Cancun, Mexico, the popular resort hotspot of Quintana Roo, is home to some of the top beaches on the continent. For most tourists, it is the number one reason to visit this beautiful city. Of course, no matter where tourists vacation, they want to find the best place to spend their time and relax.
Every traveler has their own preferences, so some may think one beach is too crowded, while others may enjoy people-watching and mingling with other vacationers. But one thing that can bring down the mood of a beach vacation is an invasion of sargassum ruining all the fun. Nobody wants to go for a swim wading through seaweed!
What Is Sargassum?
Cancun is dealing with an excess of sargassum, a type of seaweed that develops in the Atlantic Ocean and washes up on Mexican shorelines, mostly in the spring and summer seasons. It covers the beach and can leave beachgoers feeling frustrated and disappointed if they are not made aware of the situation beforehand.
While the seaweed is usually harmless to humans, some reports say prolonged exposure to the marine plant can cause a variety of skin irritations. So, it’s best to leave it alone.
The Sargassum Monitoring Network provides a detailed interactive map with color-coded rankings of sargassum for each beach around Cancun. Unfortunately, for travelers and the local economy who rely on tourism, it is set to be a record year for sargassum. While some Cancun beaches are overrun with the icky brown algae, that’s not the case everywhere.
These are 5 of the top Cancun beaches with low levels of sargassum:
Playa Caracol
Located in the touristy Hotel Zone, this beach can become packed with people. Travelers should know there is an area of public beach that is accessible to tourists. However, there are no facilities available. This is why this beach tends to be more popular within the designated Hotel Zone. Either way, it’s a beautiful beach with turquoise waters and soft white sand.
It is reported by the Sargassum Monitoring Network that Playa Caracol has very low levels of sargassum, currently.
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Playa El Nino
This beach is a more popular weekend spot among the locals. Not as commonly visited by tourists, Playa El Niño is a great place for swimming as it has very calm waters that limit the sargassum. Right now, the Sargassum Monitoring Network says this beach has very low levels of sargassum.
@laura_savi 📍 Cancun Mexico 🇲🇽 #cancunmexico #beachvacation
Isla Blanca
Quite possibly the most private beach in the area is Isla Blanca. There is no public transportation that goes here, so travelers will need to arrange that on their own. This pristine, tranquil beach is worth the trip, even when not trying to avoid seaweed invasions. Beachgoers will find the ultimate peace and relaxation they’ve been seeking.
Right now, Isla Blanca is ranked as very low, according to the Sargassum Monitoring Network.
@higirltravels Please drive 1 hour away from the tourist trap to Isla Blanca (white island)
Playa Norte
Playa Norte is a very popular beach among Cancun tourists. The beach can get crowded, but due to its massive size, it’s still very possible to find a relaxing spot with some breathing room. Most often, Playa Norte avoids strong levels of sargassum.
At present time, it is no different as the Sargassum Monitoring Network is reporting this beach is without sargassum. This means there is no detectable trace of sargassum in the vicinity, making it the best bet of all to have a nice beach day.
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Costa Mujeres/ Playa Mujeres
This secluded beach goes by two different names. Unfortunately, no matter which verbiage is used, it won’t have an effect on the level of sargassum that day. This area is very expansive, which gives vacationers the chance to hunker down and enjoy some space on a nice, relaxing beach.
The bad news is it’s not walkable, so visitors will need to rent a car, hail a taxi or order an Uber ride to reach this gorgeous beach.
As it stands today, the Sargassum Monitoring Network categorizes Playa Mujeres as very low.
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