Ready to hit the playa? Mexico is one of the world’s greatest beach destinations. With over 9,300 km of coastline, you’re bound to find a beach to love in this sun-kissed country. Choose from the Gulf of Mexico, with its warm water and excellent diving conditions, and the wilder Pacific Ocean, known as a surfer’s paradise. Oh, and don’t forget about all the small islands with picture-perfect Mexico beaches. Let’s discover together the best beaches in Mexico and let’s dive right in!
Playa del Carmen
Let’s start in the gorgeous Yucatán Peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico, home to many of the country’s best beaches. Playa del Carmen is a true highlight of the Riviera Maya. Okay, it’s no longer the hippie backpacker destination it once was, but it’s still utterly spectacular. If you love white sand beaches, this is the place for you.
In fact, Playa del Carmen isn’t just one beach. Some of the best beaches in Playa del Carmen include Parque Los Fundadores, Playa Mamitas and Playa Punta Esmeralda. They all offer beautiful white sand and gorgeous turquoise waters.
Playa del Carmen is well-known for its fabulous resorts and great party scene, but it also has plenty to offer thrillseekers. It’s one of Mexico’s most popular scuba diving destinations. If you’d like to spot sea turtles and colourful reef fish, take a trip to the island of Cozumel, just 45 minutes by ferry. You can also experience the unique joy of diving in a cenote. You’ll find these natural sinkholes with crystal-clear water scattered across the Yucatán Peninsula.
Cancún Beach
Is Cancún a bit of a cliché for a Mexico beach holiday? Well, yes, but there’s a reason for that. And the reason is quite simple: it has some of the best beaches in Mexico.
When you first arrive in Cancún, you’ll be overwhelmed by the sheer scale of this resort town. It’s mind-boggling to imagine that in 1970, the population of the area was…three. Yes, really. Today, it’s a thriving tourist destination and is legendary for its wild spring break parties.
The main Cancún beach is actually a small island that connects by road to the mainland. It’s packed with hotels, and it’s a great place for people-watching and partying. For something a little quieter, head down to Playa Mujeres. You’ll be close enough to the city that you can enjoy a slice of the nighttime fun, but it’s a lot calmer than Cancún itself.
Tulum Beach
It’ll take you about an hour to get to Tulum from Cancún Airport, and you’ll be glad you made the trip. This town has some of the best Riviera Maya beaches, including Playa Paraiso. You don’t need a degree in Spanish to realise that means Paradise Beach — and we reckon it’s aptly named.
We love Playa Paraiso for its powder-fine white sand, turquoise water and ancient ruins. The beach is fringed by a thick, green jungle, which adds to its tropical charm. This is another hotspot for scuba diving and snorkelling, and it’s a lot quieter than the rowdy scenes of Cancún. In fact, we think this might just be one of the nicest beaches in Mexico.
Playa Carrizalillo
We’re heading over to the Pacific Ocean for the entry on our list of top Mexico beaches. If you’re only familiar with the spring break party scene of Cancún and the Riviera Maya, prepare to be surprised. With wild, rocky shorelines and windswept cliffs, Mexico’s Pacific coast is an entirely different ball game.
Nestled in Oaxaca, Playa Carrizalillo has a more authentic, local feel than many of the other beautiful beaches in Mexico, which is great if you want to practise your Spanish! Rather than glamorous beach clubs and expensive bars blaring out reggaetón music, you’ll find casual food shacks selling local snacks and an ice cream man pushing his cart along the sand every afternoon. True bliss.
Another great reason to visit Playa Carrizalillo is for surfing. The surf here is gentle enough that beginners are welcome. In fact, it’s a popular place to take lessons and learn to stand up on a board for the first time. You often don’t even need to book in advance, as there are plenty of local surfers who hang out here, happy to help newbies for a low price.
Playa Zipolite
We’re staying in Oaxaca for this one, but get ready for something totally different. Zipolite is the only official Mexican nude beach. Shed your clothes and your inhibitions, but make sure to bring plenty of sunscreen with you. There are some parts of the body that should never be sunburned!
You don’t have to be a nudist to enjoy Zipolite, and you will see lots of people in swimsuits. However, keep in mind that this is most definitely a nudist resort. If your idea of the perfect holiday does not involve seeing strangers’ dangly bits, then steer clear. On the other hand, if you love letting it all hangout, go nuts! Zipolite even has a couple of nudist hotels and hosts an annual nudist festival every February.
The town of Zipolite has an appropriately laid-back, casual vibe. It’s one of Mexico’s most LGBTQ-friendly destinations, with plenty of great bars and restaurants to explore. The beach is gorgeous, with fine white sand and beautiful scenery. However, take care if you want to take a dip. The strong currents here have given it the nickname of “beach of the dead”, and sadly, there have been several drownings throughout the years. Stay safe, and choose other Mexico beaches if you really want to swim.
Playa Troncones
Playa Troncones is another highlight of Mexico’s Pacific coastline. Located in the state of Guerrero, it’s still a bit of a hidden gem. Most tourists head to the more famous Acapulco, leaving this sleepy fishing village alone.
The chilled-out vibe around Playa Troncones Mexico is one of the reasons we love it so much. With a population of less than 600, it’s still got a definite village feel. You won’t find the glitzy nightclubs of Cancún here. If you’re looking for nightlife, you’ve come to the wrong place. Some hotels have weekly events, like movie nights or cocktail parties, but that’s about it. Instead, you’ll find Mexican folk dance displays and traditional restaurants. By day, chickens roam the streets while locals nap in their hammocks.
That sleepy, small-town vibe isn’t the only reason we think it’s one of the best beaches in Mexico, though. Playa Troncones has great surfing, with some spots suitable for more advanced surfers. The sea here is never crowded, so you won’t have to fight for the chance to ride a wave. There are also sea caves and waterfalls to explore, and sea turtles lay their eggs here in season. All in all, we think this beach is definitely worth visiting before it explodes in popularity.
Hidden Beach Mexico
This beach goes by many different names. Officially, it’s called Playa del Amor or the Beach of Love. However, locals often refer to it as Playa Escondida, which gives it the English nickname of the Hidden Beach. Want to go off the beaten track in search of some unique Mexico beaches? This is the one for you.
When you see a picture of the hidden beach, you might think it’s been generated by an AI that doesn’t really understand the concept of a beach. But nope — it’s real, which you’ll see when you travel to the Islas Marietas, about an hour’s boat ride away from Puerto Vallarta. The beach is set inside a cave, but it’s open to the sun and sky, thanks to an enormous hole in the roof. Some say that the hole was formed when the Mexican government was testing bombs in the early 1900s. However it came about, it’s pretty spectacular.
The currents here are extremely strong, so we definitely don’t recommend swimming. Honestly, it’s enough just to get here and check out this unique marvel — oh, and take a few photos for the ‘gram, of course!
Lagunas de Chacahua Mexico
Chacahua National Park is home to one of the best Mexico beaches — but again, it’ll take you a bit of a trek to get there. Start at Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca. You’ll need a sense of adventure and plenty of time because getting there involves a trip in a minivan, then a jeep, and finally a water taxi. The one-way journey takes at least three hours, so this is not a beach to visit on a day trip.
Why make the effort? In short, this beach is one of Mexico’s best-kept hidden gems. Yes, it’s one of the most remote beaches in the country, but it’s also a true surfer’s paradise. Many people say that this is the best place in all of Latin America for surfing. You can be the judge of that.
After all that effort, you’ll want to stay at least a couple of nights, but be warned. This is a sleepy town with no-frills accommodation and an emphasis on keeping it natural. A strict nighttime lights-out policy is designed to stop light pollution, so this is also one of the best places in Mexico for stargazing. It’s a very simple, humble place, but it truly feels like paradise. A trip here will make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time, going back to the days when Mexico was first tentatively developing its tourist industry. If you’ve got a sense of adventure and don’t mind cold showers and spotty internet, Chacahua is an absolute must.
Mazunte Beach
This Pacific beach is known for its hippie vibes. While many coastal towns in Mexico have moved on from the days of counter-culture hippie backpackers wandering around barefoot, Playa Mazunte hasn’t. Just check out the local notice boards to see the kind of services on offer: yoga classes, shamanic rituals, cacao ceremonies and astrology sessions. To be honest, it’s the kind of place that you either love or hate.
The local spiritual community may well be what makes Mazunte unique, but we’re here for Mexico beaches, so let’s talk about them. There are four beaches to explore in Mazunte. The most popular is Playa Rinconcito, but our favourite is the nearby Playa Mermejita. It’s a bit of a hike to get to, but it offers the chance to enjoy dazzling sunsets over the water.
The real highlight here is Playa Tortuguero, one of the best places in Mexico to see sea turtles. From July to December, turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. After they hatch, thousands of babies then make their way into the sea. The Mazunte Turtle Sanctuary is a great place to learn more about this miracle of nature, and it’s interesting to see how the locals work together to rescue and rehabilitate injured turtles.
Las Coloradas
Consider this a bonus: it’s not really a beach at all. In recent years, Instagram has been inundated with images of the Mexico pink beach. The good news? It exists. The bad news? It’s a man-made lake, not the sea, and you can’t go swimming.
Las Coloradas is, in fact, part of some salt flats in the Yucatán Peninsula. The high mineral content of the water and the millions of tiny shrimp living in it give it a unique, glowing pink colour. Unfortunately, it also makes it unsafe for swimming. In fact, the local government has even made it illegal to touch the water nowadays. Still, it’s a marvellous sight and a great place to go for some photo ops. Keep in mind that the intensity of the pink colour varies with the weather and the seasons, and don’t expect it to look like a filtered Instagram photo! If it ends up being a disappointment, don’t worry, as there are plenty of great beaches in Yucatán to explore instead.
We have a 13-day trip in the Yucatán Peninsula coming up. This is a great chance for you to see some of Mexico’s best beaches for yourself. But there’s more to Mexico than you think. Want to join us?
