Destinations · Head-to-head
Riviera Maya vs Sharm el-Sheikh
Riviera Maya and Sharm el-Sheikh, 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
| Riviera Maya | Measure | Sharm el-Sheikh |
|---|---|---|
| Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution | U.S. travel advisory | Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution |
| 39 (better) | Resorts in our catalog | 6 |
| ★ 4.6 | Average guest rating | ★ 4.7 (better) |
| $41–$635/night pp (better) | Nightly rates | $69–$261/night pp |
| 12 of 39 | Adults-only resorts | 0 of 6 |
| In the hurricane belt | Hurricane exposure | No hurricane season (better) |
| June–October, heaviest September–October | Rainy season | None to speak of |
| December–April | Sweet spot | October–May; high summer is very hot but dry, and the sea is at its warmest |
| Cancún (CUN); transfers run 25–90 min depending how far south | Airport | Sharm el-Sheikh (SSH), most resorts 10–30 min |
| Cenotes + ruins + beach in one trip; low-rise seclusion | Best for | Snorkelling and diving from the beach, weather-proof sun |
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
Riviera Maya
Sharm el-Sheikh
Weather, month by month
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riviera Maya · high °F | 82 | 83 | 85 | 87 | 89 | 90 | 90 | 91 | 89 | 87 | 84 | 82 |
| Sharm el-Sheikh · high °F | 72 | 74 | 79 | 86 | 93 | 97 | 99 | 99 | 95 | 89 | 81 | 74 |
| 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 |
| Sharm el-Sheikh · rain (in) | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
Approximate climate normals for Playa del Carmen–Tulum and Sharm el-Sheikh: 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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