Sea water temperature
Ever find yourself caught out by chilly sea temperatures when on holiday? Well no more - welcome to your complete guide to finding idyllic warm water, perfect for any holiday.
Discover how the world's oceans warm and move, and where to go on holiday with truly delightful conditions for swimming, snorkelling and more.
- Understanding sea temperatures
- World map, facts & figures
- Finding the perfect sea temperature
- Sea temperature by month
Understanding sea temperatures: the basics
Factoring in the sea temperature is often overlooked by those planning a holiday, and it's easy to see why: if you're heading to a warm and sunny coast, it's fair to assume that the sea will also be warm enough to swim in.
However, what goes on under the waves greatly affects the temperature of the sea - of course, the weather above water plays a part but everything from the currents, wind and location, to the time of year and your choice of ocean contribute to the temperature of any given sea.
The average sea temperatures given in our climate guides, which come from satellites that continuously monitor the world's oceans, refer to the sea surface temperature, which includes the top few metres where you're likely to swim and snorkel.
Naturally, sea temperatures vary around the world, with highs of around 34°C in the Persian Gulf and lows in the region of -2°C (the temperature at which water freezes) near the poles.
If you're planning a holiday and trying to work out what the ideal sea temperature is for you, typically anything between 18°C and 26°C is considered to be comfortable for swimming, although this is somewhat down to preference.
It's also worth remembering that while it may be warm at the surface, the deeper you go, the colder it gets. Read on to find out more about how sea temperatures are governed, and where in the world you can find the warmest seas for your next holiday.
Understanding sea temperatures: map, facts & figures
Unsurprisingly, the majority of the sun's energy is focused on those parts of the earth that most directly face the sun - the equatorial regions - and it is here that the warmest air and sea temperatures are found.
If there was no atmosphere this is the way things would stay but with air able to flow so freely a natural pattern of rising and falling streams of air is established from equator to poles that gradually redistributes thermal energy from the tropics to higher latitudes, and vice versa.
It is the prevailing 'trade winds' near the equator and the 'mid-latitude westerly winds' that do most of the work, and they in turn drag surface seawater with them in the same direction as they blow.
In the North Atlantic, northeast trade winds blow off the coast of West Africa, dragging the warm sea surface waters of the tropics westwards until they start to flow up the east coast of the United States.
Here, they eventually meet the prevailing westerlies at around 45° north that push the waters eastwards, and finally southwards back towards Africa.
Importantly by this stage, much of the energy of the warm water has been absorbed by the cooler waters and atmosphere of the North Atlantic, so the returning waters are much cooler than they were.
This circular pattern occurs in most oceans of the world with the direction of flow mirrored in the southern hemisphere. What is most noticeable is that the western boundaries of the world's oceans tend to be warmer than the eastern.
These currents are well established and operate much like clockwork. There are however, times when the natural flow is interrupted, such as during El Nino years, when sea temperatures in the tropical Eastern Pacific are as much as 3°C warmer for a season or two, and those in the Western Pacific a touch cooler.
If you are travelling to the Pacific coast of Costa Rica or Mexico during an El Nino event you will notice it, as the ocean is unusually warm.
When it comes understanding sea temperatures for your holiday, it's best to check which of the world's currents you'll be faced with, especially if you're hoping to go swimming in the sea.
There are a few good examples of popular holiday destinations where the current is cooler than many expect:
- Algarve & Canary Islands - both sit in the cold Canary Current, which flows south from the North Atlantic
- California - it doesn't put surfers off, but the eastern Pacific is surprisingly chilly thanks to the cold California Current, especially in the north
- Cape Town - you may see plenty of African Penguins but you're unlikely to take a dip as the cold Benguela Current flows round this point of South Africa
Finding the perfect sea temperature
What really matters when it comes to planning your holiday is where in the world you will find truly warm sea temperatures, ideal for swimming, snorkelling and making the most of your precious time off.
As we mentioned, it is generally accepted that the most comfortable temperature for swimming is somewhere between 18°C and 26°C.
A look at the annual averages for a few of the most popular European holiday destinations at the height of summer quickly shows you where you will find the warmest sea temperatures in this region:
- Algarve, Portugal - peaks at around 21°C in August and September
- Tenerife, Canary Islands - peaks at around 23°C from August to October
- Majorca, Balearic Islands - peaks at around 25°C in August
- Cyprus - peaks at around 27°C in August
- Alanya, Turkey - peaks at around 28°C in August
If you're hoping for even warmer sea temperatures, you will have to consider travelling further, typically to destinations in the tropics. Popular places to go with truly inviting sea temperatures that surpass 28°C, and that can be booked at an affordable price, include:
- Bali, Indonesia - peaks at around 29°C from November to May
- Cancun, Mexico - peaks at around 29°C July to October
- Cuba - peaks at around 30°C in August
- Sri Lanka - peaks at around 30°C in April
- Dubai, UAE - peaks at around 33°C in August
Of course, these destinations aren't specific to summer holidays (in fact, we wouldn't recommend Dubai at the height of summer as it's simply far too hot), however this clearly shows the jump in sea temperature that you can expect to find at different times of year when you travel to the tropics.
Snorkelling
Warm waters and ideal snorkelling conditions don't always go hand-in-hand. While shallow water reefs flourish in warm sea temperatures, corals also require the very clearest seas to thrive; they won't grow if there is sediment in the water, or if conditions are too acidic.
So if you're hoping to combine warm seas with some tip top coral and marine life on your holiday, look no further than these destinations which offer some of the finest conditions for catching a glimpse of colourful life in the ocean:
- Caribbean Sea - especially Belize, the Cayman Islands and Bonaire
- Red Sea - in particular Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada in Egypt
- Southeast Asia - the Philippines and eastern Indonesia
- Western Pacific - Australia's Great Barrier Reef
- Western Indian Ocean - notably the Maldives
There's no way round it: understanding sea water temperatures is a complex issue, and we've barely scratched the surface of what influences the movement and temperature of water around the globe.
However, hopefully you're now armed with a enough information to ensure that when it comes to planning your next holiday, you aren't caught out by cold sea temperatures that keep you from enjoying the beach.
More holiday weather parameters:
- Daylight hours
- Days with some rainfall
- Heat and humidity levels
- Maximum daytime temperature
- Minimum night-time temperature
- Monthly rainfall
- Sunshine hours
- UV index (maximum)
Sea water temperatures by month
Below is the sea water temperatures levels for popular holiday destinations around the world by month. Select a month to see top destinations or search by name to see all months.
Sea water temperatures in January
Below are the average sea water temperatures in January for popular holiday destinations. Select a destination to see more holiday weather parameters for January.
- Bali
- Kerala
- Maldives
- Phuket, Thailand
- Barbados
- Goa
- Jamaica
- Kenyan Coast
- Dominican Republic
- Dubai
- Sharm el Sheikh
- Tenerife
- Cape Town
- Fuerteventura
- Gran Canaria
- Lanzarote
- Cyprus
- Malta
- Costa del Sol
- Ibiza
- Majorca
- Benidorm
Sea water temperatures in February
Below are the average sea water temperatures in February for popular holiday destinations. Select a destination to see more holiday weather parameters for February.
- Bali
- Phuket, Thailand
- Goa
- Kerala
- Maldives
- Sri Lanka
- Jamaica
- Kenyan Coast
- Barbados
- Dominican Republic
- Dubai
- Sharm el Sheikh
- Cape Town
- Gran Canaria
- Tenerife
- Fuerteventura
- Lanzarote
- Cyprus
- Costa del Sol
- Malta
- Benidorm
- Ibiza
- Majorca
Sea water temperatures in March
Below are the average sea water temperatures in March for popular holiday destinations. Select a destination to see more holiday weather parameters for March.
- Bali
- Maldives
- Sri Lanka
- Kenyan Coast
- Barbados
- Jamaica
- Cancun
- Dominican Republic
- Miami
- Dubai
- Sharm el Sheikh
- Gran Canaria
- Tenerife
- Fuerteventura
- Lanzarote
- Cyprus
- Algarve
- Costa del Sol
- Ibiza
- Malta
- Benidorm
- Majorca
Sea water temperatures in April
Below are the average sea water temperatures in April for popular holiday destinations. Select a destination to see more holiday weather parameters for April.
- Seychelles
- Bali
- Barbados
- Jamaica
- Mauritius
- Cancun
- Dominican Republic
- Dubai
- Miami
- Sharm el Sheikh
- Gran Canaria
- Tenerife
- Cyprus
- Lanzarote
- Algarve
- Benidorm
- Costa del Sol
- Ibiza
- Malta
- Majorca
Sea water temperatures in May
Below are the average sea water temperatures in May for popular holiday destinations. Select a destination to see more holiday weather parameters for May.
- Dubai
- Bali
- Cancun
- Miami
- Mauritius
- Sharm el Sheikh
- Antalya
- Cyprus
- Rhodes
- Tenerife
- Bodrum
- Crete
- Lanzarote
- Marmaris
- Santorini
- Benidorm
- Ibiza
- Majorca
- Malta
- Tunisia
- Algarve
- Costa del Sol
Sea water temperatures in June
Below are the average sea water temperatures in June for popular holiday destinations. Select a destination to see more holiday weather parameters for June.
- Dubai
- Bali
- Sharm el Sheikh
- Antalya
- Cyprus
- Benidorm
- Bodrum
- Corfu
- Crete
- Ibiza
- Majorca
- Malta
- Marmaris
- Naples
- Rhodes
- Santorini
- Tunisia
- Barcelona
- Gran Canaria
- Tenerife
- Costa del Sol
- Fuerteventura
- Lanzarote
- Nice
- Algarve
Sea water temperatures in July
Below are the average sea water temperatures in July for popular holiday destinations. Select a destination to see more holiday weather parameters for July.
- Dubai
- Bali
- Cyprus
- Zanzibar
- Benidorm
- Crete
- Ibiza
- Majorca
- Malta
- Naples
- Rhodes
- Tunisia
- Bulgaria
- Corfu
- Costa Dorada
- Croatia
- Menorca
- Sardinia
- Corsica
- Costa Almeria
- Costa Brava
- Santorini
- Costa del Sol
- Gran Canaria
- Tenerife
- Algarve
- Lanzarote
Sea water temperatures in August
Below are the average sea water temperatures in August for popular holiday destinations. Select a destination to see more holiday weather parameters for August.
- Dubai
- Cyprus
- Rhodes
- Bali
- Benidorm
- Costa Dorada
- Ibiza
- Majorca
- Malta
- Menorca
- Naples
- Tunisia
- Bulgaria
- Corfu
- Corsica
- Crete
- Sardinia
- Zanzibar
- Costa Almeria
- Croatia
- Nice
- Santorini
- Costa de la Luz
- Costa del Sol
- Gran Canaria
- Tenerife
- Lanzarote
- Algarve
Sea water temperatures in September
Below are the average sea water temperatures in September for popular holiday destinations. Select a destination to see more holiday weather parameters for September.
- Dubai
- Antalya
- Bali
- Cyprus
- Malta
- Marmaris
- Rhodes
- Tunisia
- Benidorm
- Ibiza
- Majorca
- Bodrum
- Corfu
- Crete
- Naples
- Tenerife
- Gran Canaria
- Lanzarote
- Costa del Sol
- Algarve
- San Francisco
Sea water temperatures in October
Below are the average sea water temperatures in October for popular holiday destinations. Select a destination to see more holiday weather parameters for October.
- Dubai
- Florida
- Seychelles
- Bali
- Sharm el Sheikh
- Cape Verde
- Antalya
- Cyprus
- Malta
- Marmaris
- Mauritius
- Rhodes
- Tunisia
- Gran Canaria
- Tenerife
- Benidorm
- Bodrum
- Crete
- Ibiza
- Lanzarote
- Majorca
- Costa del Sol
Sea water temperatures in November
Below are the average sea water temperatures in November for popular holiday destinations. Select a destination to see more holiday weather parameters for November.
- Bali
- Dubai
- Goa
- Cuba
- Gambia
- Cape Verde
- Florida
- Marsa Alam
- Miami
- Sharm el Sheikh
- Mauritius
- Cyprus
- Gran Canaria
- Tenerife
- Fuerteventura
- Lanzarote
- Malta
- Tunisia
- Benidorm
- Ibiza
- Majorca
- Costa del Sol
Sea water temperatures in December
Below are the average sea water temperatures in December for popular holiday destinations. Select a destination to see more holiday weather parameters for December.
- Bali
- Barbados
- Jamaica
- Kenyan Coast
- Phuket, Thailand
- Dominican Republic
- Dubai
- Florida
- Sharm el Sheikh
- Gambia
- Gran Canaria
- Tenerife
- Fuerteventura
- Lanzarote
- Cyprus
- Cape Town
- Malta
- Tunisia
- Benidorm
- Costa del Sol
- Ibiza
- Majorca
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