Navolato, Sinaloa · Data from 10/28, 19:00 (local time)

Playa El Tambor: is it worth it today?

Good beach day. Today, Wednesday, October 28, at Playa El Tambor, the wind is light, the water is pleasant and the chance of rain is 14%.

Forecast by day

TodayWed, 10/28

28°

Drizzle · low 24°

Good beach day

UV max: 4

The beach day (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.) is over: the assessment is for the current hour.

Tide today

Model estimate, not a measurement · estimated range today: 1.55 m

02:00Low tide

08:00High tide

16:00Low tide

22:00High tide

rising now

Sunrise 06:17Sunset 17:34

Model estimate, not a measurement · estimated range today: 1.55 m

Waves: 1.2mperiod 7 s · model
Wind: 10km/hfrom E
Water: 30.6°Csurface · model
UV index: 0.0this hour
Rain: 14%chance
Clarity: 2.2msatellite, 10/27/2026

Playa El Tambor is it worth it today?

Loading beach conditions…

Warnings and risks

TsunamiNo active alert for this coast

We check the bulletins of SEMAR's Tsunami Warning Center and of the NOAA centers for this coast. If there is a warning, follow Civil Protection instructions.

Source: CAT-SEMAR; NOAA NTWC/PTWC

SMN weather warningsNo active warning for this area

Current weather warnings from Mexico's National Weather Service whose area reaches this beach.

Source: SMN/CONAGUA, CAP warnings (CC BY 4.0)

Tropical cyclonesTropical depression Vance, about 530 km away, maximum wind 30 knotsVance: beach inside the 5-day forecast cone (NHC advisory 30)

Active cyclones near the beach and, for each one, whether the beach is under a watch or warning, inside the forecast cone, or expecting tropical-storm-force winds today.

Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center (NHC)

Lightning (GOES satellite, via SMN)No lightning detected within 60 km between 18:20 and 18:22 (local time)

Lightning detected by the GOES satellite in the last few minutes, up to 60 km from the beach. The satellite sees the flash in the cloud and cannot tell whether it reaches the ground. With a storm nearby, get out of the water and take shelter.

Source: GLM (GOES) published by SMN

Ground swell ("mar de fondo", SEMAR warning)No official warning in effect for this coast

Only SEMAR's official warning for this coast counts: modeled waves are never presented as a ground swell.

Source: Mexican Navy (SEMAR)

Seawater quality (COFEPRIS)Latest monitoring: suitable (APTA), sampled from 06/17/2026 to 06/26/2026 (Verano 2026)

El Tambor I: suitable (APTA), 28 MPN enterococci/100 mL
El Tambor II: suitable (APTA), 27 MPN enterococci/100 mL
El Tambor III: suitable (APTA), 20 MPN enterococci/100 mL

Result of COFEPRIS's latest enterococci testing at this beach's sampling points. It is a dated campaign, not today's condition.

Source: COFEPRIS beach monitoring

Useful information

Tide (model estimate, not a measurement)Next high tide around 22:00

High tide around 08:00 and 22:00; low tide around 02:00 and 16:00; estimated range today: 1.55 m; rising now.

Approximate high and low tide times, estimated by an ocean model for this point on the coast. Not a tide-gauge measurement.

Source: SMOC model via Open-Meteo

DaylightSunrise 06:17 · Sunset 17:3411 h 17 min of daylight

Calculated for the beach's coordinates, in local time.

Source: astronomical calculation (SunCalc)

Air quality (Mexico's AIRE Y SALUD index, model estimate)Good (Buena)

AIRE Y SALUD index estimated from model concentrations; not a station measurement.

Source: CAMS model via Open-Meteo; NOM-172-SEMARNAT-2023 bands

Chlorophyll in the water7.38 mg/m³ (satellite reading from 10/27/2026)

Chlorophyll estimated by satellite, an indicator of phytoplankton. It does not indicate algae on the beach today.

Source: Copernicus Marine

About Playa El Tambor

By Equipe editorial GTM Labs · Updated 10/03/2026

Beach in the municipality of Navolato, about 34 km from the municipal seat, on the Gulf of California, reached by the Altata highway and a turnoff toward El Tambor. It is a long, sparsely populated sandy coast, with dunes that draw 4x4 drivers. The surf is usually moderate, with calmer areas and others with stronger currents. Families from Culiacán have a decades-old tradition of camping here during Semana Santa (Holy Week).

Directions

Where to stay near Playa El Tambor?

Search for places to stay within 5 km of the beach and compare prices for your dates on Booking.com.

See places to stay Sponsored link

Next 24 hours

Between 21° and 25°; rain most likely tomorrow around 05:00 (44%); strongest wind tomorrow around 10:00 (38 km/h).

Today · 19–00 hNow
Tonight
24–25°Cloudy
20%max rain
20 km/hmax wind
1.2–1.3 mwaves
Thu 29 · 01–06 h
Overnight
23–25°Drizzle
44%max rain
23 km/hmax wind
1.4–1.7 mwaves
Thu 29 · 07–12 h
Morning
21–24°Rain
38%max rain
38 km/hmax wind
1.7–1.9 mwaves
Thu 29 · 13–18 h
Afternoon
21–23°Cloudy
43%max rain
25 km/hmax wind
1.5–1.9 mwaves

See hour by hour

The arrow shows where the wind is blowing to.

Frequently asked questions about Playa El Tambor

Can you swim at Playa El Tambor today?

Today's assessment (Wednesday, October 28) is “Good beach day”: no official warning in effect advises against it. Today at Playa El Tambor, the wind is light, the water is pleasant and the chance of rain is 14%. Waves estimated by the model, offshore: 1.2 m, period 7 s. Playas Hoy cannot see flags, currents or lifeguards: at the beach, follow the flag and the lifeguard's instructions.

Is there a ground swell (mar de fondo) at Playa El Tambor?

As of today, Wednesday, October 28, there is no official ground swell warning in effect for this coast. Only the official SEMAR warning counts as a ground swell; waves from the model do not.

Is there a hurricane, storm or tsunami alert for Playa El Tambor today?

Today's warnings (Wednesday, October 28): Vance: the beach is inside the 5-day forecast cone.

Is the water at Playa El Tambor suitable according to COFEPRIS?

In the latest COFEPRIS monitoring (Verano 2026, sampled from 06/17/2026 to 06/26/2026), every point at this beach was APTA (suitable). This is the result of a sampling campaign, not today's condition.

Verdict based on the sources on this page. It does not replace the instructions of the authorities at the beach.

Sources: Open-Meteo (model), Copernicus Marine (satellite), Mexican Navy Tsunami Warning Center (CAT-SEMAR), NOAA NTWC/PTWC and NHC. Warnings: Mexico's National Weather Service (SMN/CONAGUA), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Lightning: GLM (GOES) detections published by SMN. Air quality: NOM-172-SEMARNAT-2023 bands applied to CAMS model concentrations (Open-Meteo); not a monitoring station measurement. Tide: SMOC model estimate via Open-Meteo; not a tide gauge measurement. Times are approximate; do not use the curve for navigation. Next 24 hours: model forecast (Open-Meteo). Waves: model, offshore. Water quality: COFEPRIS pre-holiday beach monitoring. Ground swell: Mexican Navy (SEMAR).

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com. Contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service Information 2026. Neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information; https://doi.org/10.48670/moi-00278. Licences and credits for each source

Nearby beaches

All beaches in Sinaloa