Playa del Carmen weather in March
In March, Playa del Carmen sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 27 mm of rain across 5.8 wet days and about 11.9 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 60% of the time in March, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Daylight stretches from about 11 h 36 min at the start of March to 12 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Playa del Carmen's 2nd-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Playa del Carmen's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 27°
- 9th warmest
- Overnight low
- 23°
- 4th coldest
- Rainfall
- 27 mm
- 5.8 wet days
- Daylight
- 11 h 54 min
- 6:02 AM – 5:54 PM
- Cloud cover
- 39%
- 2nd clearest
- Wind
- 19 km/h
- 1st windiest
- Solar energy
- 5.45 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 7.5
- out of 10
Playa del Carmen is municipal seat of Playa del Carmen, State of Quintana Roo, Mexico.
- Founded
- 1937
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in March
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month.
A typical March day in Playa del Carmen reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 25°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs on par with February and about 1°C cooler than April.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 |
| Avg low (°C) | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | 23 |
| 2 | 27 | 23 |
| 3 | 27 | 23 |
| 4 | 27 | 23 |
| 5 | 27 | 23 |
| 6 | 27 | 23 |
| 7 | 27 | 23 |
| 8 | 27 | 23 |
| 9 | 27 | 23 |
| 10 | 27 | 23 |
| 11 | 27 | 23 |
| 12 | 27 | 23 |
| 13 | 27 | 23 |
| 14 | 27 | 23 |
| 15 | 27 | 23 |
| 16 | 27 | 23 |
| 17 | 27 | 23 |
| 18 | 27 | 23 |
| 19 | 27 | 23 |
| 20 | 27 | 23 |
| 21 | 27 | 23 |
| 22 | 27 | 23 |
| 23 | 27 | 23 |
| 24 | 27 | 23 |
| 25 | 27 | 23 |
| 26 | 27 | 24 |
| 27 | 27 | 24 |
| 28 | 27 | 24 |
| 29 | 27 | 24 |
| 30 | 27 | 24 |
| 31 | 28 | 24 |
How March really feels in Playa del Carmen
Once humidity and wind are folded in, March averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.
March sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Playa del Carmen weather by month
How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 9th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26° / 22° | 55 | 10.5 | 10.9 | 6.9 |
| Feb | 26° / 23° | 27 | 6.5 | 11.3 | 7.4 |
| Mar | 27° / 23° | 27 | 5.8 | 11.9 | 7.5 |
| Apr | 28° / 24° | 32 | 5.9 | 12.5 | 7.0 |
| May | 29° / 25° | 83 | 11.7 | 13 | 5.6 |
| Jun | 29° / 26° | 154 | 17.3 | 13.2 | 4.5 |
| Jul | 30° / 26° | 80 | 14.1 | 13.1 | 4.8 |
| Aug | 30° / 26° | 100 | 16.8 | 12.7 | 4.4 |
| Sep | 29° / 26° | 166 | 22 | 12.1 | 3.8 |
| Oct | 28° / 25° | 188 | 19.5 | 11.5 | 4.6 |
| Nov | 27° / 24° | 84 | 11.9 | 11 | 6.3 |
| Dec | 26° / 23° | 54 | 10.7 | 10.8 | 6.7 |
Cloud cover in March
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 60% of the time in March.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 19%.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 81 | 81 | 80 | 80 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 79 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 82 | 82 | 81 |
| Cloudier (%) | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 81 | 19 |
| 2 | 81 | 19 |
| 3 | 80 | 20 |
| 4 | 80 | 20 |
| 5 | 78 | 22 |
| 6 | 78 | 22 |
| 7 | 78 | 22 |
| 8 | 78 | 22 |
| 9 | 78 | 22 |
| 10 | 78 | 22 |
| 11 | 78 | 22 |
| 12 | 79 | 21 |
| 13 | 79 | 21 |
| 14 | 80 | 20 |
| 15 | 81 | 19 |
| 16 | 81 | 19 |
| 17 | 82 | 18 |
| 18 | 83 | 17 |
| 19 | 83 | 17 |
| 20 | 83 | 17 |
| 21 | 83 | 17 |
| 22 | 83 | 17 |
| 23 | 83 | 17 |
| 24 | 83 | 17 |
| 25 | 83 | 17 |
| 26 | 83 | 17 |
| 27 | 83 | 17 |
| 28 | 83 | 17 |
| 29 | 82 | 18 |
| 30 | 82 | 18 |
| 31 | 81 | 19 |
Chance of precipitation in March
Playa del Carmen gets around 27 mm of rain over 5.8 wet days in March. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 19% and peaks near 23% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 22 |
| 2 | 22 |
| 3 | 23 |
| 4 | 23 |
| 5 | 23 |
| 6 | 23 |
| 7 | 23 |
| 8 | 22 |
| 9 | 22 |
| 10 | 22 |
| 11 | 21 |
| 12 | 21 |
| 13 | 20 |
| 14 | 19 |
| 15 | 19 |
| 16 | 18 |
| 17 | 18 |
| 18 | 17 |
| 19 | 17 |
| 20 | 17 |
| 21 | 16 |
| 22 | 16 |
| 23 | 16 |
| 24 | 15 |
| 25 | 15 |
| 26 | 15 |
| 27 | 15 |
| 28 | 15 |
| 29 | 15 |
| 30 | 15 |
| 31 | 15 |
Humidity in March
Most of March feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, March lands in the oppressive band about 46% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 78% of them.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Comfortable (%) | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Humid (%) | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 |
| Muggy (%) | 30 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 26 |
| Oppressive (%) | 45 | 44 | 43 | 42 | 41 | 40 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 40 | 40 | 41 | 41 | 42 | 42 | 43 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 49 | 50 | 52 | 52 | 54 | 56 | 58 | 58 | 60 |
| Miserable (%) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 8 | 15 | 30 | 45 | 1 |
| 2 | 2 | 8 | 15 | 30 | 44 | 1 |
| 3 | 2 | 9 | 15 | 31 | 43 | 1 |
| 4 | 2 | 9 | 15 | 32 | 42 | 0 |
| 5 | 2 | 9 | 15 | 33 | 41 | 0 |
| 6 | 2 | 9 | 15 | 34 | 40 | 0 |
| 7 | 2 | 9 | 15 | 35 | 39 | 0 |
| 8 | 2 | 9 | 15 | 35 | 39 | 0 |
| 9 | 1 | 8 | 16 | 35 | 39 | 0 |
| 10 | 1 | 8 | 16 | 35 | 39 | 1 |
| 11 | 1 | 8 | 16 | 35 | 40 | 1 |
| 12 | 1 | 8 | 16 | 34 | 40 | 1 |
| 13 | 1 | 8 | 16 | 34 | 41 | 1 |
| 14 | 1 | 7 | 16 | 33 | 41 | 1 |
| 15 | 1 | 7 | 16 | 33 | 42 | 1 |
| 16 | 1 | 7 | 16 | 33 | 42 | 1 |
| 17 | 1 | 6 | 16 | 33 | 43 | 1 |
| 18 | 2 | 6 | 15 | 32 | 43 | 1 |
| 19 | 2 | 6 | 15 | 32 | 44 | 2 |
| 20 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 31 | 45 | 2 |
| 21 | 2 | 5 | 14 | 31 | 46 | 2 |
| 22 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 31 | 47 | 2 |
| 23 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 30 | 49 | 2 |
| 24 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 30 | 50 | 2 |
| 25 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 29 | 52 | 2 |
| 26 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 29 | 52 | 2 |
| 27 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 28 | 54 | 2 |
| 28 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 28 | 56 | 2 |
| 29 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 27 | 58 | 2 |
| 30 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 27 | 58 | 2 |
| 31 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 26 | 60 | 2 |
Wind in March
Winds average 19 km/h in March, the windiest month of the year.
Across March, daily wind ranges from about 18 km/h on the calmest days to 19 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 | light breeze |
| 2 | 19 | light breeze |
| 3 | 19 | light breeze |
| 4 | 19 | light breeze |
| 5 | 19 | light breeze |
| 6 | 19 | light breeze |
| 7 | 19 | light breeze |
| 8 | 19 | light breeze |
| 9 | 19 | light breeze |
| 10 | 19 | light breeze |
| 11 | 19 | light breeze |
| 12 | 19 | light breeze |
| 13 | 19 | light breeze |
| 14 | 18 | light breeze |
| 15 | 18 | light breeze |
| 16 | 18 | light breeze |
| 17 | 18 | light breeze |
| 18 | 18 | light breeze |
| 19 | 18 | light breeze |
| 20 | 18 | light breeze |
| 21 | 18 | light breeze |
| 22 | 18 | light breeze |
| 23 | 18 | light breeze |
| 24 | 18 | light breeze |
| 25 | 18 | light breeze |
| 26 | 18 | light breeze |
| 27 | 18 | light breeze |
| 28 | 18 | light breeze |
| 29 | 18 | light breeze |
| 30 | 18 | light breeze |
| 31 | 18 | light breeze |
Sunrise & sunset in March
Daylight runs from about 11 h 36 min at the start of March to 12 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 36 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 6:15 AM to 5:49 AM, and sunset from 5:48 PM to 5:58 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.2 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:15 | 6:14 | 6:13 | 6:13 | 6:12 | 6:11 | 6:10 | 6:09 | 6:08 | 6:08 | 6:07 | 6:06 | 6:05 | 6:04 | 6:03 | 6:02 | 6:01 | 6:01 | 6:00 | 5:59 | 5:58 | 5:57 | 5:56 | 5:55 | 5:54 | 5:53 | 5:52 | 5:51 | 5:50 | 5:50 | 5:49 |
| Sunset (PM) | 5:48 | 5:49 | 5:49 | 5:49 | 5:50 | 5:50 | 5:51 | 5:51 | 5:51 | 5:52 | 5:52 | 5:52 | 5:53 | 5:53 | 5:53 | 5:54 | 5:54 | 5:54 | 5:55 | 5:55 | 5:55 | 5:55 | 5:56 | 5:56 | 5:56 | 5:57 | 5:57 | 5:57 | 5:57 | 5:58 | 5:58 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11.6 | 6:15 | 5:48 |
| 2 | 11.6 | 6:14 | 5:49 |
| 3 | 11.6 | 6:13 | 5:49 |
| 4 | 11.6 | 6:13 | 5:49 |
| 5 | 11.6 | 6:12 | 5:50 |
| 6 | 11.7 | 6:11 | 5:50 |
| 7 | 11.7 | 6:10 | 5:51 |
| 8 | 11.7 | 6:09 | 5:51 |
| 9 | 11.7 | 6:08 | 5:51 |
| 10 | 11.7 | 6:08 | 5:52 |
| 11 | 11.8 | 6:07 | 5:52 |
| 12 | 11.8 | 6:06 | 5:52 |
| 13 | 11.8 | 6:05 | 5:53 |
| 14 | 11.8 | 6:04 | 5:53 |
| 15 | 11.8 | 6:03 | 5:53 |
| 16 | 11.9 | 6:02 | 5:54 |
| 17 | 11.9 | 6:01 | 5:54 |
| 18 | 11.9 | 6:01 | 5:54 |
| 19 | 11.9 | 6:00 | 5:55 |
| 20 | 11.9 | 5:59 | 5:55 |
| 21 | 12.0 | 5:58 | 5:55 |
| 22 | 12.0 | 5:57 | 5:55 |
| 23 | 12.0 | 5:56 | 5:56 |
| 24 | 12.0 | 5:55 | 5:56 |
| 25 | 12.0 | 5:54 | 5:56 |
| 26 | 12.1 | 5:53 | 5:57 |
| 27 | 12.1 | 5:52 | 5:57 |
| 28 | 12.1 | 5:51 | 5:57 |
| 29 | 12.1 | 5:50 | 5:57 |
| 30 | 12.1 | 5:50 | 5:58 |
| 31 | 12.2 | 5:49 | 5:58 |
Solar energy in March
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 5.45 kWh/m².
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.71 kWh/m² to a high of 6.41 kWh/m² in July across the year — March's 5.45 kWh/m² falls in the middle.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 5.0 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.9 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5.0 | Bright |
| 2 | 5.1 | Bright |
| 3 | 5.1 | Bright |
| 4 | 5.1 | Bright |
| 5 | 5.1 | Bright |
| 6 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 7 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 8 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 9 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 10 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 11 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 12 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 13 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 14 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 15 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 16 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 17 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 18 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 19 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 20 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 21 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 22 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 23 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 24 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 25 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 26 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 27 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 28 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 29 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 30 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 31 | 5.9 | Bright |
Hazard calendar for Playa del Carmen
None of Playa del Carmen's seasonal hazards are active in March. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.
Playa del Carmen sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.
Playa del Carmen's rainy season runs August–October, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is March a good time to visit Playa del Carmen?
Our two travel scores rate March for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
March is one of the better times to visit Playa del Carmen for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Playa del Carmen in March
From March's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In March, Playa del Carmen sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 23°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection. About 6 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Playa del Carmen in March
The nearest coast averages about 27°C in March — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea offshore is warmest in September at about 29°C and coldest in February near 27°C.
The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | Warm |
| Feb | 27 | Warm |
| Mar | 27 | Warm |
| Apr | 27 | Warm |
| May | 28 | Tropical |
| Jun | 29 | Tropical |
| Jul | 29 | Tropical |
| Aug | 29 | Tropical |
| Sep | 29 | Tropical |
| Oct | 29 | Tropical |
| Nov | 28 | Tropical |
| Dec | 27 | Warm |
UV index in Playa del Carmen in March
Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 11 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Playa del Carmen peaks around April 18 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 15 at about 6 (high).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 7 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Level | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | High |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | Very high |
| Feb | 10 | Very high |
| Mar | 11 | Extreme |
| Apr | 12 | Extreme |
| May | 11 | Extreme |
| Jun | 12 | Extreme |
| Jul | 12 | Extreme |
| Aug | 12 | Extreme |
| Sep | 11 | Extreme |
| Oct | 10 | Very high |
| Nov | 7 | High |
| Dec | 6 | High |
Air quality in Playa del Carmen in March
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where March falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Playa del Carmen is worst in June — around 25 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.1× the cleanest month (November, 6 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 7 | 7 | 8 | 12 | 15 | 25 | 22 | 18 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 6 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | Good |
| Feb | 7 | Good |
| Mar | 8 | Good |
| Apr | 12 | Good |
| May | 15 | Moderate |
| Jun | 25 | Moderate |
| Jul | 22 | Moderate |
| Aug | 18 | Moderate |
| Sep | 12 | Moderate |
| Oct | 9 | Good |
| Nov | 6 | Good |
| Dec | 6 | Good |
Where is Playa del Carmen?
Playa del Carmen sits at 20.6°N, 87.1°W, 9 m above sea level, in Mexico. The nearest listed city is Cozumel, 20 km away.
Topography around Playa del Carmen
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Playa del Carmen.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Playa del Carmen has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 16 m around an average of 6 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 26 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 36 m.
The land around Playa del Carmen is covered by artificial surfaces (43%) and water (32%) within 3 km, water (49%) and trees (42%) within 16 km, and trees (51%) and water (45%) within 80 km.
Mexico travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type A / B
- 120 / 127 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 54% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $13,889
- 2025
- Happiness
- 7.0 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 43%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 24.9
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 12.8
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Upper middle
- World Bank
- English
- Very low
- EF EPI 440
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Playa del Carmen (20.6274°, -87.0799°, elevation 9 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).