MEXICO · AUGUST · QUINTANA ROO
Playa del Carmen began in 1937 as a small fishing settlement. The 2020 census counted 304,942 residents, which makes it the second-largest city in Quintana Roo after Cancun. In August it is a hot town on a warm sea, with a rain count that climbs toward September and a hurricane calendar already open. Whether to keep your vacation dates or shift them by four weeks comes down to rain days, sea temperature and how flexibly you can book.
Most travelers fly into Cancun International (CUN), run by ASUR, about 68 kilometers from town. Tulum International, open since December 2023, sits to the south and is the closer option for the southern Riviera Maya. We could not verify transfer fares or drive times from either airport, so we quote none.
AUGUST AT A GLANCE · PLAYA DEL CARMEN
August brings 93.6°F afternoons, an 87.1°F sea and a hurricane season already open: keep the dates if you can book refundable, and move to July if you want fewer rain days (6.5 against 8.5).
AVERAGE HIGH 93.6°F · SEA 87.1°F · 8.5 RAIN DAYS · HURRICANE SEASON OPEN
Go for: 87.1°F water, Xcaret open from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and a rain count still below September’s 10.6 days.
Think twice before: booking anything non-refundable. August sits inside the Atlantic hurricane season.
Climate: SMN (CONAGUA) 1991-2020, station 23014 · Sea: Open-Meteo Marine · Hurricanes: NOAA NHC · full sources at the end
On this page
- Playa del Carmen weather in AugustHighs of 93.6°F, lows of 71.2°F, 8.5 rain days
- Can you swim in August?Sea at 87.1°F and the storm calendar
- How busy and expensive is August?Booking, the Visitax fee and refundable rates
- Things to do in AugustXcaret, the Cozumel ferry, Quinta Avenida, cenotes
- A two-day Playa del Carmen itineraryXcaret from 8:30 a.m., then the Cozumel ferry
- August vs July and SeptemberRain days of 6.5, 8.5 and 10.6
- Is August a good time to go?Who should keep the dates and who should move
August falls inside the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June 1 to November 30, peaks on September 10 and concentrates most of its activity between mid-August and mid-October (NOAA National Hurricane Center). That calendar, more than the heat, decides how you book.
Playa del Carmen weather in August: average highs, lows and rain days
| August normal | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Average high | 93.6°F | SMN station 23014, 1991-2020 |
| Average low | 71.2°F | SMN station 23014, 1991-2020 |
| Precipitation | 5.37 inches | SMN station 23014, 1991-2020 |
| Days with measurable rain | 8.5 days | SMN’s own count |
| Daylight on August 15 | 12 h 52 min | sunrise-sunset.org |
| Sunrise / sunset on August 15 (Cancun time) | 6:26 a.m. / 7:18 p.m. | converted from 11:26 and 00:18 UTC |
Every figure here comes from Mexico’s national weather service (SMN, part of CONAGUA), 1991-2020 normals, station 23014 at Leona Vicario near Puerto Morelos. That is the nearest official station on this stretch of coast, about 25 miles north of town, and Playa itself is not separately measured. August averages a 93.6°F high and a 71.2°F low, with 5.37 inches of precipitation.
The station logged measurable rain on 8.5 days in an average August, a little more than one day in four. SMN does not publish the threshold behind that count, so compare it with the July and September counts from the same station and leave U.S. rain-day counts out of it. We have no hourly data, so we cannot say when in the day the rain falls. Keep one flexible slot in every plan.
The average high and low sit 22.4 degrees apart. A 71.2°F night asks for a light layer at most, so the bag is packed for the daytime: a hat, sun protection, sandals and a light rain shell for the wet days.
On August 15 the day lasts about 12 hours 52 minutes. Converted to Cancun time from the UTC calculation (sunrise 11:26, sunset 00:18), the sun rises around 6:26 a.m. and sets around 7:18 p.m. Beach mornings start early, and anything outdoors after 7:18 p.m. happens in the dark.
Can you swim in Playa del Carmen in August? Sea temperature
Sea surface off Playa del Carmen averages 87.1°F in August, according to the Open-Meteo Marine API (mean over 2015-2024). That figure is the mean of daily maxima, so it runs a shade warmer than a 24-hour mean, and other sea-temperature tables may read a little lower for the same water. We used one series rather than blend several.
At 87.1°F the water is warmer than July’s 85.9°F (same API) and a shade below September’s 87.4°F. Nobody needs a wetsuit, and long swims are comfortable. The average high of 93.6°F stays above the water, so a swim cools you down.
Our sources carry no wave, wind or seaweed series for August, so we give none. Check beach conditions locally on the day you go. What the sources do document is storm risk: Hurricane Wilma struck this coast in October 2005 and stayed in the vicinity for about two days. Look at the National Hurricane Center forecast before any boat day.
How busy is Playa del Carmen in August? Crowds and prices
We found no occupancy series and no month-by-month hotel rates for Playa del Carmen, so we place August on no price ladder and quote no room rate. What we can say is calendar: August sits inside the hurricane season. How hotels price that, we could not verify.
We could not verify a booking lead time for August either. Two operators give firmer ground. An Ultramar ticket for Cozumel stays valid for six months from purchase. Xcaret prices its tickets dynamically, so the day you look decides the number, and we read none. Check each operator’s own page on the day you book.
Quintana Roo charges foreign tourists a mandatory environmental sanitation fee, the Derecho de Saneamiento Ambiental, known as Visitax, under Article 51 Octies of the state’s Law of Rights. It is payable online at visitax.gob.mx or through authorized companies. We could not confirm the current peso amount on the portal, so we give no figure.
The one line item where paying more changes August is cancellation terms. A refundable room and a changeable flight cost extra up front, and the hurricane calendar is the reason to pay it. Our Travel 101 guides cover general booking basics.
Things to do in Playa del Carmen in August
None of the options here is exclusive to August. What the month changes is the temperature: 93.6°F air and an 87.1°F sea push the day toward water and shade, and 12 hours 52 minutes of daylight leave room for an early start and a late evening.
Parque Xcaret, on the coast south of town, is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and advertises more than 50 attractions: underground rivers, an aviary, a butterfly pavilion, a coral reef aquarium. Its evening show, Xcaret Mexico Espectacular, features more than 300 performers. Ultramar’s Cozumel ferry leaves from the Terminal Maritima NAVEGA on Avenida Benito Juarez, and passengers must arrive 30 minutes before departure. Xcaret Xpress also sails the crossing. We could not confirm a fare or crossing time for either operator.
Commercially open cenotes near town include the Dos Ojos system and Gran Cenote, both closer to Tulum, and several smaller sites toward Puerto Morelos. Each is independently run with its own posted price, and we read none. August changes the air around them: with 93.6°F highs, plan the open-air stops for the first hours after the 6:26 a.m. sunrise. Check each site’s price and hours before driving out.
The free item we can confirm is Quinta Avenida, the pedestrian thoroughfare that runs parallel to the beach, lined with shops, clubs and restaurants. Walking it costs nothing. For the evening, the U.S. State Department’s advisory dated May 29, 2026 puts Quintana Roo at Level 2, ‘Exercise increased caution,’ and advises staying on well-lit pedestrian streets and in tourist zones after dark.
Playa del Carmen itinerary for August
Day one. Be at Parque Xcaret when it opens at 8:30 a.m., before the air reaches its 93.6°F average high. Put the underground rivers and the coral reef aquarium in the hottest hours. The park stays open until 10:30 p.m., well after the 7:18 p.m. sunset, so the Xcaret Mexico Espectacular fits the same day. Buy the ticket on the operator’s own page.
Day two. Take the Ultramar ferry to Cozumel from Terminal Maritima NAVEGA on Avenida Benito Juarez and arrive 30 minutes before departure. We could not read the crossing time, so confirm the sailing on Ultramar’s page. If the weather turns or the National Hurricane Center shows a system, drop the boat and spend the day on Quinta Avenida. The 87.1°F sea will still be warm when the rain passes.
Playa del Carmen in August vs July and September
| July | August | September | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average high | 93.2°F | 93.6°F | 91.9°F |
| Average low | 71.6°F | 71.2°F | 70.5°F |
| Precipitation | 3.84 inches | 5.37 inches | 6.73 inches |
| Days with measurable rain | 6.5 | 8.5 | 10.6 |
| Sea surface (Open-Meteo Marine API) | 85.9°F | 87.1°F | 87.4°F |
Highs barely move across the three months, from 93.2°F in July to 93.6°F in August and 91.9°F in September, and lows run 71.6°F, 71.2°F and 70.5°F. Air figures share one station and one period (SMN station 23014, 1991-2020). Rain moves much more: 3.84 inches on 6.5 days in July, 5.37 inches on 8.5 days in August, 6.73 inches on 10.6 days in September.
Moving four weeks earlier gets you July’s lower rain count and a sea of 85.9°F instead of 87.1°F. Moving four weeks later gets you a sea of 87.4°F and 10.6 rain days instead of 8.5, in the month that holds the September 10 hurricane peak. Other months are covered in Where to Go by month.
Is August a good time to visit Playa del Carmen?
Yes, if you want 87.1°F water, can live with 8.5 measurable-rain days and can book something you can cancel. No, if a dry week is non-negotiable or a rescheduled flight would sink the trip. August’s rain count already sits above July’s 6.5 days.
The month to prefer is July: 6.5 rain days, 3.84 inches of rain and an 85.9°F sea. It also falls before mid-August, when NOAA places the bulk of hurricane activity. Anyone who can travel earlier gains on rain and gives up little in water temperature. If Playa is still up for debate, our destination guides cover the alternatives.
August sits in the middle of the three months on both counts: an 87.1°F sea between July’s 85.9°F and September’s 87.4°F, and 8.5 rain days between 6.5 and 10.6. Warm water before September’s 10.6 rain days is the case for going.
The last word
August in Playa del Carmen is 87.1°F water under a forecast worth watching. Book the Ultramar ferry and Xcaret on the operators’ own pages, pay the Visitax fee at visitax.gob.mx and choose a refundable room. Playa del Carmen is one of four Quintana Roo cities (with Cancun, Tulum and Cozumel) that have a Tourist Assistance Module for emergency numbers, legal advice and police reports for a lost passport. Note where it is before you need it.
Sources & data for this guide
- Air normals (August, July, September) · Servicio Meteorologico Nacional (CONAGUA), 1991-2020, station 23014 Leona Vicario, Puerto Morelos · checked Sep 30, 2026 · rain-day threshold not published on the SMN sheet
- Sea surface temperature · Open-Meteo Marine API, mean of daily maxima 2015-2024 · checked Sep 30, 2026
- Daylight, sunrise and sunset on August 15 · sunrise-sunset.org, converted from UTC to Cancun time · checked Sep 30, 2026
- Hurricane season · NOAA National Hurricane Center · checked Sep 30, 2026
- Safety advisory (Level 2, May 29, 2026) and Tourist Assistance Modules · U.S. Department of State, Mexico Travel Advisory · checked Sep 30, 2026
- Xcaret hours and evening show · Xcaret (operator) · checked Sep 30, 2026
- Cozumel ferry terminal, 30-minute rule, six-month validity · Ultramar (operator) · checked Sep 30, 2026
- Visitax fee · Gobierno del Estado de Quintana Roo · checked Sep 30, 2026
- City history, population and airport distance · Wikipedia, secondary source · checked Sep 30, 2026
- We could not verify current Xcaret ticket prices, Xcaret Xpress fares and crossing times, the Visitax peso amount, hotel rates or occupancy, and we found no sea-condition series. Cenote prices and hours are set by each site, so check them when you book.