Seaweed on beaches in Tulum & Playa del Carmen

Anonymous
Has anyone been to Tulum or Playa recently? I keep reading this is a big problem for beach goers, can anyone report back?
Anonymous
Isn’t it seasonal/cyclical? Whether someone had seaweed in the past will not be indicative of whether you have seaweed in the future.
Anonymous
The seaweed is bad everywhere in the Caribbean in the summer now. Wasn’t like that even 10-15 years ago. Climate change is real.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Isn’t it seasonal/cyclical? Whether someone had seaweed in the past will not be indicative of whether you have seaweed in the future.

I think that’s what op is asking. How is it lately?
Anonymous
I've never minded it that much.
Anonymous
According to posts I’ve seen on TiKTok recently it looks really bad
Anonymous
Here are a couple of websites that provide regular updates to the sargassum seaweed situation. It's been a problem for about 10 years now. And I believe it is cyclical so it's worth checking current levels when you want to travel.

https://sargassummonitoring.com/en/
https://www.caricoos.org/sargassum
Anonymous
Wow thank you! OP here I haven’t been to Mexico in over 10 years, climate change is real
Anonymous
We went over spring break and it was terrible. One driver we had said it usually isn’t bad that early, but even with the hotel using small bulldozer type equipment to try to clean it up, they barely made a dent.
Anonymous
It’s difficult to say if it will be bad from year to year. Our first year in Cancun it was pretty bad and they had crews working on the beach all day cleaning it up. We went back a year later at more or less the same time and there was hardly any.
Anonymous
Heard this year it will be bad enough to reach FL fwiw
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:The seaweed is bad everywhere in the Caribbean in the summer now. Wasn’t like that even 10-15 years ago. Climate change is real.


Not everywhere in the Caribbean. Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao don’t get it. They are also below the hurricane belt.
Anonymous
So gross.
Anonymous
I was in Playa in April - we didn't spend much time at the beach since the pool at our hotel was really nice. But when we did check it out the seaweed wasn't crazy. Playa is not really know for nice beaches though - if you want that take the ferry to Cozumel. They're absolutely pristine there. Or you could also go down to Akumal. Haven't been there in many years but I remember the beaches being picturesque.
Anonymous
I was in Playa in mid-June of last year. The seaweed was bad by the time we got there. There was also shocking levels of erosion - sometimes the foundation of parts of a hotel would be at the waterline.

We technically went in the water one day and walked down the beach (could only go in one direction) a few times. Mostly, we appreciated that our little resort had a pool that was right on the beach, so we could be in clear, non-stinky water (up to our necks because the heat index was 105), but still hear the waves, the mariachi bands, generally feel like we were at the beach.

I had been there previously in 2002, and it was much different then.
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