Planning A 2026 Cancun Trip? These Beaches Are Most Affected By Sargassum

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If you’re mapping out a 2026 Cancun getaway, we at The Cancun Sun want you to have clear, no-nonsense guidance based on what actually happened in 2025.

The short version: this past season hit record highs across the Caribbean according to the University of South Florida’s Sargassum Watch System (SaWS), which tracks the “Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt.”

Below, we rank the Cancun-area beaches that were most impacted in 2025, using round-ups drawn from the Quintana Roo Sargassum Monitoring Network.

This gives you a realistic benchmark for 2026 planning (knowing that conditions still vary day-to-day with wind, currents, and cleanup).

2025’s Most-Affected Zone (Good To Know For 2026)

In 2025, the heaviest landings clustered south of Cancun’s Hotel Zone toward Puerto Morelos. Based on recurring “abundant/excessive” alerts reported from the citizen-science network, the following spots were among the hardest hit (ordered by consistency and frequency of high alerts noted through spring–summer):

1. Playa Coral (Mirador II) – Often topped the daily “abundant/excessive” charts.
2. Riviera Cancun – The broad resort corridor just south of the airport.
3. Moon Palace – Exposed shoreline frequently flagged as high-accumulation.
4. Royalton Riviera – Similar exposure pattern to neighboring stretches.
5. Bahía Petempich – Pocket bay that repeatedly saw heavy landings.
6. Punta Caracol & Puerto Morelos (norte) – Northern Puerto Morelos sector had sustained influxes.
7. Punta Brava / Playa El Secreto – Quiet coves but often wind-exposed.
8. Vidanta / Playa Paraíso – South of Puerto Morelos toward Maroma.
9. Punta Maroma – Gorgeous but saw frequent arrivals in peak months.
10. Punta Bete – Xcalacoco – Punta Esmeralda – Playa Colosio (north PDC) – Outside core Cancún, yet relevant if you’re mixing bases.

Why the south-of-Cancún pattern? The prevailing currents funnel sargassum toward this stretch in peak months, and 2025’s basin-wide abundance made that funnel more pronounced. Satellite bulletins from USF documented the record magnitude this year, aligning with on-the-ground alerts.

How The Hotel Zone Compared

Central Hotel Zone beaches (think Gaviota Azul, Chac-Mool, Marlín, Ballenas, Delfines, Punta Nizuc) trended moderate more often than “excessive” during peak weeks—still a nuisance some days, but less consistently overwhelmed than the corridor toward Puerto Morelos.

On good days, crews returned stretches to postcard-blue surprisingly fast. In fact, local authorities and volunteers removed tens of thousands of tons in 2025, helping keep many beaches usable despite the surge. We covered how clean-up outpaced prior years mid-season, a reassuring trend if you plan to stay in the core.

Reliable Low-Impact Bets & Smart Workarounds

If 2026 mirrors 2025, your best “insurance policies” are to aim your beach time at naturally protected areas and keep flexible plans:

• Isla Mujeres (west-facing shores) and Isla Contoy: Geographically sheltered from the incoming flow, with historically lighter landings. For timing tips, our insider guide explains why October–February is typically the sweet spot to avoid sargassum altogether.
• Check before you go: Our roundup of live webcams and interactive maps is clutch for same-day decisions (it’s what we use too).
• Have Plan B fun ready: When a front brings in mats overnight, pivot to cenotes, lagoon days, or Isla day-trips—here are 7 alternatives we recommend during sargassum season.

When In The Year To Book 2026

While every season is different, SaWS long-term patterns and our on-the-ground reporting show April–August as the main window for heavier arrivals, with September–October easing and beaches trending much cleaner into winter.

In 2025, conditions declined week-by-week in October, and travelers were already celebrating swimmable water again. If you’re sargassum-averse, lock in late-fall to winter dates.

Final Safety Note

Sargassum itself isn’t a surf hazard—but the beach flags are your go-to for water safety regardless of seaweed conditions. Brush up on what the colors mean before you wade in.