When’s The Best Time To Visit Playa del Carmen?

Last Updated 2 years ago

Playa del Carmen is a coastal town located 45 minutes south of Cancun. Popular with short-stay tourists as well as long-stay digital nomads, it’s rarely quiet here. The city’s combination of well-priced accommodation, its fantastic food scene, buzzing nightlife, and great transport links, all help to keep visitors flowing into Playa del Carmen. Here are the best times of the year to visit Playa Del Carmen and some seasons you may want to avoid altogether.

Here, we’ll run through when you might want to consider a visit to this inviting Mexican Caribbean destination.

When’s the best weather in Playa del Carmen?

Temperatures

Playa del Carmen, like all of the Mexican Caribbean, is hot all year round, reaching an average of 82 degrees in the coolest month of January and 90 degrees in May and August, the hottest months, according to holiday-weather.com.  

Rainy season

What the temperatures alone don’t take into account is the humidity level. During the rainy season, which runs from June to October, it can get uncomfortably sticky in Playa del Carmen, which is manageable if your plans include no more than sunbathing by the pool. But if you want to explore the area, it can be unpleasant when there is so much humidity. 

Hurricane season

It’s also worth considering hurricane season, which runs roughly the same as the rainy season, but with storms and hurricanes most likely in September and October. Rain storms and squally winds are common at this time of year, which isn’t ideal if you’re traveling to Mexico to enjoy the tranquil, sunny days it’s famous for. 

When is Playa del Carmen most crowded?

Playa del Carmen sees most tourists in and around holiday seasons, such as Chrismas and New Year, which are popular with international visitors, Easter, which is equally popular with international and domestic tourists, and summer, when – despite the humidity – families pour into the area to enjoy the long summer break from school.  

The shoulder seasons of May to June and October to November are less busy, so if you want to avoid crowds, this could be a great time to plan your visit. 

When’s the cheapest time to visit Playa del Carmen? 

Hotel and resort prices in the Mexican Caribbean are a concern for visitors, as they have risen swiftly since the peak of the pandemic, with nearby Cancun seeing hotel rates increase by almost a half since 2019. 

So, choosing a time when prices may be lower is vitally important to some people whose budget is already stretched. Prices are generally at their lowest during the humid rainy season, with May to June and September to October usually seeing the lowest prices. However, late April and early December can also see reasonable prices, as well as drier, less humid weather, so be aware of offers around this time too. 

Signing up for hotel newsletters can be a fantastic way of finding out about discounts and offers in specific hotels, so sign up for your favorites to be first in line for discount prices. 

When is sargassum a problem in Playa del Carmen? 

Sargassum is a big problem each year in Playa del Carmen. It’s a type of seaweed that is washed up on the beaches of the Mexican Caribbean in vast quantities, emitting an unpleasant odor as it rots in the heat. 

Despite concerted efforts by the government and beachfront hotels to stop the seaweed from reaching the shore, and to quickly remove it when it does, it seems impossible to avoid the situation entirely. So, bear this in mind, if you plan to visit between May and October. 

Conclusion

Overall, there are different best times to visit Playa del Carmen, depending on your priorities:

• If the weather is the most important factor, then December to March is generally the best time to visit Playa del Carmen. 
• If you love a buzzing atmosphere with plenty of other tourists, then visit during the peak season, but if you want to avoid the crowds, try the less popular months of May, June, September, or October.
• If price is your main consideration, May, June, September, and October are the months most likely to see discounted hotel and resort rates
• If you want to enjoy the beaches without the blight of sargassum, visit between November and April. 

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