Don’t Get Caught on a Surprising, Smelly Seaweed Holiday

Turquoise waves. Infinity pools. White sandy beaches stretching endlessly. A frozen cocktail appearing at the right moment. For years, we have been sold this version of paradise, and in many places, it still exists. 

However, there is another reality washing ashore.

Have you traveled recently to Mexico, Florida, the Caribbean, or sections of West Africa during spring and summer? You may have encountered it: mountains—sometimes literal mountains—of rotting brown seaweed drowning beautiful beaches. 

Welcome to the Sea of Sargassum 

What was once a naturally occurring seaweed in the Atlantic has exploded into massive blooms so big they now stretch across the ocean in what scientists call the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt. These blooms drift ashore in astonishing quantities from April through September—prime holiday season—leaving communities scrambling to manage a problem that is ecological, economic, and frankly, quite unpleasant. 

And if you have ever smelled seaweed after forty-eight hours smoldering in the heat, you’ll never forget it. Imagine equal parts rotten eggs and damp compost. 

The Sargassum Problem is Complicated

The uncomfortable truth is that Sargassum is not simply a beach problem. It is also an ocean health story. Scientists say these blooms are amplified by a mix of warming oceans, shifting currents, nutrient pollution from farming and wastewater, and runoff flowing through major river systems into the Atlantic. 

So naturally, communities are asking: There must be something we can do with it like … turn it into fertilizer? Compost? Animal feed? Although it can’t yet be used in agriculture, researchers are finding promising ways to convert Sargassum into biomass fuel. 

The Good News: Some Places are Untouched

The good news is, the Mediterranean remains largely untouched by Atlantic Sargassum blooms—and that matters as we look ahead to our new 2027 walking journeys in Albania and Turkey (stay tuned for details). Think crystal-clear coves along Albania’s Riviera, quiet swimming spots on Turkey’s coast, and days shaped by clean water, coastal trails, and fresh sea air. 

Our new 2027 Alpine journey through Germany, Switzerland, and Austria offers a different kind of water altogether: pristine mountain lakes, clear rivers, mineral springs, and thermal baths set against some of Europe’s most restorative landscapes. (This journey will be available to book soon!)

Where we travel—and where we swim—matters more than ever. Clean water is no longer something to take for granted. It has become something to seek out, protect, and truly savor.