Head to the Beach

The days are long gone when Mexico was pictured as a vast desert with poncho-clad campesinos sleeping under a cactus, a sombrero pulled over their heads. The Mojave is still an epic journey, but the destination-bound tourist is usually headed for one of the best beaches in Mexico.

With over 5,800 miles of coastline, it can be difficult to decide which are truly the best beaches in Mexico. For those just wishing a day journey, the bathtub-like water and continuous stretch of white sand beach in La Paz is the ideal location for saying goodbye to the busy hubs of L.A. and San Diego. The more adventurous, seeking the tropical realm, travel all the way down to the fishtail of the Yucatan Peninsula. In between, are 4,590 miles of Pacific Coast and 1,742 miles cradled around the Gulf of Mexico and the fantastic, sparkling waters of the Caribbean.

Why Go to Tulum

Jason Tabarias

One of the best beaches in Mexico for swimming pleasure can be found in Tulum. Located eighty miles southeast of Cancun, in the state of Quintana Roo, it is one of the most rapidly growing areas for taking a vacation. The main attraction is the ruins of the Mayan town of Tulum, sitting high on a cliff in castle-like serenity. It is one of the only walled-in cities known to have existed in Mayan culture.

Stretched below the towering pyramid, El Castillo, are the limestone sands and turquoise waters of Tulum’s gentle beach. Originally a hippie hang-out, over recent years the area has taken on a new life and a new age atmosphere. Solar-powered energy, eco-tourism and a slant on spirituality flavor the appetite for Tulum life. With modest, back-to-nature resorts offering spas and natural remedies, international cuisine and an assortment of gift shops, Tulum still has a rustic feel. It’s the ideal place for sunbathing, swimming, snorkeling, and relaxing in a magical surrounding where there is no hurry to do anything at all.

Why Go to Puerto Vallerta

One of the reasons Puerto Vallarta ranks as one of the best beaches in Mexico is that it has more than one beach. The Sierra Madre Mountains run like a ribbon along the Pacific coastline, dividing it into several distinct beach areas, resplendent with rivers and waterfalls.

Each beach has its own characteristics. Los Muertos is by far the most visited and popular beach, with the city of Puerto Vallarta serving as a backdrop, while beachfront hotels offer modern accommodations and cater to newlyweds and lovers. Called the romantic beach, it’s the ideal place for candlelight dinners, spectacular sunsets, sunbathing, and relaxing.

North of the city is the Playa de Oro. In English, that’s gold beach. Walk along the golden sands, where boulders erupt, creating cozy hideaways and delightful swimming holes. Watch the dolphins play, or put on your sports equipment. It’s a prime location for parasailing, water skiing, and just enjoying the surf.

To the south is Mismaloya, located at the foot of the mountains, offering a panoramic view of Vallarta. In between, is Conchas Chinas, located just a few minutes from the city. Its tropical, tumbling mountains are almost as delightful as its crystal clear waters. Peering into the natural pools, formed by the rocks spilling away from the mountain’s edge, you’ll see a wide variety of fish and other sea life.

Originally a modest Colonial town, Puerto Vallarta is one of the fastest growing cities in Mexico. With both an airport and a well-developed highway system, it’s easily accessible, and contains all the most modern accommodations, making it a stylish town with upscale hotels yet distinctly rustic appeal.

Why Go to Playa Del Carmen

David Gordillo

Playa Del Carmen will rate high on your best beaches in Mexico if you love fine white sand. Its soft texture is the kind you want to bury yourself in while the murmuring waves lap at your toes. The beach is so gentle, you do not need footwear to go into the water. Located on the Caribbean side of the Yucatan Peninsula, it’s a forty-five minute drive from Cancun. For those flying into Cancun, Playa Del Carmen has a small airport as well as a bus service for travel convenience.

Once a small fishing village, Playa Del Carmen has recently enjoyed a burst of activity, with luxurious condominium buildings, six luxury boutique hotels, restaurant chains, and entertainment venues. Cruise ships regularly stop at the quarry docks just six miles out of town. It has a large expat society, particularly among the Italians, whose cuisine rival the local flavor of tacos, enchiladas, and burritos.

Playa Del Carmen is a water sports lover’s paradise, with sailing boats lining the harbor, scuba diving services, snorkeling, and fishing trips. Whether your beach pleasure is lying in the sand soaking up the tropical sunlight or exploring the deep blue sea, Playa Del Carmen has just the right services for you.

Why Go to Cancun

Nicolas Karim

Cancun is the magic word for those thinking about visiting the best beaches in Mexico. Its reputation precedes it for the long stretches of white sand beach, which are actually a number of beaches, some shallow enough for children’s play, some deep enough for dive tours, but Cancun is best remembered for its nearly year-round eighty degree weather and one other thing; it’s a town that likes to party!

An international tourist designation, the city of over half a million people has a non-stop party atmosphere, with nightclubs, bars, musical entertainment, and the best margaritas ever made. Unlike many of the towns that haphazardly acquired tourist interests, Cancun was built specifically to cater to tourists. Beginning in 1967 with a handful of hotels funded by the Mexican Government, it is now a hub attracting over three million visitors annually, who can choose from a variety of accommodations, from quaint little inns, to sophisticated, exclusive hotels.

If seventeen miles of uninterrupted white sand beach isn’t enough, the island of Cancun is actually in part of the world’s second longest coral reef system. Mainland Cancun is also located within a beautiful environment, bursting with tropical flowers, nature preserves, and nearby Mayan pyramids. The access between the island and the mainland is bicycle friendly, and the beaches are public, making it a great spot to vacation, no matter who you are.

Why Go to Acapulco

Although international tourists and expats have found a number of new communities to call their own special places, Acapulco remains one of the best beaches in Mexico. The city of over one million people surrounds a spectacular, curved bay and deep water port. It was a favorite early getaway resort for millionaires and movie stars, attracting such famous personages as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, and Elizabeth Taylor. Johnny Weismuller and John Wayne both invested in hotels in this wonderland by the sea.

The numerous beaches are diversified, with stretches of smooth golden sand, and other areas strewn with tumultuous rock fomations. Both the northwest of Acapulco Bay and in Tres Palos to the southeast are lagoons. The Tres Palos has the protected sea turtles. While its explosive nightlife is the main attraction, people also come from all over the world to see the daring La Quebrada divers brave the tall, rugged cliffs to dive from as high as 131 feet into a shallow inlet only thirteen feet deep and twenty-three feet wide.

Modern Acapulco still has the ritzy glamour, but it also has a number of locales for the more modest budget. Water sport play includes boating, scuba diving, and sail fishing. The city was devastated by a hurricane in 1997, but has since been rebuilt and continues to be the city where you can dance until dawn then relax in the sun, on the beach all day.

Why Go to Puerto Escondido

Kevin Hutchinson

Surf’s up on one of the best beaches in Mexico. Although some of the beachside areas of Puerto Escondido are tranquil enough to take the children out to swim, Puerto Escondido’s surf makes it one of the top surfer destinations in the world. Zactela Beach holds worldwide competitions in surfing the Mexican Pipeline. Named after Banzai Pipeline of Oahu for its similarity in strength and shape, surfers and body boarders alike enthusiastically take part in riding the big waves that last from mid to late summer, with the primary competition held in November.

Puerto Escondido means “the hidden port” and it was appropriately named. Although connected to Acapulco through the coast highway, it is a seven hour journey from Oaxaca City to the modest town on hairpin curves through the Sierra del Sur mountain range. With an airport that handles only domestic traffic and a low population of primarily indigenous people, this discourages many travelers other than surfers, back-packers, scuba divers, and adventure seekers from seeking its turquoise waters. However, its beauty is legendary among an international crowd that targets Puerto Escondido as the number one hideout from congested areas. It’s not unusual to enter one of its excellent restaurants and realize a familiar-looking face is that of a movie star, attempting to take a quiet vacation incognito.

The pristine setting on the Emerald Coast makes it difficult to leave. Accommodations range from bungalows on rolling hillsides, replete with tropical greenery, to high-end hotels located directly on the beach. Puerto Escondido doesn’t have a plaza. Instead, there is a single cobblestone street running directly parallel to the beach. Here the bars, shops, Internet cafes and restaurants line up, adding a busy nightlife to the adventurous daytime activities. Besides surfing and swimming, activities include exploration of the foot paths leading to sheltered coves, rock outcrops perfect for beach-combing, and observing the marine life, which includes porpoises and sea turtles. It’s also a favorite place for scuba divers, with coral reefs, bright colored fish, oysters, lobsters, and manta rays. It’s eco-tourism at its best, a hidden port to get away from the crowds, but most of all, a surfer’s paradise.

Why Go to Cozumel

Dan Zelazo

Some of the best beaches in Mexico are located on the islands decorating the Yucatan Peninsula. Cozumel is no exception. Located opposite of Playa Del Carmen, in the state of Quintana Roo, Cozumel is best known for for its highly rewarding scuba diving. The thirty mile long island is located within the Mesopotamia reef system, the second largest reef system in the world. Among the fanning reef structures, is a population of over 250 tropical fish, including the Queen Angelfish, and the shy little toadfish, found nowhere else in the world.

You don’t have to be an experienced diver to enjoy the underwater sites of Cozumel. Snorkeling will give you much of the same pleasures and if you really want to go deep, there is always a mini-submarine adventure. There are also classic submarine tours that will take you to depths of 120 feet.

The flourishing resort town offers a variety of recreational activities, including jungle adventures on an ATV through the thick forested area, visiting a pearl farm, para-sailing, kite surfing, and deep sea fishing. Of course, you could just relax on Cozumel’s white sand beach.

The majority of the Cozumel population lives on the western shore, in the town of San Miguel de Cozumel. Catering to tourism, Cozumel has many fine restaurants, hotels, spas, guided tours, entertainment facilities, and even a golf course. Located five miles from the mainland, the island is accessible by air, ferry, or cruise ship. Seventy-eight percent of tourist interest is generated in the United States, followed by 8% in Canada, with 1.2% from the United Kingdom.

Why Go to Cabo San Lucas

Ping & Wenji

With one of the best beaches in Mexico, Cabo San Lucas has become the number five hotspot for tourism in general into the vast country. Considering the huge amount of interest in all aspects of Mexican culture, this is no small accomplishment. Located on the far tip of the Baja, archeological evidence reveals that human habitation existed in this desert area for at least ten thousand years.

With 300 days of sunshine, there is no such thing as bad weather at Cabo, although September and October are accompanied by tropical storms. Christmas is its busiest season, with vacationers intent on escaping the winter chill by soaking up some beautiful days on Cabo’s spectacular beaches. Other popular times of the year are during spring break when college students arrive in droves to relax and unwind between their studies, and during Carnival time, which lasts from February through March.

Los Cabo San Lucas has grown at an astonishing rate, attracting investors and migrants from all over the world. Its economic growth between the years 1990 – 2000 increased by 308%. With gated communities and exclusive hotels springing up along the Cabo corridor, it has become the haven for movie stars, Fortune 500 CEOs, and even for those holding high political office.

This doesn’t mean you need a fortune to enjoy the fabulous beaches of Cabo. Accommodations include bed and breakfasts, family-friendly hotels, as well as high-end exclusive corporate resorts.

The biggest attraction is the Playa del Amor, located at Land’s End. There you will see amazing rock formations as awe-inspiring as those in Utah, including its own rock arch, but all erupting from the deep blue sea. In the winter, pods of whales can be observed migrating from Alaska to deliver their calves in the warm tropical waters. Snorkelers enthusiastically explore the depths to observe the variety of fish, sponges, sea turtles, and invertebrates.

It is most famous, however, for its spas. Cabo takes its spas seriously, turning them into garden pleasures with therapeutic steam baths or desert clay purification. Rated the best in all Latin America, “Resort and Spa” is as commonplace an offer in Cabo as “bed and breakfast” is in other tourist areas.

The Future of the Best Beaches in Mexico

Traveling along Mexico’s coastline can be an astonishing experience. By choosing to travel the Pacific Coast Highway, you can find a wide variety of small towns and villages; some very indigenous in nature; and some filled with the promise of future growth. Often you will see high-end developments where there is no apparent town at all, just gorgeous expanses of white sand beaches, with a sparkling ocean stretching out as far as the eye can see.

By traveling the Caribbean side, you go deeper and deeper into the mysteries of Mexico, with ancient Mayan ruins, deep savannas, rainforests, and Spanish Colonial architecture. Although tourism floundered with the first bite of global recession, Mexico’s tourism trade is recuperating, with an expected rise of 5%, according to the World Tourism Organization.

The slant has changed over recent years, with tourists more environmentally conscious, cutting back on air flights and favoring renewable resources for energy. Tourism has become especially energetic in the warmer countries such as Mexico, with a great deal of emphasis on an eco-friendly environment. The tourist trade has helped to boost the gross domestic product in the warmer regions, increasing the need to provide an adequate infrastructure, with clean water facilities, low-impact waste disposal, Internet and cable services, and well-maintained roads. As economies continue to improve, allowing consumers to once again include travel in their vacation plans, the future of Mexico’s beaches as a prime tourism designation looks bright.