Destinations · Head-to-head
Crete vs Riviera Maya
Crete 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.
By the numbers
| Crete | Measure | Riviera Maya |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions (better) | U.S. travel advisory | Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution |
| 18 | Resorts in our catalog | 41 (better) |
| ★ 4.6 (better) | Average guest rating | ★ 4.6 |
| $45–$2113/night pp | Nightly rates | $41–$719/night pp (better) |
| 5 of 18 | Adults-only resorts | 12 of 41 |
| No hurricane season (better) | Hurricane exposure | In the hurricane belt |
| November–February | Rainy season | Generally May–October; winter nortes can also bring rain and rough seas |
| June and September; July–August is hottest and busiest | Sweet spot | December–April |
| Food-driven beach trips, history day trips, long seasons | Best for | Combining resort time with towns, cenotes and archaeological sites |
Advisory levels sync from travel.state.gov; catalog figures reflect the resorts we've researched, not every hotel in the country. A marked row is one we are willing to call; rows without a mark are a matter of taste, or we have no comparable figure for both sides.
On the map
Crete
Riviera Maya
Weather, month by month
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crete · high °F | 60 | 61 | 64 | 69 | 76 | 83 | 85 | 85 | 81 | 74 | 68 | 62 |
| Riviera Maya · high °F | 82 | 83 | 85 | 87 | 89 | 90 | 90 | 91 | 89 | 87 | 84 | 82 |
| Crete · rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 3.0 |
| 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 Crete (north coast) and Playa del Carmen–Tulum: planning guidance, not a forecast. A deeper tint is a higher number, read within its own row.
Where you'd actually stay
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