Cayman Islands · west-facing
Grand Cayman (Seven Mile Beach)
Stale data
Our newest NOAA observation is too old to stand behind, so we hold the level back rather than pass it off as current.
Head to head editorial
Grand Cayman vs Cozumel: sargassum compared
Both are strong picks: Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman and the Cozumel resort coast face west, away from the open Atlantic, the most sheltered setup this atlas tracks.
The reasoning
Why the map says what it says
When both coasts have the good geometry, the seaweed question stops being the tiebreaker and the trip itself decides. Sheltered is still odds rather than a guarantee, so give both cards below a glance before booking, and remember that the windward east side of each island is a different story from the coast rated here.
Right now
Current risk level, side by side satellite-derived
Both measured from NOAA's update of . Each card rates one specific stretch of coast; open a destination for the full picture.
Mexico · west-facing (leeward)
Cozumel (west coast)
Stale data
Our newest NOAA observation is too old to stand behind, so we hold the level back rather than pass it off as current.
The record
November, five years back satellite-derived
Raw satellite floating-algae detections near each coast for this month in each of the past five years (brighter orange and red = stronger signal). These are detections, not risk ratings: clouds and glare can hide algae, offshore mats do not always land, and the nearshore strip is blanked where the signal is unreliable. Click any map for that month's full Caribbean view.
Making the call
How to decide
- Read the cards above, including the full mix of levels, not just the headline.
- Open a beach cam for each contender if one exists; nothing beats looking.
- Ask each hotel for a same-day photo of its swimming beach.
- Remember the atlas rates coastlines, not resorts: one cove can beat its neighbor on the same morning.
More head-to-heads on the compare page, or build a shortlist from scratch with where beaches stay clearer.