Antigua vs Riviera Maya

Antigua and Riviera Maya, side by side: live travel advisories, our resort catalog's real guest data, and each destination's honest weather picture — everything you need to break the tie.

Antigua guide · Riviera Maya guide · How we score

By the numbers

	Antigua	Riviera Maya
U.S. travel advisory	Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions	Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
Resorts in our catalog	1	8
Average guest rating	★ 3.6	★ 4.5
Nightly rates	$300–$800/night	$300–$800+/night
Adults-only resorts	0 of 1	3 of 8
Hurricane exposure	In the hurricane belt	In the hurricane belt
Rainy season	September–November	June–October, heaviest September–October
Sweet spot	December–April	December–April
Currency	East Caribbean dollar – USD widely accepted	Mexican peso — USD widely accepted in resort corridors

Advisory levels sync from travel.state.gov; catalog figures reflect the resorts we've researched, not every hotel in the country.

Weather, month by month

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Antigua — high °F	82	82	83	84	86	87	87	88	88	87	85	83
Riviera Maya — high °F	82	83	85	87	89	90	90	91	89	87	84	82
Antigua — rain (in)	2.6	1.7	1.7	2.4	3.6	2.5	3.0	3.9	4.9	5.5	5.5	3.5
Riviera Maya — rain (in)	3.5	2.0	1.5	1.5	4.0	6.5	4.0	4.5	8.5	8.5	4.0	3.5

Approximate climate normals for Island-wide and Playa del Carmen–Tulum — planning guidance, not a forecast.

Where you'd actually stay

Best of Antigua

1.Royalton Antigua Resort & Spa — Deep Bay, Antigua · ★ 3.6

Chains here: Royalton

Full Antigua guide

Best of Riviera Maya

Chains here: Barceló · Grand Velas · UNICO Hotel Collection

Full Riviera Maya guide

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