San Carlos, Sonora · Data from 10/28, 19:00 (local time)

Playa Algodones: is it worth it today?

Good beach day. Today, Wednesday, October 28, at Playa Algodones, the wind is light, the water is pleasant and no rain is expected.

Forecast by day

TodayWed, 10/28

31°

Cloudy · low 22°

Good beach day

UV max: 6

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: 1.10 m

07:00High tide

18:00Low tide

rising now

Sunrise 06:32Sunset 17:43

Model estimate, not a measurement · estimated range today: 1.10 m

Waves: 0.5mperiod 8 s · model
Wind: 9km/hfrom W
Water: 29.8°Csurface · model
UV index: 0.0this hour
Rain: 0%chance
Clarity: 17.5msatellite, 10/27/2026

Playa Algodones 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 900 km away, maximum wind 30 knotsNo watch, warning or tropical-storm-force winds forecast for this beach today

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 06/16/2026 to 06/24/2026 (Verano 2026)

Algodones: suitable (APTA), 10 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)High tide around 07:00; low tide around 18:00; estimated range today: 1.10 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 06:32 · Sunset 17:4311 h 11 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 water0.29 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

Playa Algodones in San Carlos, Sonora — Photo from 2025: WendyAvilesR · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · cropped

About Playa Algodones

By Equipe editorial GTM Labs · Updated 10/18/2026

Beach in San Carlos Nuevo Guaymas, west of central San Carlos, known for the white sand dunes that give it its name ("algodones", cotton). It is surrounded by Sonoran Desert plants, with thorny scrub, saguaros and a few palms, on the Gulf of California. Its surf is generally gentle. It is one of the most visited beaches in San Carlos: people come for diving, snorkeling, fishing, windsurfing and boat rides, and in season there is camping and beach volleyball and soccer tournaments.

Directions

Where to stay near Playa Algodones?

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 24° and 29°; rain most likely tomorrow around 05:00 (10%); strongest wind tomorrow around 11:00 (18 km/h).

Today · 19–00 hNow
Tonight
25–27°Cloudy
0%max rain
10 km/hmax wind
0.5 mwaves
Thu 29 · 01–06 h
Overnight
24°Partly cloudy
10%max rain
15 km/hmax wind
0.5 mwaves
Thu 29 · 07–12 h
Morning
24–29°Cloudy
1%max rain
18 km/hmax wind
0.5 mwaves
Thu 29 · 13–18 h
Afternoon
27–29°Cloudy
2%max rain
15 km/hmax wind
0.5–0.6 mwaves

See hour by hour

The arrow shows where the wind is blowing to.

Frequently asked questions about Playa Algodones

Can you swim at Playa Algodones today?

Today's assessment (Wednesday, October 28) is “Good beach day”: no official warning in effect advises against it. Today at Playa Algodones, the wind is light, the water is pleasant and no rain is expected. Waves estimated by the model, offshore: 0.5 m, period 8 s. This beach is sheltered (bay, cove or reef), so those waves do not weigh in the assessment. 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 Algodones?

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 Algodones today?

As of today, Wednesday, October 28, no SMN, tropical cyclone (NHC) or tsunami warnings are in effect for this beach.

Is the water at Playa Algodones suitable according to COFEPRIS?

In the latest COFEPRIS monitoring (Verano 2026, sampled from 06/16/2026 to 06/24/2026), 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 San Carlos