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Where is warm enough to swim in January?

Of 19,259 coastal locations on this site, 6,717 sit above 20°C in a typical January. That's 35% of the world's tracked coastline. The list below shows where they are, with the warmest regions surfaced first.

Comfortable swim (≥ 20°C)

6,717

35% of coastal locations worldwide

Very warm (≥ 25°C)

4,907

25% of coastal locations worldwide

Warmest spot in January

Albert River Mouth

31.4°C in Australia

Browse January by region

Each region is ranked by how many of its coastal locations clear the 20°C comfort threshold in January. Use this to narrow down a part of the world before picking a country.

# Region Locations ≥ 20°C
1 Asia 2,428
2 Australia and Oceania 1,358
3 Caribbean and Central America 709
4 South America 660
5 North America 647
6 Africa 557
7 Middle East 198
8 Europe 160

Live world sea temperature map

Pins coloured by today's reading at every location we track. Use the map for current conditions, the list below for typical January.

Zoom in to see individual locations. Click a pin for water temperatures. View list →
°C -2 0 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 24 27 30 35

Warmest asia beaches in January

2,428 locations ≥ 20°C

Top eight asia locations by typical January sea temperature. Use the linked full Asia ranking in January for the complete list.

# Location January mean
1 Suai Cova-Lima 30.2°C
2 Sungai Kaibus West Papua 30.2°C
3 Kintong Sulawesi Tengah 30.2°C
4 Sungai Karabra West Papua 30.1°C
5 Kwatisore Papua 30.1°C
6 Momo Sulawesi Tengah 30.1°C
7 Nabire Papua 30.1°C
8 Lingkobu Sulawesi Tengah 30.1°C

Warmest australia and oceania beaches in January

1,358 locations ≥ 20°C

Top eight australia and oceania locations by typical January sea temperature. Use the linked full Australia and Oceania ranking in January for the complete list.

# Location January mean
1 Albert River Mouth Queensland 31.4°C
2 West Island Northern Territory 31.4°C
3 Gulf of Carpentaria Northern Territory 31.3°C
4 Centre Island Northern Territory 31.3°C
5 West Wellesley Islands Queensland 31.3°C
6 Cape Domett Western Australia 31.2°C
7 Shale Island Western Australia 31.2°C
8 Adolphus Island Western Australia 31.2°C

Warmest caribbean and central america beaches in January

709 locations ≥ 20°C

Top eight caribbean and central america locations by typical January sea temperature. Use the linked full Caribbean and Central America ranking in January for the complete list.

# Location January mean
1 Pavones 29.4°C
2 Ojochal 29.3°C
3 Uvita 29.3°C
4 Golfito 29.3°C
5 David 29.2°C
6 Dominical 29.2°C
7 Puerto Armuelles 29.2°C
8 Punta De Burica 29.1°C

Warmest south america beaches in January

660 locations ≥ 20°C

Top eight south america locations by typical January sea temperature. Use the linked full South America ranking in January for the complete list.

# Location January mean
1 Covenas 29.3°C
2 Tolu 29.1°C
3 Macapa Amapa 29.0°C
4 Santana Amapa 29.0°C
5 Barcarena Para 28.9°C
6 Cameta Para 28.9°C
7 Limoeiro do Ajuru Para 28.9°C
8 Oeiras do Para Para 28.9°C

Warmest north america beaches in January

647 locations ≥ 20°C

Top eight north america locations by typical January sea temperature. Use the linked full North America ranking in January for the complete list.

# Location January mean
1 Puerto Chiapas Chiapas 28.8°C
2 Acapulco Guerrero 28.8°C
3 Maldonado Guerrero 28.8°C
4 Tecoanapa Guerrero 28.7°C
5 Ixtapa Guerrero 28.7°C
6 Zihuatanejo Guerrero 28.7°C
7 Acapulco-C,Gro. Guerrero 28.6°C
8 Brisas de Zicatela Oaxaca 28.5°C

Warmest africa beaches in January

557 locations ≥ 20°C

Top eight africa locations by typical January sea temperature. Use the linked full Africa ranking in January for the complete list.

# Location January mean
1 Îlot Indien Toliara Province 30.6°C
2 Cap Ankarana Toliara Province 30.5°C
3 Morondava 30.4°C
4 Nosy Andriangory Mahajanga Province 30.4°C
5 Nosy Andriamitaroka Mahajanga Province 30.3°C
6 Maintirano Mahajanga Province 30.2°C
7 Nosy Maroantaly Mahajanga Province 30.0°C
8 Moromb 30.0°C

Warmest middle east beaches in January

198 locations ≥ 20°C

Top eight middle east locations by typical January sea temperature. Use the linked full Middle East ranking in January for the complete list.

# Location January mean
1 Al Qunfudhah Makkah Province 28.4°C
2 Al Birk 28.4°C
3 Jizan 27.4°C
4 Jeddah (Ghubbat Asharah) Makkah Province 26.8°C
5 Jeddah 26.8°C
6 Al Luhayyah 26.7°C
7 Rabigh Makkah Province 26.4°C
8 Aş Şalīf Al Hudaydah Governorate 26.3°C

Warmest europe beaches in January

160 locations ≥ 20°C

Top eight europe locations by typical January sea temperature. Use the linked full Europe ranking in January for the complete list.

# Location January mean
1 lies Wallis (Mata-Utu) Hahake 29.6°C
2 Clipperton-D Overseas France 27.7°C
3 El Hierro Canary Islands 20.7°C
4 La Restinga Canary Islands 20.6°C
5 Gomera Canarias 20.6°C
6 Las Puntas Canary Islands 20.6°C
7 Puerto de la Estaca Canary Islands 20.6°C
8 Timijiraque Canary Islands 20.6°C

Top 50 hottest coastal locations on Earth in January

Across every region, sorted by typical January mean. The very top of the list rarely shifts. Persian Gulf and Red Sea coasts hold the warmest position most months of the year.

# Location January mean
1 Albert River Mouth Queensland 31.4°C
2 West Island Northern Territory 31.4°C
3 Gulf of Carpentaria Northern Territory 31.3°C
4 Centre Island Northern Territory 31.3°C
5 West Wellesley Islands Queensland 31.3°C
6 Cape Domett Western Australia 31.2°C
7 Shale Island Western Australia 31.2°C
8 Adolphus Island Western Australia 31.2°C
9 Quoin Island Northern Territory 31.2°C
10 Sweers Island Queensland 31.2°C
11 Australia Queensland 31.1°C
12 Mornington Island Queensland 31.1°C
13 Pelican Island Western Australia 31.1°C
14 Lacrosse Island Western Australia 31.1°C
15 Catfish Island Northern Territory 31.1°C
16 Valentine Island Western Australia 31.0°C
17 Jones Point Northern Territory 31.0°C
18 Lagrange Bay Western Australia 31.0°C
19 Port Keats Northern Territory 30.9°C
20 Lizard Island Western Australia 30.9°C
21 Depuch Island Western Australia 30.9°C
22 Port Usborne Western Australia 30.8°C
23 Milner Bay (Groote Eylandt) Northern Territory 30.8°C
24 Bountiful Island Queensland 30.8°C
25 Anson Bay Northern Territory 30.7°C
Show 25 more ▸
26 Cape Ford Northern Territory 30.7°C
27 Alyangula Northern Territory 30.7°C
28 Cape Scott Offshore Northern Territory 30.7°C
29 Hall Point Western Australia 30.7°C
30 Port Hedland Western Australia 30.6°C
31 Cape Boileau Western Australia 30.6°C
32 Cape Beatrice Northern Territory 30.6°C
33 Îlot Indien Toliara Province 30.6°C
34 Peron Island North Northern Territory 30.6°C
35 Reveley Island Western Australia 30.6°C
36 East Field Island Northern Territory 30.6°C
37 Hutchison River Northern Territory 30.6°C
38 West Alligator Head Northern Territory 30.6°C
39 Port Warrender Western Australia 30.6°C
40 Yampi Sound (Koolan Island) Western Australia 30.6°C
41 Chambers Bay Northern Territory 30.5°C
42 Point Stuart Northern Territory 30.5°C
43 Point Jenny Northern Territory 30.5°C
44 Cap Ankarana Toliara Province 30.5°C
45 Nassau River Offshore Queensland 30.5°C
46 Jar Island Western Australia 30.5°C
47 Torokina Bougainville 30.5°C
48 Hawk Island Northern Territory 30.4°C
49 Native Point Northern Territory 30.4°C
50 Burge Point Northern Territory 30.4°C

Browse other months

Same list, different month:

A note on the 20°C threshold

Twenty Celsius is the rough line where most casual swimmers say the water "isn't cold". Below that, you feel the shock on entry and stay aware of it. Above, you can usually relax. It's not a hard rule. Experienced cold-water swimmers happily swim well below it, and some people find anything under 24°C unpleasant. As a single number for a global comparison, 20 is the most useful one.

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