Playa del Carmen weather in May
In May, Playa del Carmen sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 25°C, with 83 mm of rain across 11.7 wet days and about 13 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 50% of the time in May, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Daylight stretches from about 12 h 42 min at the start of May to 13 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Playa del Carmen's 4th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Playa del Carmen's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 29°
- 5th warmest
- Overnight low
- 25°
- 8th coldest
- Rainfall
- 83 mm
- 11.7 wet days
- Daylight
- 13 hours
- 5:15 AM – 6:14 PM
- Cloud cover
- 46%
- 4th clearest
- Wind
- 17 km/h
- 7th windiest
- Solar energy
- 6.22 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 5.6
- 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 May
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month.
A typical May day in Playa del Carmen reaches about 29°C in the afternoon and slips back to 25°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 28°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 1°C warmer than April and on par with June.
| 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) | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 |
| Avg low (°C) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 | 25 |
| 2 | 29 | 25 |
| 3 | 29 | 25 |
| 4 | 29 | 25 |
| 5 | 29 | 25 |
| 6 | 29 | 25 |
| 7 | 29 | 25 |
| 8 | 29 | 25 |
| 9 | 29 | 25 |
| 10 | 29 | 25 |
| 11 | 29 | 25 |
| 12 | 29 | 25 |
| 13 | 29 | 25 |
| 14 | 29 | 25 |
| 15 | 29 | 25 |
| 16 | 29 | 25 |
| 17 | 29 | 25 |
| 18 | 29 | 25 |
| 19 | 29 | 25 |
| 20 | 29 | 25 |
| 21 | 29 | 25 |
| 22 | 29 | 25 |
| 23 | 29 | 25 |
| 24 | 29 | 26 |
| 25 | 29 | 26 |
| 26 | 29 | 26 |
| 27 | 29 | 26 |
| 28 | 29 | 26 |
| 29 | 29 | 26 |
| 30 | 29 | 26 |
| 31 | 29 | 26 |
How May really feels in Playa del Carmen
Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 26 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.
The story in May is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Playa del Carmen weather by month
How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 6th-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 May
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 50% of the time in May.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 33%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.
| 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 (%) | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 74 | 74 | 72 | 72 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 70 | 69 | 69 | 68 | 67 | 66 | 64 | 62 | 60 | 59 | 57 | 56 | 53 | 52 | 51 | 49 |
| Cloudier (%) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 36 | 38 | 40 | 41 | 43 | 44 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 51 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 75 | 25 |
| 2 | 75 | 25 |
| 3 | 75 | 25 |
| 4 | 75 | 25 |
| 5 | 75 | 25 |
| 6 | 75 | 25 |
| 7 | 75 | 25 |
| 8 | 75 | 25 |
| 9 | 74 | 26 |
| 10 | 74 | 26 |
| 11 | 72 | 28 |
| 12 | 72 | 28 |
| 13 | 71 | 29 |
| 14 | 71 | 29 |
| 15 | 71 | 29 |
| 16 | 70 | 30 |
| 17 | 69 | 31 |
| 18 | 69 | 31 |
| 19 | 68 | 32 |
| 20 | 67 | 33 |
| 21 | 66 | 34 |
| 22 | 64 | 36 |
| 23 | 62 | 38 |
| 24 | 60 | 40 |
| 25 | 59 | 41 |
| 26 | 57 | 43 |
| 27 | 56 | 44 |
| 28 | 53 | 47 |
| 29 | 52 | 48 |
| 30 | 51 | 49 |
| 31 | 49 | 51 |
Chance of precipitation in May
Playa del Carmen gets around 83 mm of rain over 11.7 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 38% and peaks near 57% on the wettest days. The odds climb 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 (%) | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 36 | 37 | 39 | 40 | 42 | 43 | 45 | 46 | 48 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 26 |
| 2 | 26 |
| 3 | 26 |
| 4 | 26 |
| 5 | 27 |
| 6 | 27 |
| 7 | 27 |
| 8 | 28 |
| 9 | 28 |
| 10 | 29 |
| 11 | 30 |
| 12 | 31 |
| 13 | 32 |
| 14 | 33 |
| 15 | 34 |
| 16 | 36 |
| 17 | 37 |
| 18 | 39 |
| 19 | 40 |
| 20 | 42 |
| 21 | 43 |
| 22 | 45 |
| 23 | 46 |
| 24 | 48 |
| 25 | 50 |
| 26 | 51 |
| 27 | 52 |
| 28 | 54 |
| 29 | 55 |
| 30 | 56 |
| 31 | 57 |
Humidity in May
Most of May feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, May lands in the oppressive band about 64% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 98% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comfortable (%) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Humid (%) | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Muggy (%) | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Oppressive (%) | 64 | 65 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 69 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 71 | 71 | 70 | 69 | 68 | 66 | 64 | 63 | 61 | 58 | 57 | 55 | 52 | 51 | 49 | 47 | 46 |
| Miserable (%) | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 37 | 39 | 41 | 44 | 46 | 48 | 51 | 53 |
| Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 64 | 19 |
| 2 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 65 | 19 |
| 3 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 67 | 19 |
| 4 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 67 | 19 |
| 5 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 67 | 19 |
| 6 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 69 | 19 |
| 7 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 70 | 18 |
| 8 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 70 | 18 |
| 9 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 70 | 18 |
| 10 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 71 | 18 |
| 11 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 72 | 18 |
| 12 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 72 | 18 |
| 13 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 72 | 18 |
| 14 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 72 | 19 |
| 15 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 71 | 20 |
| 16 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 71 | 21 |
| 17 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 70 | 23 |
| 18 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 69 | 24 |
| 19 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 68 | 26 |
| 20 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 66 | 28 |
| 21 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 64 | 30 |
| 22 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 63 | 32 |
| 23 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 61 | 34 |
| 24 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 58 | 37 |
| 25 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 57 | 39 |
| 26 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 55 | 41 |
| 27 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 52 | 44 |
| 28 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 51 | 46 |
| 29 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 49 | 48 |
| 30 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 47 | 51 |
| 31 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 46 | 53 |
Wind in May
Winds average 17 km/h in May.
Across May, daily wind ranges from about 16 km/h on the calmest days to 17 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) | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| 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 | 17 | light breeze |
| 2 | 17 | light breeze |
| 3 | 17 | light breeze |
| 4 | 17 | light breeze |
| 5 | 17 | light breeze |
| 6 | 17 | light breeze |
| 7 | 17 | light breeze |
| 8 | 17 | light breeze |
| 9 | 17 | light breeze |
| 10 | 17 | light breeze |
| 11 | 17 | light breeze |
| 12 | 17 | light breeze |
| 13 | 17 | light breeze |
| 14 | 16 | light breeze |
| 15 | 16 | light breeze |
| 16 | 16 | light breeze |
| 17 | 16 | light breeze |
| 18 | 16 | light breeze |
| 19 | 16 | light breeze |
| 20 | 16 | light breeze |
| 21 | 16 | light breeze |
| 22 | 16 | light breeze |
| 23 | 16 | light breeze |
| 24 | 16 | light breeze |
| 25 | 16 | light breeze |
| 26 | 16 | light breeze |
| 27 | 16 | light breeze |
| 28 | 16 | light breeze |
| 29 | 16 | light breeze |
| 30 | 16 | light breeze |
| 31 | 16 | light breeze |
Sunrise & sunset in May
Daylight runs from about 12 h 42 min at the start of May to 13 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 24 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:23 AM to 5:11 AM, and sunset from 6:08 PM to 6:20 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) | 12.7 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:23 | 5:23 | 5:22 | 5:21 | 5:21 | 5:20 | 5:20 | 5:19 | 5:18 | 5:18 | 5:17 | 5:17 | 5:17 | 5:16 | 5:16 | 5:15 | 5:15 | 5:14 | 5:14 | 5:14 | 5:13 | 5:13 | 5:13 | 5:13 | 5:12 | 5:12 | 5:12 | 5:12 | 5:12 | 5:11 | 5:11 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:08 | 6:08 | 6:09 | 6:09 | 6:09 | 6:10 | 6:10 | 6:11 | 6:11 | 6:11 | 6:12 | 6:12 | 6:13 | 6:13 | 6:13 | 6:14 | 6:14 | 6:15 | 6:15 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:17 | 6:17 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:20 | 6:20 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12.7 | 5:23 | 6:08 |
| 2 | 12.8 | 5:23 | 6:08 |
| 3 | 12.8 | 5:22 | 6:09 |
| 4 | 12.8 | 5:21 | 6:09 |
| 5 | 12.8 | 5:21 | 6:09 |
| 6 | 12.8 | 5:20 | 6:10 |
| 7 | 12.8 | 5:20 | 6:10 |
| 8 | 12.9 | 5:19 | 6:11 |
| 9 | 12.9 | 5:18 | 6:11 |
| 10 | 12.9 | 5:18 | 6:11 |
| 11 | 12.9 | 5:17 | 6:12 |
| 12 | 12.9 | 5:17 | 6:12 |
| 13 | 12.9 | 5:17 | 6:13 |
| 14 | 12.9 | 5:16 | 6:13 |
| 15 | 13.0 | 5:16 | 6:13 |
| 16 | 13.0 | 5:15 | 6:14 |
| 17 | 13.0 | 5:15 | 6:14 |
| 18 | 13.0 | 5:14 | 6:15 |
| 19 | 13.0 | 5:14 | 6:15 |
| 20 | 13.0 | 5:14 | 6:16 |
| 21 | 13.0 | 5:13 | 6:16 |
| 22 | 13.1 | 5:13 | 6:16 |
| 23 | 13.1 | 5:13 | 6:17 |
| 24 | 13.1 | 5:13 | 6:17 |
| 25 | 13.1 | 5:12 | 6:18 |
| 26 | 13.1 | 5:12 | 6:18 |
| 27 | 13.1 | 5:12 | 6:19 |
| 28 | 13.1 | 5:12 | 6:19 |
| 29 | 13.1 | 5:12 | 6:19 |
| 30 | 13.1 | 5:11 | 6:20 |
| 31 | 13.1 | 5:11 | 6:20 |
Solar energy in May
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.22 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 — May's 6.22 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.
| 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) | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 5.8 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 2 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 3 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 4 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 5 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 6 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 7 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 8 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 9 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 10 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 11 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 12 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 13 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 14 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 15 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 16 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 17 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 18 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 19 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 20 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 21 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 22 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 23 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 24 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 25 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 26 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 27 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 28 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 29 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 30 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 31 | 5.8 | Bright |
Hazard calendar for Playa del Carmen
None of Playa del Carmen's seasonal hazards are active in May. 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 May a good time to visit Playa del Carmen?
Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
May is a reasonable time to visit Playa del Carmen for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Playa del Carmen in May
From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In May, Playa del Carmen sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 25°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 12 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Playa del Carmen in May
The nearest coast averages about 28°C in May — 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 May
Clear-sky midday UV in May 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 May
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where May 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).