Sargassum — the brown seaweed that washes up on some Caribbean beaches in summer — is the question our advisors get asked most. So the CaribbeanMag team built a free, live Clear-Beach Index: a resort-by-resort look at which beaches are clear right now, and which ones to switch to if yours isn’t.

Open the live Clear-Beach Index →

See it live

Here’s the current outlook for three of the destinations we’re asked about most. Each badge updates itself from satellite data:

How the Clear-Beach Index works

We don’t guess. Every rating blends three real signals:

  • Live satellite data — NOAA/USF’s AFAI index shows where the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt actually is right now, refreshed daily.
  • 15 years of seasonal history — the belt follows a strong yearly rhythm; some months are reliably clear, others reliably heavy.
  • Each beach’s orientation — the direction a beach faces decides how much seaweed it catches. Sheltered, leeward beaches stay clear while exposed, east-facing ones get hit.

Satellite sees seaweed offshore, not on the exact sand, so we treat every rating as a planning estimate — always confirm with the resort before you travel.

Which Caribbean beaches stay clearest?

If avoiding seaweed is your priority, the leeward southern islands and the low-lying northern cays are the safest bets nearly year-round:

  • Aruba & Curaçao — south of the belt, reliably clear.
  • The Bahamas & Turks & Caicos — Grace Bay and the Exumas rarely see much.
  • Sheltered Mexican Caribbean — Isla Mujeres’ Playa Norte, Cozumel’s west coast, and Costa/Playa Mujeres north of Cancún.

The open, east-facing coasts — much of the Cancún Hotel Zone, the Riviera Maya, Tulum, and the windward sides of the eastern islands — take the brunt from roughly April through August.

Planning a trip? Check your dates by destination

Our month-by-month guides cover weather, crowds, prices, and seaweed season for every island:

Want us to find you a clear beach? The Pixie Vacations advisors behind CaribbeanMag book Caribbean all-inclusives every day and know which resorts sit on the sheltered stretches. We’ll match you to a reliably clear beach — at no extra cost.

Get a free quote →

Ratings are planning estimates based on satellite and seasonal data, not guarantees; conditions can change within a day. Always confirm with your resort before traveling.