What is sargassum?
The full story: the giant Atlantic belt blooming since 2011, why 2026 set records, and what it means for your beach.
Know before you go
Don't let seaweed spoil your beach vacation.
Sargassum, the brown seaweed that piles up on Caribbean shores, can turn a postcard beach into brown water and a rotten-egg smell for days. It hits some coasts hard and skips others, so where you book matters. This atlas shows the current NOAA risk level for 18 Caribbean vacation spots, with a live beach cam beside the data wherever we could verify one. We like clear beaches too.
13 of 15 destinations with current data are at Medium or High risk, as of .
Heads up: these levels come from NOAA's most recent update, published 2 days ago. We checked within the last day and NOAA has not released a newer one yet.
3 destinations without fresh-enough data are marked that way below, never guessed. Last check with NOAA: no newer update from NOAA yet.
Where is it clear?
Pick your destination
Each card's color is that coast's current NOAA risk level, running best to worst: Low, then Warning, then Medium, then High. Click through for beach cams, season guidance, and what the level actually means for your trip.
What does High mean?Satellites see a lot of seaweed approaching that coast, so the odds of beach problems are elevated. It is not a verdict on your beach: wind, currents, and cleanup crews decide any given morning, and travelers regularly find clear sand on High days. That is exactly what the beach cams are for.
Mexico
Cancun Hotel Zone
satellite-derived
High
Mexico
Playa del Carmen
satellite-derived
Insufficient data
Mexico
Akumal
satellite-derived
High
Mexico
Tulum Beach Zone
satellite-derived
High
Dominican Republic
Punta Cana and Bavaro
satellite-derived
Insufficient data
Dominican Republic
Bayahibe
satellite-derived
High
Puerto Rico
San Juan and Isla Verde
satellite-derived
High
U.S. Virgin Islands
St. Thomas
satellite-derived
High
Sint Maarten
St. Maarten
satellite-derived
Medium
Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua East Coast
satellite-derived
High
Barbados
Eastern Barbados
satellite-derived
High
Barbados
South Coast Barbados
satellite-derived
High
Martinique
Martinique Atlantic Coast
satellite-derived
High
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe Atlantic Coast
satellite-derived
Insufficient data
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia East Coast
satellite-derived
High
Aruba
Aruba Palm and Eagle Beach
satellite-derived
Low
Curacao
Curacao West Coast
satellite-derived
Low
Jamaica
Negril
satellite-derived
High
Before you book
Know the seaweed, save the trip
Plain-English guides for every stage of planning, each with its sources linked.
Read the guide
When is sargassum season?
The month-by-month pattern, when it peaks, and how much year-to-year luck is involved.
Where beaches stay clearer
Why the side of the island matters more than the country, and how to build a clear-beach shortlist.
What resorts do about it
Barriers, dawn cleanup crews, and the questions worth asking your hotel before you put money down.
Spring break guide
A simple check-as-you-go routine from booking day to departure day.
How the atlas works
Where our data comes from, and what it can and cannot tell you.
Page built . NOAA data retrieved . Curious what those times mean? See how the atlas works.