Holidays by the Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean's island holidays range from low coral atolls to green mountain interiors. The Maldives invite you to build a stay around a lagoon and reef; Seychelles combines beaches with granite scenery, while Mauritius offers more room for drives, towns and inland excursions. The island you choose changes the holiday as much as the hotel.
Tropical water, different seasons
The Maldives and Le Morne in Mauritius illustrate that contrast. Before booking, check how the beach works for swimming: a lagoon, reef edge and exposed shoreline are different settings, even when all look turquoise.
Indian Ocean temperature alone cannot identify the best travel month. In the Maldives, the northeast monsoon's drier season runs from January to March; that calendar should not be applied to every island in the ocean. Seychelles and Mauritius have their own wind and rainfall patterns. Choose the island first, then compare the season and the particular coast, especially if swimming or snorkelling is the main purpose of the trip.
Geography at a glance
Indian Ocean
- Location
- Africa, Asia, Australia
- Part of
- World Ocean
- Area
- ≈ 70,560,000 km²
- Max. depth
- ≈ 7,290 m
Locator map. Measurements are approximate and depend on the area’s definition. Fact source · Map: Natural Earth
Sea temperature by month (°C)
In October, the warmest sea is at Maldives (28.9 °C) and the coolest at Le Morne (24.3 °C).
| Beach | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anse Source d'Argent | 28.5 | 28.8 | 29.7 | 30.2 | 29.6 | 28.1 | 26.5 | 26.5 | 27.3 | 27.8 | 28.8 | 28.8 |
| Kendwa | 28.4 | 28.6 | 29.2 | 29.1 | 28.1 | 27.2 | 26.2 | 25.8 | 26.1 | 26.8 | 28.0 | 28.7 |
| Le Morne | 27.9 | 28.2 | 28.3 | 27.9 | 26.9 | 25.6 | 24.3 | 23.8 | 23.8 | 24.3 | 25.7 | 27.1 |
| Maldives | 28.5 | 28.7 | 29.3 | 30.2 | 30.0 | 29.2 | 29.0 | 28.7 | 28.8 | 28.9 | 29.0 | 28.8 |
| Nosy Iranja | 29.6 | 29.5 | 29.8 | 30.1 | 29.4 | 28.0 | 26.7 | 26.4 | 26.7 | 27.5 | 28.7 | 29.4 |
Average sea temperature in each month, 2021–2025 (Copernicus ERA5), at each beach. Not a forecast.
Indian Ocean – Sea temperature today
Current estimates for the selected beaches, not an average for the whole sea. Sea: NASA MUR with an hourly adjustment; air: Apple Weather. The update time refers to this page, not a measurement taken in the water.
Last updated:
| All beaches | Sea (°C) | Air (°C) |
|---|---|---|
| Anse Source d'Argent, Seychelles · La Digue | 28.9 °C | 27 °C |
| Kendwa, Tanzania · Zanzibar | 28.0 °C | 26 °C |
| Le Morne, Mauritius · Indian Ocean | 24.9 °C | 23 °C |
| Maldives, Maldives · Indian Ocean | 30.0 °C | 29 °C |
| Nosy Iranja, Madagascar · Indian Ocean | 28.1 °C | 26 °C |