Playa del Carmen, Mexico Weather and Climate

Geographical location

Playa del Carmen is a city in the state of Quintana Roo on the southeast coast of Mexico. The city belongs to the popular holiday region Riviera Maya on the Caribbean coast and is an important tourist center.

Playa del Carmen is the city with the greatest population growth in Mexico, as the population has increased from only around 200 fishermen since 1970 to over 150,000 people.

Nevertheless, it has been possible to largely retain the original charm in the lively seaside resort of Playa del Carmen. The elongated beach is considered one of the most beautiful in Mexico. The landscape around the region of the Riviera Maya and Playa del Carmen is very flat and wooded, there are hardly any natural elevations like mountains.

Playa del Carmen’s ferry terminal is a major access point to the Caribbean island of Cozumel. Cancun Airport is the usual connection for holidaymakers from Germany (e.g. with Condor) and is around an hour’s drive away. In the immediate vicinity there are other popular vacation spots on the Riviera Maya such as Puerto Morelos and Playacar

Climate in Playa del Carmen

The temperatures in the city of Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya are usually between 27 and 32 ° C during the day, they fluctuate little throughout the year. The climate is subtropical, the hottest are the summer months from April to September. It is sunny almost all the time in Playa del Carmen, but in the months between June and October most precipitation falls in southeastern Mexico and there are thunderstorms.

In addition, the period between the beginning of June and the end of November applies officially as hurricane season on the Caribbean coast. The months of September and October are not only hot, but also have very high humidity. From mid-November it will be noticeably cooler with pleasant daytime temperatures of around 29 degrees, until May the dry season in Playa del Carmen and the surrounding area extends.

When to go to Playa del Carmen

Actually, you can travel to Playa del Carmen all year round, as the sun shines on about 300 out of 365 days and swimming in the sea is almost always possible. Due to the mentioned weather risks during the rainy season, however, occasional restrictions can be expected in summer. The hurricane danger is also a concern for many vacationers, although early warning systems and very good emergency plans ensure the safety of locals and tourists.

As the best travel time for the Riviera Maya, we therefore recommend the end of November to May, as the temperatures are now very pleasant and there is significantly less rain. The humidity is correspondingly lower and the climate is warm in summer, but not too hot. The water temperature remains even in February and March with a low of 26 degrees absolutely suitable for bathing.

Temperatures, precipitation, sunshine

	Jan	Feb	March	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Daytime temperature	28 ° C	29 ° C	30 ° C	31 ° C	32 ° C	32 ° C	33 ° C	33 ° C	33 ° C	31 ° C	29 ° C	29 ° C
Night temperature	18 ° C	18 ° C	19 ° C	21 ° C	23 ° C	24 ° C	24 ° C	23 ° C	23 ° C	22 ° C	19 ° C	18 ° C
Water temperature	27 ° C	26 ° C	26 ° C	27 ° C	28 ° C	28 ° C	28 ° C	29 ° C	28 ° C	28 ° C	28 ° C	27 ° C
Precipitation in mm	61	51	28	51	78	153	126	126	169	284	130	73
Rainy days	8	4	4	4	7	11	9	10	15	16	10	7
Hours of sunshine	8	9	10	10	11	10	10	10	9	8	8	8
Sunrise	7:25	7:20	6:55	6:30	6:10	6:05	6:15	6:25	6:35	6:45	7:00	7:15
Sunset	18:30	18:45	18:55	19:05	19:20	7:30 p.m.	7:30 p.m.	19:20	18:50	18:25	18:10	18:10

Temperatures

The annual average temperature is 25.8 ° C. For comparison: Munich reaches an average of 8.6 ° C, in Berlin it is 9.6 ° C. The warmest month is August (28.1 ° C), coldest month of January with mean values of 22.9 ° C. The maximum water temperature is 29 ° C. Comfortable bathing is possible at these temperatures. All months have a water temperature of at least 21 ° C and are therefore suitable for a beach holiday.

Precipitation

The annual precipitation is 1331 mm on 105 days with precipitation. For comparison: In Munich, 967 mm, in Berlin 570 mm, precipitation is measured annually. The October is considered the rainy season, since in this month are expected to more than 175 mm of rainfall. Snowfall is generally not expected in any month.

Sunshine

As our climate table shows, May is the sunniest month with an average of 11 hours of sunshine per day. On average over the year, the sun shines 9.3 hours per day. For comparison: In Munich and Berlin, the sun shines an average of 4.7 hours per day throughout the year.

Cities nearby

The following larger towns are nearby and have a similar climate: Solidaridad, Municipio Benito Juárez and Cancún.

Highlights and attractions

Diving and snorkeling on the coast in front of Playa del Carmen are particularly recommended. A stroll through the colorful shopping street Quinta Avenida is part of the standard program, numerous restaurants and bars vie for the favor of holidaymakers here. The nature and leisure parks Xcaret Eco Theme Park and Xplor Park as well as various zipline parks near the city (for example Aventuras Mayas and Local Quickies) are worth seeing.

The offshore island of Cozumel can easily be visited for a day trip by ferry, there are also beautiful beaches and excellent diving spots. Only on days when the big cruise ships are in port is the experience a little clouded by the hustle and bustle in our opinion. However, many travelers especially love this particularly lively atmosphere.

The many archaeological sites of the Yucatán Peninsula, such as the Mayan ruins on Tulum Beach, are also suitable for day trips, the particularly impressive Chichén Itzá is around 2.5 hours away and rewards the long journey with incomparable impressions.

Playa del Carmen weather in March, April and May

Daily temperatures averaging 30 to 32 ° C can be expected over the next three months. The temperatures hardly fluctuate during this time.

Do you want to go on a beach holiday? The water temperatures are in March, April and May 26-28 ° C. This is great weather for a great time on the beach and in the water.

In March, at about days 4 to be expected precipitation in April at about 4 days in May at about 7 days.

In the period from March to May , the sun shines on average between 10 and 11 hours a day. The sunniest weather is in May in Playa del Carmen, but with a little less sun you will have to get by in March.