The best seaweed-free beaches in the Caribbean: where to go in 2022 and 2023 (2023)

FAQs

Which Caribbean islands do not have sargassum 2022? ›

On Providenciales, the popular beaches of Grace Bay, Leeward, the Bight Beach, Taylor Bay, Sapodilla Bay, and Malcolm's Road, and the beautiful boat cruise destinations of Half Moon Bay, Water Cay, Pine Cay, and Fort George Cay are typically free of sargassum.

Isla Mujeres: Caribbean beaches without sargassum

Just in front of Villa del Palmar Cancun is Isla Mujeres, one of the most paradisiacal destinations in the entire Caribbean and that hasn't been hit by the sargassum algae. This island is an excellent option to make a day trip from Cancun.

The 2022 sargassum season has begun. For the past 11 years, Jamaica and the Caribbean have experienced masses of floating brown algae that often end up inundating beaches. Although small quantities can begin arriving from March, we now know that the large influxes usually start in May and end in November.

Sargassum inundations occur mainly on the windward coast of Saint Lucia like most Eastern Caribbean Island States, with occasional landings occurring on the southwest coast. This influences which assets are impacted. Most tourism assets in Saint Lucia are located on the north west coast of the island.

Several Caribbean countries including Antigua and Barbuda have been dealing with the sargassum problem, which poses both economic and ecological challenges, for more than a decade.

Every beach in the world will have seaweed, but the Bahamas does not have the same problem as many places that are swamped in deep seaweed piles on beaches and in the sea. We are Atlantic-facing, so don't have the same kind of issues as many of the Caribbean and Central American countries.

1. Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is the most visited island in the Caribbean. With its seemingly endless white-sand beaches, the Dominican Republic is a popular getaway for tourists searching for an idyllic vacation, plenty of outdoor adventure, and a tinge of colonial history.

What's the number one beach in the Caribbean? ›

Grace Bay, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos

Often rated one of the best beaches in the world, the experience at Grace Bay lives up to its accolades. This 13-mile beach touts powder-soft sand and piercing blue waters, which are perfect for swimming.

Beautiful beach with no seaweed - Bonita Springs Public Beach.

Barbados depends heavily on coastal tourism and consequently tourism assets are impacted by sargassum inundations. Tourism assets located on the affected coasts are impacted sargassum inundations.

Montego Bay is in pretty good shape as the island humps north just to the east of Montego Bay which somewhat blocks seaweed flow. Negril is a special area facing west and even better. Ocho Rios has some seaweed problems, more in the water than on the beach.

In Mexico, sargassum seaweed season is generally between May and October each year. If you travel to the Caribbean coast of Mexico outside of that time period you can generally expect to avoid large mats of seaweed on the beaches.

Expect seasonal sargassum seaweed on Long Bay Beach.

There is a caveat to Long Bay Beach: it is located on the windward side of Providenciales (aka Provo) and in recent years during late summer months (including right now in 2021) the beach and water can be inundated overnight with a type of seaweed called sargassum.

According to Chaunmin Hu, a professor of Optical Oceanography, sargassum season generally lasts from April to August, though some years have seen 'particularly large blooms', including 2018 and 2021. Hu attributes the sargassum increase to an increasingly warm Atlatic Ocean, of which the Caribbean is a part of.

Turks & Caicos is a well-known destination in the Caribbean, though its star is the island of Providenciales. Its massive Grace Bay Beach, often called the world's most beautiful, features calm, turquoise emblematic of the region.

Punta Cana Seaweed coming from the Sargasso Sea is a usual sight especially during summer months in the east part of the Dominican Republic. Punta Cana seaweed is worst when the weather is hotter, and it almost disappears during the winter months in the northern hemisphere.

Is seaweed still a problem in the Caribbean? ›

Some island nations use heavy machinery to remove seaweed from the beach, but scientists warn that causes erosion and can destroy the nests of endangered turtles. Many Caribbean islands are struggling financially and do not have the means to clear the vast amounts of seaweed. Gov.

Aruba rarely gets bad seaweed - but it has been known to happen. If the situation throughout the Caribbean is bad and it is pervasive then there is a possibility that it may eventually get to Aruba as well.

A carpet of brown algae recently surrounded an uninhabited island near the French Caribbean territory of St. Martin that is popular with tourists, forcing officials to suspend ferry service and cancel kayaking and snorkeling tours. The normally translucent waters around Pinel Island turned into a prickly brown slush.

Unfortunately, the influxes of Sargassum we are seeing in the Cayman Islands are driven by external factors such as climate change and represent an emerging, long-term issue that we will have to manage on an ongoing, annual basis,” she said.

Likewise, Curaçao has also experienced significant Sargassum influxes since 2015, continually increasing as reported in February and March 2022.

Its main beaches like Palm beach, Eagle beach, and Baby beach are outside the sargassum seaweed belt. However, seaweed does occasionally wash up on Aruba's north shore, carried by the ocean currents.

And this is happening in a region that generally has very little seaweed. Sargassum has always been in Florida, the Bahamas and other islands.

Homicide and violent crime rates in the Bahamas remain among the highest in the Caribbean.

The cheapest time to go to the Caribbean is during the low season, which generally runs from May through August. The cheapest months are May and June. If you do not mind some rain showers during your vacation, you can score great deals for a Caribbean vacation.

Where to go in Caribbean 2022? ›

Turks and Caicos Islands

Turks and Caicos' Grace Bay consistently ranks as one of the top beaches in the world, so it's no surprise that the country has some of the cleanest and most enjoyable beaches in the Caribbean. The islands come in at 35th in the world, with an overall Ocean Health Index of 79.

1. Turks and Caicos. Known for having the best clear water beaches in the Caribbean, Turks and Caicos are home to sparkling white sandy beaches with shimmering blue crystal clear water that laps gently at the shore. The shallows are so clear you can see the undisturbed pearly sands at many depths.

Seaweed is a thing in Key West and the Florida Keys. Nearly any beach you go to in Key West will have seaweed. There's a good chance you won't find a public beach in Key West without seaweed. So you will more than likely see seaweed on the shoreline of Key West beaches, and that includes Smathers Beach.

Just east of Destin on Hwy 98, Panama City Beach marks the end of the beaches of South Walton. These beaches are widely considered to be the clearest and pure in the country.

Too much weed on the beach can be a bad thing, especially in surfing meccas such as Cocoa Beach, where Sargassum seaweed snarls boards, snags surf fishing lines, and is a bane to all others who prefer weed-free wading.

On Providenciales, the popular beaches of Grace Bay, Leeward, the Bight Beach, Taylor Bay, Sapodilla Bay, and Malcolm's Road, and the beautiful boat cruise destinations of Half Moon Bay, Water Cay, Pine Cay, and Fort George Cay are typically free of sargassum.

Where are the calmest waters in Barbados? ›

In general, beaches on the west and southwest coasts of Barbados have the calmest waters and softest sands, and are ideal for swimming, snorkeling and other water-based activities.

Bermuda is the only land mass located inside the vast Sargasso Sea. Named for its abundance of Sargasso seaweed, which provides a habitat for small marine animals in the vast, clear blue, deep ocean desert, the Sargasso Sea is a biodiversity hotspot.

Isla Mujeres: Caribbean beaches without sargassum

Just in front of Villa del Palmar Cancun is Isla Mujeres, one of the most paradisiacal destinations in the entire Caribbean and that hasn't been hit by the sargassum algae. This island is an excellent option to make a day trip from Cancun.

WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — Guests have reportedly deserted Negril's famous seven-mile, white sand beach after large swathes of it were covered by Sargassum seaweed.

I've travelled to Negril 2 times before that stay and it is by far the best beach in entire Jamaica however this time we weren't lucky, for the 2 days we were there there was a huge amount of seaweed that makes it very unpleasant to swim of enjoy the beach.

Sargassum inundations occur mainly on the windward coast of Saint Lucia like most Eastern Caribbean Island States, with occasional landings occurring on the southwest coast. This influences which assets are impacted. Most tourism assets in Saint Lucia are located on the north west coast of the island.

No Sargassum in Mexico

If you want to get to know the Caribbean, the island of Holbox is a destination in Mexico without sargassum. In this paradise, white sand covers the beaches and the streets. Punta Cocos is one of the most amazing beaches on the island.

Barbados has been especially hit hard since flying fish make up 60% of the island's annual landed catch, according to the University of the West Indies. An overabundance of sargassum was blamed for the recent deaths of thousands of fish at the French Caribbean island of Martinique.

So as you can see, seaweeds washed on shore is something that is important to the ecosystem and should not be a problem when visiting the beautiful Turks and Caicos beaches.

Punta Cana Seaweed coming from the Sargasso Sea is a usual sight especially during summer months in the east part of the Dominican Republic. Punta Cana seaweed is worst when the weather is hotter, and it almost disappears during the winter months in the northern hemisphere.

What beaches have sargassum? ›

Beaches with the highest seaweed count include Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and some points between Cancun and Puerto Morelos.

Update September 26: Playa del Carmen beaches are seaweed free. theCancunsun.com reported that Playa del Carmen beaches are seaweed free first time after 6 months.

It damages boat engines and fishing gear, prevents fishermen from reaching their vessels and fishing grounds and leads to a drop in the number of fish caught. Barbados, where the beaches are piled with reddish-brown seaweed, has been hit especially hard.

This stinky seaweed washes up on the islands' beaches and has been linked to a combination of released land-based nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen and ocean warming. Sargassum affects the livelihoods of the fishermen and other locals who depend on marine life for resources as well as their health.

When travelers think of safe islands to visit during hurricane season, the “ABC Islands” of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao often come to mind. Of the three, Aruba is the best option for points travelers.

The sargassum piling up on the coasts already affects seagrass meadows, mangroves, reefs and beaches, and threatens the economy of regions that essentially live on tourism, including Quintana Roo in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Belize and Aruba, among others.