Destinations · Head-to-head
Ocho Rios vs Riviera Maya
Ocho Rios 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.
Ocho Rios guide · Riviera Maya guide · How we score
By the numbers
| Ocho Rios | Measure | Riviera Maya |
|---|---|---|
| Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution | U.S. travel advisory | Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution |
| 7 | Resorts in our catalog | 39 (better) |
| ★ 4.5 | Average guest rating | ★ 4.6 (better) |
| $117–$430/night pp | Nightly rates | $46–$635/night pp (better) |
| 5 of 7 | Adults-only resorts | 9 of 39 |
| In the hurricane belt | Hurricane exposure | In the hurricane belt |
| May–June and September–November; the rain is why it's this green | Rainy season | June–October, heaviest September–October |
| December–April | Sweet spot | December–April |
| Sangster (MBJ) ~90 min, or Ian Fleming (OCJ) for small aircraft | Airport | Cancún (CUN); transfers run 25–90 min depending how far south |
| Waterfalls + gardens + excursions; couples classics | Best for | Cenotes + ruins + beach in one trip; low-rise seclusion |
| Dunn's River Falls; Blue Hole; Fern Gully | 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
Ocho Rios
Riviera Maya
Weather, month by month
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocho Rios · high °F | 82 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 86 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 87 | 85 | 83 |
| Riviera Maya · high °F | 82 | 83 | 85 | 87 | 89 | 90 | 90 | 91 | 89 | 87 | 84 | 82 |
| Ocho Rios · rain (in) | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 4.2 | 5.5 | 7.5 | 4.0 | 2.2 |
| 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 Ocho Rios / St. Ann 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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