Destinations · Head-to-head
Negril vs Riviera Maya
Negril 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.
Negril guide · Riviera Maya guide · How we score
By the numbers
| Negril | Measure | Riviera Maya |
|---|---|---|
| Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution | U.S. travel advisory | Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution |
| 6 | Resorts in our catalog | 39 (better) |
| ★ 4.5 | Average guest rating | ★ 4.6 (better) |
| $127–$258/night pp | Nightly rates | $46–$635/night pp (better) |
| 3 of 6 | Adults-only resorts | 9 of 39 |
| In the hurricane belt | Hurricane exposure | In the hurricane belt |
| May–June and September–November | Rainy season | June–October, heaviest September–October |
| December–April, with a sunset every night of the year | Sweet spot | December–April |
| Sangster (MBJ), ~75–90 min transfer | Airport | Cancún (CUN); transfers run 25–90 min depending how far south |
| Beach purists, couples, long unhurried stays | Best for | Cenotes + ruins + beach in one trip; low-rise seclusion |
| Sunsets at Rick's Café; calm swimmable water | Signature | Jungle-meets-sea resorts; the cenote belt inland |
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
Negril
Riviera Maya
Weather, month by month
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negril · high °F | 83 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 87 | 89 | 89 | 89 | 88 | 87 | 86 | 84 |
| Riviera Maya · high °F | 82 | 83 | 85 | 87 | 89 | 90 | 90 | 91 | 89 | 87 | 84 | 82 |
| Negril · rain (in) | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 5.5 | 7.0 | 3.2 | 1.4 |
| 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 Seven Mile Beach 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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