What are Mexico's best beaches?

Mexico is well known for Los Cabos, Acapulco and Cancun, however these are only three of the hundreds of beaches found throughout the country. Here are the beach destinations I recommend the most due to their beauty, accessibility and what they offer. (If you have any trouble understanding what state they are in, check out my previous post with a map of Mexican states).

Remember you can locate me and ask me questions at @mexicowiki

Cabo San Lucas: located in Baja California Sur, this area is known for being a big tourist destination especially for Americans due to its closeness to the border. This same reason makes it more expensive than other destinations.

 

Punta Mita: located in Nayarit, has some of the best virgin beaches and is now also gaining popularity as a surfing and golfing destination. If visiting around February and March you can take a boat ride and watch humpback whales. Playa Las Tortugas nearby is a protected region because it’s where turtles choose to lay their eggs.

 

Puerto Vallarta: located in the state of Jalisco (same state where Guadalajara is), known for its golden beaches and transparent sea excellent for scuba diving. One of Mexico’s most popular beaches too.

 

Acapulco: probably Mexico’s most known beach destination and one of the most popular for specific vacation dates (Spring Break, summer and long weekends). Can reach almost 100% of its capacity on those dates which can make it crowded, but it’s also known for its discotheques, traditional downtown area and the more exclusive Punta Diamante region (where you can find the Mayan Palace and Princess hotels).

Ixtapa Zihuatanejo: located in Guerrero (same state as Acapulco), they are actually two different communities: Ixtapa AND Zihuatanejo, but are only 4 miles apart. Ixtapa has a bigger hotel area and most of them are just some meters away from the ocean, Zihuatanejo has more ecotourism attractions.

Puerto Escondido: One of Oaxaca’s numerous destinations, offers several beaches with lots of ecotourism attractions and although popular, are rarely crowded. It is also known as a romantic destination. It’s very close to Puerto Angel, where you can practice lots of aquatic activities due to the warm water and low tides.

Playa del Carmen: Known commonly as “Playa” it’s part of the Mayan Riviera in Quintana Roo which is almost 100 miles long. It’s located 37 miles away from Cancun. It’s known for its transparent and warm Caribbean ocean, lots of famous ecotourism attractions (such as Xel-Ha and Xcaret), white sand beaches and lots of traditional Mayan culture architecture.

Cancún: Located in Quintana Roo, probably the most popular and cosmopolite beach destination alongside Acapulco. It’s known for its beautiful beaches, malls, extreme sports and discotheques. It also has a lagoon that is commonly visited by tourists, virgin beaches and Isla Mujeres, very close nearby.