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Sargazo Watch64 guidesUpdated September 2026

Ruins, cenotes, cultural monuments, parks, reefs and boat trips across the Mexican Caribbean, Florida and the Dominican Republic. Each guide sets out expectations, a summary of visitor reviews, indications on how to reach the site, and an indicative price.

A day inland is the practical answer to a rough sargassum day, and having a plan B before your trip is always useful.

Cancún & the Riviera Maya 17

Nohoch Mul pyramid rising out of the jungle canopy at Cobá, seen from the air Maya ruins · Cobá Cobá: the jungle city, the sacbé roads and the cenote that ends the day Nohoch Mul rises above the forest canopy, the tallest structure in the northern Yucatán. from $109 Stalactites hanging from the cavern roof over bright turquoise water at Gran Cenote Cenotes · Tulum Gran Cenote, Casa Cenote and Zemway: three cenotes minutes from Tulum Three cenotes within minutes of Tulum, each a different type: half-open cavern, mangrove channel and open pool. from $25 Snorkellers floating through one of Xcaret's underground rivers between mossy limestone walls Eco-park · Playa del Carmen Xcaret: the eco-archaeological park and its night show Xcaret combines a coastal inlet, jungle waterways and a 300-performer night show on one site south of Playa del Carmen. from $113 Aerial view of snorkellers following the marked route across the shallow inlet Natural water park · Tulum Xel-Há: the all-inclusive snorkelling inlet near Tulum Xel-Há is built around a natural inlet where an underground river meets the Caribbean, which is what keeps the snorkelling calm and clear. from $72 Divers silhouetted against shafts of daylight beneath the cavern overhang at Cenote Dos Ojos Cenote · Tulum Cenote Dos Ojos: two flooded eyes of the world's largest cave system Two cenotes joined by a flooded passage, part of Sac Actun, the largest surveyed underwater cave system on earth. from $20 A green sea turtle swimming just above the seagrass beds in Akumal Bay Snorkelling & cenotes · Akumal Akumal turtles and cenotes: the protected bay, and the cavern swim that follows Akumal means “place of turtles” in Maya, and green turtles graze the seagrass beds a short swim from the sand. from $99 The Castillo pyramid at Muyil rising above the jungle canopy UNESCO biosphere · south of Tulum Sian Ka'an: floating the Maya canals of a UNESCO biosphere Sian Ka'an means “origin of the sky” in Maya. The canals you float were dug by the Maya as trade routes. from $219 Aerial view of the Celarain lighthouse on the narrow southern point of Cozumel, reef and lagoon on either side Ecological park · Cozumel Punta Sur by buggy: the reserve, the lighthouse, the tequila stop and the beach club Punta Sur protects the southern tip of Cozumel: lighthouse, crocodile lagoon, Maya ruin and a beach that stays nearly empty. from $90 Submerged concrete sculptures of raised hands on the white sand floor of the MUSA museum, sergeant major fish gathered around them and a snorkeller passing behind Snorkelling · Cancún MUSA underwater museum: the sculptures, the turtles, the reef, the wreck and a cenote More than five hundred submerged sculptures stand on the sand floor between Cancún and Isla Mujeres, and the four-stop tour pairs them with turtles, reef and a wreck. from $79 A catamaran anchored on the shallow turquoise El Cielo sandbar off Cozumel, swimmers standing in waist-deep water beside it Snorkelling · Cozumel El Cielo and Palancar, Cozumel: the sandbar, the reefs and the starfish El Cielo is a shallow sandbar off Cozumel's south-west shore, named for the starfish scattered across its floor, and it sits a short run from the Palancar and Columbia reefs. from $62 Aerial view of El Castillo standing alone in cleared grass, surrounded by unbroken jungle Maya ruins · Yucatán Chichén Itzá: the Yucatán's great Maya city, and how to see it well A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988 and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, receiving roughly 2.6 million visitors a year. from $32 The shaft of daylight falling through the roof of Cenote Suytun onto the circular stone platform Cenotes · Valladolid Cenote Suytun and the Valladolid cenotes: the light beam, and the two beside it Suytun's roof opening throws a single beam onto a circular stone platform, the most photographed sight in the Yucatán interior. from $93 Visitors on the walkway through the illuminated dry cave at Aktun Chen, the chamber lit in blue and amber Cave & park · Riviera Maya Aktun Chen: the dry cave, the cenote and the zipline circuit A privately run natural park inland of the coast, combining a dry cave, an underground cenote and a zipline circuit through jungle. from $124 The illuminated Coco Bongo facade on Boulevard Kukulcán at night Nightlife · Cancún Coco Bongo Cancún: the show, the tiers and what the ticket really buys A four-hour variety show performed above the crowd, in the middle of Cancún's hotel zone. from $90 The illuminated corner facade of Coco Bongo Playa del Carmen at night Nightlife · Playa del Carmen Coco Bongo Playa del Carmen: the same show, one block off Quinta Avenida The same four-hour show as Cancún, a block from Quinta Avenida and walkable from most of central Playa. from $87 Palapas and sun loungers above the reef shallows at Parque Garrafón, with the platform offshore Reef park · Isla Mujeres Parque Garrafón: the reef park on Isla Mujeres' south point A cliffside reef park on the southern tip of Isla Mujeres, with the Mesoamerican reef directly offshore. from $89 Two visitors in wetsuits and helmets standing in shallow water inside a vast Río Secreto chamber, stalactites descending from the roof and warm light across the formations Underground river · Playa del Carmen Río Secreto: swimming an underground river through the cave formations A privately managed section of underground river south of Playa del Carmen, entered on foot and swum in a wetsuit and helmet. from $109

Florida 21

Space Shuttle Atlantis displayed with its payload bay doors open Space centre · Cape Canaveral Kennedy Space Center: the working spaceport you can visit The Visitor Complex sits inside an active launch site on Merritt Island. from $75 An airboat crossing shallow sawgrass marsh in the Everglades Wetlands · Everglades Everglades airboat tours: what the ride is actually like Airboats run across shallow sawgrass marsh west of Miami. from $45 Colourful conch houses and palms in Key West Old Town Island day trip · Florida Keys Key West day trip: is the drive from Miami worth it? Key West sits at the end of the Overseas Highway, closer to Cuba than to Miami. from $35 Miami skyline seen from a sightseeing boat on Biscayne Bay Boat cruise · Miami Millionaire's Row cruise: Biscayne Bay by boat The bay route passes Star Island, the port and the downtown skyline. from $35 Themed streetscape and rides at Universal Orlando Resort Theme park · Orlando Universal Orlando: three parks, and which ticket to buy Universal Orlando now runs three theme parks and a water park on one resort. from $124 Theme park castle and crowds at Walt Disney World Theme park · Orlando Walt Disney World: planning a first visit Four theme parks and two water parks spread across a site the size of a city. from $119 Fort Jefferson surrounded by clear turquoise water at Dry Tortugas National park · Florida Keys Dry Tortugas: the fort, the ferry and the clearest water in Florida Fort Jefferson stands on a sand key 110 kilometres west of Key West. from $250 Snorkellers above a coral patch reef off Key Largo State park · Key Largo John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park: snorkelling the first undersea park The park protects the reef tract a few kilometres offshore from Key Largo. from $50 Cuban coffee window and street life on Calle Ocho in Little Havana Food & culture · Miami Little Havana food tour: Calle Ocho on foot Calle Ocho is the centre of Cuban Miami and best explored on foot. from $65 Large-scale murals on warehouse walls in Wynwood, Miami Street art · Miami Wynwood Walls: the street-art district, and how to see it properly Wynwood's warehouse walls are repainted continually by invited artists. from $12 Visitors in a walk-through aquarium tunnel with rays overhead Aquarium · Orlando SEA LIFE Orlando: the ocean tunnel on International Drive The walk-through tunnel is the centrepiece of the I-Drive aquarium. from $29.99 Roller coaster track above themed grounds at Busch Gardens Tampa Theme park · Tampa Busch Gardens Tampa: coasters and a genuine Serengeti An African-themed park combining major coasters with a large animal collection. from $55 Bottlenose dolphin surfacing beside a boat off Clearwater Beach Boat cruise · Clearwater Clearwater dolphin cruise: wild dolphins on the Gulf coast Bottlenose dolphins are resident in the Intracoastal channels behind Clearwater Beach. from $28 Coquina walls of the Castillo de San Marcos on the St. Augustine bayfront Historic city · St. Augustine St. Augustine: the oldest city in the United States Founded in 1565, St. Augustine is the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the country. from $40 Schooner under sail at sunset off Key West Sailing · Key West Key West sunset sail: the schooner alternative to Mallory Square Sunset sailings leave the harbour an hour or two before dusk. from $65 Airboat on open water at the edge of the northern Everglades Wetlands · Fort Lauderdale Sawgrass Recreation Park: the Everglades from Fort Lauderdale The northern Everglades begin a short drive west of Fort Lauderdale. from $28.95 Clear turquoise shallows off North Bimini in the Bahamas Island day trip · Bimini Bimini day trip: the Bahamas by fast ferry from Fort Lauderdale Bimini lies about 80 kilometres east of the Florida coast. from $225 Aerial view of Miami Beach and the bay from a helicopter Scenic flight · Miami Miami helicopter tour: the skyline from the air Flights run along the beach, the islands and the downtown waterfront. from $159 Private boat anchored on a Biscayne Bay sandbar with the Miami skyline behind Private charter · Miami Miami private boat charter: what a day on the bay costs Private charters run from Miami Beach and downtown marinas onto Biscayne Bay. from $100 Water taxi passing waterfront homes on a Fort Lauderdale canal Water transport · Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi: the canals as public transport The water taxi links the beach, Las Olas and the New River waterfront. from $38 Coral reef and fish seen through the viewing window of a glass-bottom boat Reef trip · Key Largo Key Largo glass-bottom boat: the reef without getting wet The catamaran runs out to the reef tract a few kilometres offshore. from $55

Dominican Republic 26

Palms leaning over white sand and turquoise shallows on Isla Saona Island day trip · Bayahibe Saona Island: the Dominican Republic's classic day trip Saona lies inside Cotubanama National Park, off the southeast coast. from $64 Bright blue cenote water at the base of a limestone cliff at Hoyo Azul Cenote · Cap Cana Hoyo Azul: the turquoise cenote at the foot of a cliff Hoyo Azul sits at the foot of a sheer limestone cliff inside Scape Park. from $89 Clear freshwater lagoon surrounded by forest at Indigenous Eyes Ecological reserve · Punta Cana Indigenous Eyes: twelve freshwater lagoons in a coastal reserve Twelve freshwater lagoons sit in protected subtropical forest behind the coast. from $50 Off-road buggy on a dirt track through Dominican countryside Adventure · Punta Cana Buggy and ATV tours in Punta Cana: mud, countryside and a cenote Buggy routes run inland through farmland and villages before reaching the coast. from $60 Snorkellers above a shallow coral reef off Isla Catalina Snorkelling · La Romana Isla Catalina: reef snorkelling off a protected islet Catalina's protected reef lies a short crossing from the southern coast. from $75 Stone facade of the Catedral Primada de América in Santo Domingo Historic city · Santo Domingo Santo Domingo's Colonial City: the first European city in the Americas The Zona Colonial is a UNESCO World Heritage site laid out from 1502. from $79 Humpback whale breaching in Samaná Bay Wildlife · Samaná Samaná whale watching: humpbacks in the bay, January to March Humpbacks gather in Samaná Bay each winter to breed and calve. from $60 El Limón waterfall falling into a green plunge pool Waterfall · Samaná El Limón waterfall: the horseback ride to a 40-metre cascade El Limón drops about 40 metres from the Sierra de Samaná into a freshwater pool. from $35 Two guides on a wooden zipline platform sending a rider out across the wooded valley, hills and cloud behind Adventure · Punta Cana Monkeyland, ziplines and buggies: the Punta Cana adventure bundle The canopy circuit above the hills inland from Punta Cana. Catamaran anchored over shallow turquoise water off Bávaro Catamaran · Bávaro Bávaro catamaran party: snorkel stop and a natural pool Catamarans run along the Bávaro reef to a shallow offshore pool. from $59 Forested limestone mogotes rising sheer from the turquoise water of Samaná Bay at Los Haitises National park · Samaná Bay Los Haitises: mangroves, caves and limestone islands by boat Limestone mogotes on the southern shore of Samaná Bay, the signature landscape of the park. from $80 Swimmer sliding down a limestone chute at Damajagua Adventure · Puerto Plata 27 Charcos de Damajagua: jumping and sliding the waterfalls A limestone canyon of pools and chutes above the Damajagua river. from $11 People standing in shallow turquoise water at the Saona natural pool Island & sandbar · Bayahibe Saona natural pool: the sandbar stop, and how to do it properly The natural pool is a shallow sandbar in open water between the mainland and Saona. from $64 Snorkeller above sea fans on the reef off Punta Cana Snorkelling · Punta Cana Punta Cana snorkelling: the reef and the shipwreck Boats run out over the fringing reef off Bávaro and Cabeza de Toro. from $45 Squirrel monkey sitting on a visitor's shoulder at Monkeyland Wildlife · Anamuya Monkeyland: squirrel monkeys in the hills above Punta Cana A hillside reserve where squirrel monkeys move freely through the trees. from $60 Small white sand cay surrounded by shallow reef water at Cayo Arena Sandbar & reef · Punta Rucia Cayo Arena: the sandbar reef off the northwest coast A small coral sand cay on a reef bank off Punta Rucia, on the northwest coast. from $65 Dolphin presentation pool at Ocean World in Cofresí Marine park · Puerto Plata Ocean World: the marine park at Cofresí A marine park and marina complex on the coast west of Puerto Plata. from $95 The concrete parabolic arch of the basilica at Higüey Culture · Higüey Higüey: the basilica and the Dominican countryside The basilica's concrete arch at Higüey is the country's principal pilgrimage church. from $50 The stone church of St Stanislaus at Altos de Chavón, its coral-block facade and twin obelisks above a cobbled plaza Cultural village · La Romana Altos de Chavón: the stone village above the Chavón river The church of St Stanislaus on the main plaza, built from coral block and river stone. from $79 Aerial view of Cayo Levantado, its palm-shaded crescent of sand ringed by turquoise water Island day trip · Samaná Cayo Levantado: the island from the Bacardí advert The island's main beach, fifteen minutes by boat from Samaná town. from $15 The signed green swing on the summit of Montaña Redonda, a visitor swinging out over the coastal plain and the sea Viewpoint · Miches Montaña Redonda: the swings on the hill above Miches The swing on the summit, looking north over the coastal plain to the Atlantic. from $2 A cable car cabin climbing Mount Isabel de Torres above the forest, with Puerto Plata and the coast spread out below Cable car · Puerto Plata Puerto Plata cable car: the Caribbean's only aerial tramway (currently closed) A cabin on the climb to the summit of Mount Isabel de Torres. from $10 A brick walkway and iron railing beside the turquoise water of one of the cave lakes at Los Tres Ojos, stalactites hanging from the roof above Cave lakes · Santo Domingo Los Tres Ojos: the cave lakes on the edge of Santo Domingo The first of the cave lakes, reached by the stairway down from the entrance. from $3 An instructor on Cabarete beach flying an orange training kite, the bay and breaking surf beyond Kitesurfing · Cabarete Cabarete kitesurfing: learning to ride on Kite Beach An instructor flying a training kite on Cabarete beach. Limestone cliffs topped with cactus dropping straight into turquoise shallows at Bahía de las Águilas Remote beach · Pedernales Bahía de las Águilas: eight kilometres of empty sand Limestone cliffs and cactus mark the eastern end of the bay, where the sand runs out against the rock. from $35 A raft dropping through white water between boulders on the Rio Yaque del Norte, five paddlers in helmets and life jackets White water · Jarabacoa Jarabacoa rafting: the only white water in the Caribbean Running the rapids on the Rio Yaque del Norte above Jarabacoa. from 77

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