The governor of Quintana Roo, Mara Lezama, declared the 2022 Cancun seaweed season 2022 over, in which 50 . The Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zone and Quintana Roo Sargasso Network puts out a map and forecast each year to help visitors plan. A great advantage of coming in the summer months is the lower number of tourists. Experts predict it will return in the spring of 2023.t amount of seaweed. The amount of seaweed on the beach, and how much it will affect you, changes constantly. There are a variety of room types to choose from, including family suites, and some rooms have ocean views. Its hard to predict the situation in March.but you can check out the current conditions via a beach cam at this link https://www.playadelcarmen.com/information/webcam. Last Updated 10 months ago Cancun may have established itself as the world's top vacay hotspot, but sargassum remains its biggest foe. In this post, we will tell you all about it so that you can plan your vacation accordingly. Youll also see line-ups of people waiting to get a photo-op in front of the CANCUN sign. The group will invest $100 million in this project and expects to maintain the beaches in the area clean and sargassum-free. Where in Cancun can we find a beach with no seaweed? - Tripadvisor So sorry you werent able to enjoy your vacation. Also, you have to remember that fish normally use sargassum as a breeding grounds leaving toxins and eggs in seaweed. After reading this article, you are probably left wonderinghow bad is the seaweed in Cancun? Is Cancun in the Caribbean? Also wondering if it is COVID-19 safe. Insider's Guide to Seaweed Conditions in Cancun and Riviera Maya in Stay informed about the sargassum conditions and forecast with our in-depth guide. The one downside to coming in the winter is the crowds- it is not a secret that Cancun is a great spot to be in the winter! I am planning to book my vacation tomorrow and am wondering if I should consider a different area. Sargassum Season is over, according to the Cancun Sun newspaper It's an annual issue for Cancun and the beaches of Quintana Roo. Level Contributor 271 posts 28 reviews 53 helpful votes 1. Cancuns beaches are world famous pillowy sands and cerulean waters cover brochures. Seaweed - Cancun Forum - Tripadvisor Please read this Disclosure for details. Cancun Seaweed Season 2023: When is it and How to Avoid it! but now I see the perks of knowing where seaweed has been an issue. Thanks so much for the update! Finding seaweed-infested beaches during your long-dreamed vacation is not ideal, but you can still travel to Cancun and still find its pristine white sand beaches all year round if you know where to go. That is to say, dont cancel your trip, but some beaches are better than others to avoid the macroalgae invasion during this time. Certain animals, especially dogs, are also sensitive to the inhalation of hydrogen sulfide. If you are planning a vacation during seaweed season (May to October), monitor current seaweed conditions throughout the Caribbean, Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico by consulting the following resources. Its difficult to predict as much depends on winds and ocean currents as well as where on the coast you are headed. Therefore anything from about Km4 - 9 on Avenida Kukulcan should fit your criteria. Enter your email address to subscribe to Travel Off Path's latest breaking travel news, straight to your inbox, Travel Off Path is an Off Path Enterprises production, This post may have affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission if you choose to purchase through them. As a result, the seaweed season in Playa del Carmen in 2023 is expected to last from February to October. Below I will explain what exactly seaweed is and why it is here, as well as what the government is doing to deal with it. People are understandably hesitant to book beach vacations if they do not understand when they might encounter seaweed. 30,777 posts. When you are planning a beach vacation one of the last words you want to hear is seaweed. I cant help but think a lot of this was based on PR campaigns by American/European companies and news outlets to deter travel. During seaweed season workers begin removing sargassum early in the morning to leave clean beaches for visitors. Global Warming is exacerbating the situation (seaweed prefers warmer ocean temperatures), and sweeping the beaches every morning is an exercise in futility when the problem is at its peak. What's the current seaweed situation? - Cancun Forum The beach south of the dock in PDC gets hit often but its hard to predict what the situation might be in June as so much depends on water and wind currents. Most beaches in Cancun have low levels of sargassum. Unfortunately, this is not always very successful. Note: This is a recurring post updated with photos, sargassum seaweed maps and information on seaweed conditions and the status of the current seaweed problem in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Puerto Morelos, Isla Mujeres and Tulum. Some areas, such as beaches on the north end of the Cancun Hotel Zone have the advantage that ocean currents and wind direction keep the majority of the seaweed off their beaches. Jun 5, 2023 3 min Planning a trip to Cancun? Based on the quantity of sargassum seaweed currently in the Atlantic, there could be a major seaweed problem in 2023 in the Caribbean Sea (affecting Cancun, Tulum and Playa del Carmen) depending on wind and ocean currents. Yikes. Armani Hotel Milano: A Luxurious Stay in the Heart of Milan, Best Location to Stay in Nashville Without a Car: A Guide for Tourists, Nashville Zoo: A Family-Friendly Destination for Animal Lovers. According to State . They also have a regular beach facing the Caribbean, so you can enjoy that beach as well if there is no sargassum. So we know this is a natural phenomenon in Cancun, but why does it seem to be worse in some seasons than others? Cancun Cancun Tourism Cancun Hotels Cancun Bed and Breakfast Cancun Vacation Rentals The ocean is home to countless pieces of plastic trash, which gets caught in the sargassum. Things to do when there is Seaweed in Cancun. March and April are spring breakers months so party lovers you will find a lot of fun events and festivals but if you are not into that, you can still find tranquil beaches and have a peaceful vacation. Visit a freshwater cenote 2. + 31 Interesting Facts About Cancun and Questions Answered, How to Visit Cancun on a Budget for an Amazing Trip in 2023, Walmart in Cancun Mexico in 2023: Full Guide, 2023 Spring Break Cancun Dates + Top 9 Hotels and Events| The Complete Travel Guide, What Happens When You Arrive at Cancun Airport A Step-By-Step Guide, 10 Great Reasons Why You Shouldnt Swim with Dolphins in Cancun, Discover Cars Cancun Review in 2023: 15 Pros & Cons, The Ultimate Cancun to Coba Guide (2023): How to get there & Things to do, Using Amazon Cancun in 2023: Everything you need to know, Cancun in Winter: Weather, Events, and Things to Do. Scientists say seaweed is likely to come ashore by summer to create a rotting, stinking, scourge. Are you still traveling to Cancun in July? It's brown, it weighs millions of tons, it stretches over 5,000 miles and it is headed for Florida's beaches. Not wasting any time in protecting its pristine coastline from being flooded by an undesirable amount of algae, which looked set to disturb beach breaks for millions of tourists, Mexico will be adding seaweed barriers to some of its most popular hotspots.Among them, Cancun and Playa Del Carmen look set to benefit from the newly-announced measure. People are constantly posting their current beach pictures, so you can get a great idea of how the seaweed situation looks. But there's usually inverse ratios of surf and roughness. The popular resort town of Playa del Carmen has been experiencing a double whammy of challenges in recent years. The quantity of the sargassum seaweed combined with differences in the composition of the seaweed itself, poses problems. The barriers will be placed away from the coastline, far enough to block the seaweed from washing up on the coast. Why is There So Much Seaweed On Cancun's Beaches, What Season is Best To Avoid Seaweed In Cancun, Which is the Worst Season For Seaweed on Cancun Beaches, Which Cancun Beaches Are The Best To Avoid Seaweed, Northern winds during this time tend to kick up, Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zone and Quintana Roo Sargasso Network, The Quintana Roo Sargasso Monitoring Network. Unfortunately, were not talking about small clumps but rather sweeping blankets of rubbery brown seaweed. In many areas, people use heavy machinery to remove sargassum from the beach, and this can be destructive. Adrienne Banka is a Michigander and fell in love with diving at 16 years old. Or, you can take a taxi here. No one wants to plan a Cancun beach vacation and arrive to find seaweed floating in the water in front of your hotel or washed onto the beach. The best bet for beaches near Cancun with no seaweed is to head to the island of Isla Mujeres or to the leeward coast of Cozumel by ferry. Home Travel Tips Cancun Seaweed Season 2023: When is it and How to Avoid it! While you can predictably get a pretty clear beach during these months, its best to check the local sargassum reports (see resources below). Livebeaches.com has beach webcams that you can check out. Hi, Im Kern. Update: Latest Cancun Seaweed Forecast and Map (2023) Best Caribbean Beaches Without Seaweed: Where to Go in 2023 Well, now, everybody can stand down and exhale. Large Amounts Of Seaweed Expected In Cancun And The Mexican Caribbean The hotel offers a variety of rooms, including family rooms, making it a good choice for families traveling with children. But generally speaking April isnt the height of seaweed season so thats a promising sign. It will also help you have a visual understanding of what areas get hit the hardest with seaweed. May 14, 2022. According to the University of South Floridas Outlook of Sargassum blooms in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, based on offshore conditions in December 2022, the seaweed forecast for 2023 suggested it would be another major Sargassum year. You have landed in the right place. This type of information causes divides in people, culture, and society. Her report was quite accurate. Consider resorts at beach destinations on Mexicos Pacific Coast where there is no sargassum. If there is a lot of seaweed at Playa Delfines, a good option is to take a ferry to Isla Mujeres or Isa Cozumel. The quantities of seaweed in Cancun and along the Caribbean coast will vary depending upon ocean currents, the size of the sargasso seaweed mat, seasonality, ocean currents and wind conditions. Here's our Disclosure & Privacy Policy for more info. The good news is that generally the fall season sees less seaweed than summer. Ocean currents, wind direction, and shoreline topography all play a role in how much seaweed a beach will have. I never heard of it before. When sargassum arrives, large patches of it can float on the ocean surface near the shore before washing onto the beach. There are certain times of the year when it is more common for there to be seaweed on the beach, but the fact is, small amounts of seaweed can arrive at any time. In the Quintana Roo region where Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and other popular beach destinations are located more sargassum is expected as the seasons peak is usually between June and August. The map above says yellow, so not sure how bad this is on the gross meter. Read more about me and the blog. Sargassum isnt on the beaches every day and many times is quite light. The cenotes near Cancun are a great alternative to the Cancun beach when its infested by Sargassum. If you would rather see video footage of Cancun beaches, there are a few sites you can check out. However, the seaweed issue in Cancun and the surrounding beaches is no mystery. The main problems are the erosion of its beaches and the influx of sargassum seaweed along the coast. The most affected locations currently include Del Nino, Las Perlas, Chacmool, Ballenas, Marln, Delfines, and Nizuc playa Coral. The major hotels on these beaches include the all-inclusive Krystal Cancun and the Hyatt Ziva Cancun at the point of the peninsula. A new wave of sargassum seaweed arrived on the Cancun coast last night. The seaweed problem in Cancun is due to global climate changes. It was accumulating on beaches as early as February 2023. This makes it smell and release dangerous gases such as hydrogen sulfide gas, or H2S, a colourless, poisonous gas with an unpleasant rotten-egg odor,. Thanks Jane! The amount of seaweed on Playa Delfines varies considerably from week to week. How is the government dealing with the seaweed problem in Tulum, Playa del Carmen and Mexicos Caribbean Coast? The seaweed season usually ends in October in Playa del Carmen. Sargassum is also being used to create eco-friendly fertilizers. The state and local governments as well as hotel and business managers are doing everything they can to keep sargassum off the beach. Turks and Caicos Vs. Bahamas: Where Should YOU Go? You can get here with a rental car, just look for parking spaces along the peninsula. Next door at the Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun Resort & Spa, the private beach is often completely clear of sargassum and features powder soft white sands and clear turquoise waters. The beach conditions can change quickly, and the arrival of seaweed is dependent on many factors, including wind and currents. While its not a certainty, some beaches are optimally positioned to avoid a sargassum onslaught. To avoid it, you should know which seasons tend to have more and which tend to have less, as well as which beaches get the worst of it. Best time to go to Cancun, Mexico: No rain, Tourists or Seaweed! Climate change, the change of ocean currents, and increasing ocean temperatures have all led to the arrival of sargassum in Cancun. If so does the cleaning efforts correct the issue or is it a summer long problem in this location? If you are here, or planning to come, during seaweed season, the map is a great resource to help you find beaches to spend the day that has less ( or no ) seaweed. We are planning a family reunion for July 2020 in Playa del Carmen. However wind and ocean currents can change and seaweed conditions at Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun can change quickly. The Majestic Elegance Costa Mujeres Hotel is located in Cancuns northern hotel zone, near Playa Mujeres, on the way to Isla Blanca. Large quantities of seaweed float on the surface of the water, wash up on beaches, trap marine life in the seaweed itself and use up the oxygen that fish need to breathe. Based on recent inspections, the sargassum seaweed has arrived much earlier in 2023 than expected. And frankly the only reason they think and ask this is because of articles like this. The good news is that there are always seaweed-free beaches and seaweed is not typically a problem all year. When you visit Cancun, you can get up-to-date seaweed information online. Reports Tuesday said sargassum is hitting resorts like Playa del Carmen and Tulum further south on the coast, while Cancun, Cozumel and Isla Mujeres have largely been spared.. They have webcams at several different area resorts, and you can use this information to get a good sense of how the different areas look. Next you will arrive at Isla Contoy. There is an on-site wellness center where you can treat yourself to a spa treatment. Red de Monitoreo del Sargazo Cancun Facebook Page, Best Caribbean Beaches Without Seaweed Where to Go in 2023, 7 Best Beaches in Punta Cana Seaweed Conditions, Swimming, Best Cancun Resort Day Pass Secrets The Vine 2023, 15 Romantic Things to Do in Cancun for Couples, Xpu-Ha Beach: A Perfect Day Trip on Riviera Maya, Best all-inclusive Resorts in Cancun Riviera Maya, 10 Amazing Things to Do in Mazunte, Mexico, https://qroo.gob.mx/sesa/nuevo-coronavirus-covid-19, https://www.facebook.com/groups/2272972109391283/, https://www.playadelcarmen.com/information/webcam, Get seaweed maps, updates and a Seaweed Report from the, Check Riviera Maya and Cancun Beach Webcams. Unfortunately, they predict that 2023 will be another year with lots of seaweed washing ashore. As a visitor to the Cancun area, the most important thing you need to know is this: will the seaweed affect my vacation and can I find seaweed-free beaches? How long does the Cancun seaweed season typically last? The large quantities of sargassum pose environmental threats too. The warm, summer months typically have the wind blowing from the southeast. Don't let it discourage you though-- there are a lot of fun things to do on the resort that are all incuded. Unfortunately, these efforts are not as successful as hoped, and they often resort to cleaning the beaches after seaweed arrives. Disclaimer:This page may contain affiliate links. Beach access is between Coco Bongo and the Mandala Beach Club opposite Hooters via a narrow alleyway. The northern location of this beach helps it stay seaweed free. Semar reported that mounds of sargassum nearly 3 feet high have been covering the beaches in Playa del Carmen in less than 24 hours. Thx so much for the information. Now, due to man-made climate change, sargassum is all over the Atlantic, and the Caribbean Sea, and has been also found in the waters off of South America. So, yes, Cancun does have a seaweed problem that it is working hard to solve. The Hotel Zone in Cancun is in the shape of a "7"; typically the top of the 7 has less Sargasso seaweed than the diagonal leg of the Hotel Zone (7).
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