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Planning a couples getaway, family vacation or honeymoon and looking for the best Caribbean beaches without seaweed? If you’ve been reading about sargassum seaweed problems in Mexico, Florida and the Caribbean, you might be wondering which Caribbean islands are not affected by seaweed and brown algae.
In order to help you decide where to travel, we’ve created a list of Caribbean beaches not affected by sargassum seaweed in the past.
We also consulted several expert resources for forecasts on sargassum seaweed in 2021.
While there’s never a guarantee you won’t find sargassum seaweed, these beaches should be a good starting point for planning a Caribbean beach vacation in seaweed season.
The Sargassum Seaweed 2021 Forecast
The world’s largest sargassum seaweed bloom — known as the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt — now stretches 8850-kilometres long from West Africa to the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, says Science magazine.
And while there used to be an identifiable seaweed season of May to December, sargassum seaweed is arriving earlier, staying longer and the mats of seaweed are larger in size. This increases the likelihood of encountering the unpleasant brown algae on your Caribbean vacation.
According to the University of South Florida‘s Outlook of Sargassum blooms in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico (known as (SaWS), the level of sargassum seaweed in the central Atlantic increased in December 2020.
This suggests that parts of the Caribbean may start to experience small to moderate amounts of Sargassum in January to February 2021.
The Caribbean islands most affected by sargassum seaweed in the past include Barbados, Tobago, Guadeloupe, Dominican Republic and Martinique. However, it’s important to note that even on islands affected by an influx of sargassum algae there are often beaches that are totally clear on the same island.
While there’s no guarantee, if you’re planning a beach vacation and looking for Caribbean islands not affected by seaweed and Caribbean beaches without seaweed, here are some destinations to consider:
1. Grand Anse in St. Georges, Grenada – A Caribbean Beach Without Seaweed
With its organic bean-to-bar chocolate, artisanal rum plantations and mountainous interior dotted with waterfalls, there’s lots to love about the Caribbean island of Grenada without even considering its idyllic beaches. The hub for tourism on the island, 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.
Grand Anse is also blessedly free of sargassum seaweed. Even at the height of seaweed season, you’ll rarely see anything except a star fish or two in the water. There are lots of resorts to choose from on Grand Anse Beach, but here are a few of my favourites:
Check availability and prices at Spice Island Beach Resort, a luxury hotel on Grand Anse Beach, on Booking.com.
Check availability and prices at Radisson Grenada Beach Resort, the best mid-range hotel on Grand Anse Beach, Grenada on Booking.com.
Check availability and prices at the Siesta Hotel, a budget hotel near Grand Anse Beach, on Booking.com.
Disclaimer: Sargassum seaweed conditions can change quickly due to prevailing winds, ocean currents, tides and other factors. It’s impossible to predict with any accuracy where seaweed will land. We take no responsibility for decisions made based on probabilities so please verify with your hotel before booking.
2. Morne Rouge Beach on Grenada
This beautiful seaweed-free beach with turquoise blue waters is also on the island of Grenada. Morne Rouge also known as BBC Beach is less well known than Grand Anse Beach but is also rarely affected by sargassum seaweed.
It’s especially popular with families as the waters are very calm for swimming. Morne Rouge is a great option if you’re looking for a Caribbean beach without seaweed that’s family-friendly. While there are several budget hotels and condos for rent overlooking Morne Rouge, the closest 4-star hotel is Mount Cinnamon Resort, a short drive or hilly walk away.
Check rates and availability at Mount Cinnamon Resort on Booking.com.
3. Grace Bay Beach in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
Another of the most beautiful beaches in the world, Grace Bay Beach features clear waters and powder soft sand. This long beach is protected by a barrier reef so is especially calm. The ocean bottom at Grace Bay Beach is smooth and clean.
Grace Bay in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos is definitely a destination to consider if you’re looking for Caribbean beach without seaweed for a family, couples or group vacation.
Although the Turks & Caicos participates in the Caribbean Development Bank, it’s technically situated north of the Caribbean and in the tropical Atlantic. However, the waters are as blue as the Caribbean!
On the opposite coast, Long Bay Beach is known to receive some seaweed on its shores. It’s more of a windswept beach with dramatic wave action and has its own unique beauty. If you love horseback-riding, Long Bay Beach also happens to be the beach where Provo Ponies takes riders to swim with their horses in the ocean – a truly unforgettable experience.
Check prices at The Somerset on Grace Bay on Booking.com.
4. Palm Beach on Aruba, Dutch Caribbean
The Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba is best known for its white sand beaches, luxury resorts and cooling trade winds. In addition to being located outside the hurricane belt, its famous beaches such as Eagle Beach, Palm Beach and Baby Beach also have the good fortune of being outside the sargassum seaweed belt.
So, if you’ve been spending the winter imagining yourself kicking back on a lounger, sipping a tropical cocktail at a beach bar and floating in idyllic Caribbean waters without any brown smelly seaweed to spoil the fantasy, then consider Aruba, 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.
Check prices and availability on the Holiday Inn Beach Resort & Casino, Palm Beach on Booking.com
Check prices and availability on the Barcelo Aruba set on a prime stretch of beach with easy access to the beachfront walking path, swimming and water sports .
5. Playa Porto Mari on Curacao, Dutch Caribbean
One of the most beautiful beaches in Curacao also happens to be one of the best best Caribbean beaches without seaweed. Located on the west coast of the island of Curacao,
Playa Porto Mari is a private beach which means there is an entrance fee ($3 USD) but along with the fee comes several amenities. Clean washrooms, an outdoor shower, parking, a lookout for photo ops, a floating dock, a restaurant/bar, lounge chairs for rent ($3.50 USD) and more, this is a beach that delivers the full tropical beach fantasy but with all the conveniences.
Although there are some rocks at the entry to the water, family-friendly Porto Mari has a sandy ocean bottom, gentle waves and no under currents as it’s protected by a double off-shore reef.
It’s one of the best beaches for snorkeling in Curacao and, along with the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire, is also popular among scuba divers. There’s also the unique attraction of wild pigs that roam freely – you might spot them ambling by at the end of the day. Playa Daaiboo, a public beach with free admission, is also nearby.
Check out our post on Free Things to Do in Curacao to learn about the wild flamingoes and other attractions on your way to PortoMari.
6. Bloody Bay and Long Bay Beaches in Negril, Jamaica
One of the largest Caribbean islands, Jamaica offers several coastlines and beaches to choose from. Although there have been some issues with foul smelling sargassum seaweed in Fort Clarence Beach near Kingston (and a few other areas), the beaches in Negril have generally been free of sargassum seaweed.
Note: There is a difference between seagrass (which grows on the ocean bottom) and Sargassum seaweed, a free-floating mass of seaweed that accumulates on the ocean’s surface. Learn more in the Sargassum Resource Guide published by the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST).
Check prices on Couples Swept Away Negril, an adults-only resort set on a beautiful stretch of beach in Negril, on Booking.com.
7. Southern Tip of Antigua, Antigua & Barbuda
Although the luxurious St. James Club in Antigua in the Caribbean’s Leeward Islands had to shut down for three months in 2019 due to a massive influx of sargassum, many other beaches in Antigua often have no sargassum seaweed.
Located on the southern tip of Antigua, Curtain Bluff Resort is set on two beaches in a private setting that receives very little seaweed. The boutique resort features 72 rooms, all-inclusive gourmet dining as well as plenty of diversions including tennis, squash, sailing, guided snorkelling and sea kayaking.
For updates on the best Caribbean beaches without seaweed such as Dickenson Beach home to Sandals Grande Antigua, browse the reports and photos of sargassum seaweed conditions in Antigua on the Antigua Sargassum Seaweed Observations Facebook group.
8. Playa Norte on Isla Mujeres and Other Beaches Without Seaweed in Mexico
If you have your heart set on visiting Mexico’s Caribbean coast, it’s still possible to find beaches with no sargassum seaweed along this vast coastline. While exposed eastern shores are most likely to get hit by surges of sargassum, some beaches such as Playa Norte on the island of Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo are generally seaweed-free. However, much depends on winds and ocean currents.
It’s also worth considering the beaches on Mexico’s Pacific Coast if you’re looking for beaches without seaweed. While the water along Mexico’s Pacific beaches is darker blue and not as warm as the water along its Caribbean beaches, Pacific beaches aren’t affected by sargassum seaweed in the Atlantic.
Sargassum seaweed originates in the Atlantic so it doesn’t migrate to the Pacific.
Note: Red tide is a different phenomenon than sargasso seaweed and all beaches can temporarily be affected by red tide algae.
Some of the prettiest Mexican beaches are located on the the country’s Pacific Coast. Top beaches in Mexico without seaweed and worth considering for a beach vacation include Carrizalillo Beach (Puerto Escondido), Punta Mita, Mismaloya and Bucerias (near Puerto Vallarta) and Santa Cruz beach and San Agustin beach (Huatulco).
Check availability and prices on Zoetry Villa Rolandi Resort & Spa on Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo on Booking.com.
Sargassum Seaweed in the Caribbean in 2020 and 2021
While Sargassum seaweed is not affecting all beaches and islands throughout the Caribbean, it is presenting a challenge in some regions and communities. Here are some resources to help you plan a Caribbean vacation.
Resources on Sargassum Seaweed
Get information on sargassum seaweed, its impact and uses, and best practice mitigation and management in the Sargassum Resources Guide prepared by the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism.
How to Predict Sargassum Seaweed-Free Beaches in the Caribbean
Even at the peak of the seaweed problem in Cancun, it was possible to find seaweed-free beaches to enjoy. For example, while there was sargassum seaweed on Bavaro Beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic other sections of the beach had no seaweed at all.
While there are several ways to try to predict the probability of whether the Caribbean destination you’re considering will be hit by waves of sargassum — from scrolling through satellite images on maps or scrolling through TripAdviser reports — there are several reasons that this isn’t a successful approach.
First, Global News reports that 25 per cent of Canadians book their Christmas travel more than three months in advance. So, if you’re planning to travel during prime holiday season or need to book your vacation time in advance, waiting for the sargassum forecast and booking a last minute trip might not be practical.
Secondly, seaweed predictions are based on a complex number of factors (historical levels, patterns, ocean temperatures and currents and more). They are probabilities only. So, you can’t count on them to be 100% accurate.
Websites for up-to-date Caribbean Sargassum Forecasts
Here are two resources worth consulting:
- Check the SEAS Program for updated information about when and where sargassum is going to be. Click to access the Seas Forecast. to see the seaweed forecast.
- Check the probability of a Caribbean seaweed bloom on the University of South Florida’s satellite-based Sargassum Watch System ( SaWS) to track seaweed in real time.
- For the Caribbean coast of Mexico from Cancun to Tulum, visit the Red de Monitoreo del Sargazo Cancun Facebook page for weekly updates on seaweed conditions.
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Carol Colborn
We have timeshare in Cancun and are considering going in 2021 or 2022. So we have no choice but to wait, I guess.c
Michele Peterson
If you’re going to Cancun outside of seaweed season you won’t have any worries.
Carol Colborn
Our timeshare in Cancun remains unused until this problem goes away. I hope 2021!!! Thanks for the link to where I can monitor this.
Jeff & Crystal Bryant
Thanks for giving us these inside tips on places to avoid a beach full of seaweed. These beaches look amazing for a cold weather get-away from the Midwest.
Michele Peterson
Yes, it’s always great to get away from the winter weather for a sunny break.
Irene S. Levine
What a helpful post for planning a trip to the Caribbean!
Michele Peterson
Glad you found it helpful Irene. It’s the question I get asked most often from people planning trips to the Caribbean in the summer!
Erin
Seaweed isn’t a factor I would have considered when planning a beach vacation before reading your post, but now I see the perks of knowing where seaweed has been an issue. When I visited Mexico’s Riviera Maya in April 2015, I remember resort workers raking way the seaweed that washed ashore. At least, these Caribbean destinations still offer sunshine, warm temperatures, and resorts with beautiful pools!
Michele Peterson
April is the start of seaweed season so yes some sargassum seaweed can usually be expected in Riviera Maya but outside of seaweed season it’s usually clear.
Molly Sears PICCAVEY
Seaweed is becoming a huge problem in many resorts (warming of the oceans) so this is a great resource. Thanks for sharing
Michele Peterson
Climate change is definitely having a big impact in the Caribbean and the islands are working hard to develop approaches to deal with rising sea levels, warming and other issues.
Sue Reddel
What a wonderfully comprehensive list of beautiful beaches. Really helpful for anyone planning a trip to the Caribbean.
Bola
Thanks for sharing your tips. Glad to know about these beaches in the Caribbean. Not a fan of seaweed!
Michele Peterson
Seaweed can be useful at times but not when it’s a blanket of sargassum 🙂
alison abbott
What an informative and interesting post. They’ve has a big problem with bloom in Florida also, although I don’t know if it’s the same kind. This would certainly be helpful for anyone traveling to the Caribbean.
Michele Peterson
HI Alison…yes I believe Florida is also getting an influx of sargassum seaweed in the summer too. it also seems to vary in quantity depending on ocean currents etc.
Rose Palmer
All these beaches look soooo nice-especially when am looking at dreary cold and grey skies outside.