Water temperature in Mexico

Mexico's Pacific and Caribbean coasts

Mexico has coastlines on the Pacific, the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. The Caribbean coast of the Yucatán Peninsula and the Gulf are warm all year. On the Pacific side, location matters: off Baja California in the north, the cold California Current keeps the water noticeably fresher, while further south it becomes tropical. Hurricane season runs from June to November, and storms can change waves, currents and water quality for days at a time.

All 29 sites rely on modelled values. Temperatures come from the Open-Meteo marine model, which calculates sea surface temperature just offshore, and the app labels them as model values. They reflect conditions along a stretch of coast well but may differ in lagoons or shallow bays. Measured readings from Mexican stations are not yet part of this dataset. Beaches are tested by the health authorities independently of these figures.

The federal health risk agency and state health services sample water quality at bathing beaches and publish the results. On the Pacific coast, surf and rip currents are strong at many beaches, and lifeguarded stretches use flags to show whether swimming is advisable. Sargassum seaweed can wash up on the Caribbean coast during the warmer months. During hurricane season, it is worth keeping an eye on official warnings.