The beaches in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, began October with the return of sargassum, driven by strong winds from the south and southeast and by ocean currents that pushed new seaweed patches toward the coast.
In response, the beach town has deployed cleanup operations along the coast. The Federal Maritime-Terrestrial Zone agency (Zofemat) has a workforce of approximately 300 people dedicated to removing the macroalgae and keeping the beaches accessible to tourists.
Sheinbaum vows action on Quintana Roo’s sargassum crisis during Tulum visit
David Buchanan, the director of Zofemat Tulum, noted in a recent interview that the sargassum season remains active; however, some relief is in sight.
The head of the Quintana Roo Sargassum Monitoring Network, Esteban Amaro Mauricio, said that the state is entering a seasonal phase of decline following the peak in June and July. This does not mean the threat of sargassum is gone — localized wash-ups are still possible during October — but a progressive reduction is expected heading into November and December.
Satellite monitoring data for Oct. 1, 2026, identified conditions of moderate sargassum landfall in parts of Cancún. In recent days, visitors to area beaches posted footage on Facebook showing full sargassum coverage at Dreams Sapphire Resort but clearer coastlines around Melia Casa Maya and Sandos Playacar resorts.
Sargassum is a floating seaweed that forms vast masses in the Caribbean Sea. When it washes up on the beach in large quantities, it creates an ugly view and produces an unpleasant odor as it decomposes. Its negative impacts on tourism to Mexico’s Riviera Maya have been particularly pronounced in 2026, with hotel occupancy falling to 35% in southern Quintana Roo in September.
This year, total sargassum arrivals are estimated to reach roughly 150,000 tonnes by year’s end, well above the 94,000 tonnes collected in 2025.
With reports from Reportur, Noticaribe and Heraldo de México
