Best 25+ Mexico Beaches
Boasting nearly 7,000 miles of coastline, it’s no wonder that Mexico offers an abundance of stunning beaches , attracting sun-seekers and watersport enthusiasts alike. There are more than 450 beaches around the Mexican coastline where they meet with one of four waters - the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of California and Caribbean Sea.
There are white powdery sands lapped by the turquoise waters of the Caribbean whilst dramatic and powerful swells roll in from the Pacific Ocean.Whilst some beaches are home to an impressive array of sealife the golden sands of many transform into hot party spots when the sun goes down
The beaches of Mexico are so diverse that whatever you're in search of your certain to find it here.
The Best Mexican Beaches...
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1. Playa Zipolite // Oaxaca
Ana Escobar Great for:- Surfing
Located on the southern coast of Oaxaca state, Playa Zipolite is Mexico's first and only legal nudist beach. It is very popular as a clothing-optional resort and is pretty laid back, with the use of marijuana largely ignored. On the first week in February the beach hosts the annual Festival Nudista Zipolite. For a little more seclusion head to Playa del Amor just over the bluff to the east.
On… read more »
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2. Hidden Beach // Islas Marietas
Christian Frausto Bernal Great for:- Swimming
The Marietas Islands, off Mexico's west coast are home to one of the most unusual beaches you will find anywhere. Whilst it wouldn't rank on a top 10 list of beaches for its modest stretch of (albeit very nice) sand it is has to get a mention just because of how weird and wonderful it is.
Imagine a large cave with a beach in it - difficult I know! Now imagine… read more »
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3. Playa Norte // Quintana Roo
© Eddy Galeotti Located on Isla Mujeres is the beach of Playa Norte, a tropical island getaway that seems worlds apart from the resort town of Cancun just 20 minute boat ride away. Here the crystal clear aquamarine waters meet the soft white sands and lush palm trees sway gently in the breeze. Playa Norte really does offer its tranquil, relaxing atmosphere that you won't find on most Mexican beaches.
Despite being located… read more » -
4. Isla Holbox // Quintana Roo
Great for:- Snorkeling
- Swimming
- Kitesurfing
Isla Holbox is a Caribbean island just off the northern tip of the popular Yucatan peninsula, off the coast of Quintana Roo. Less than one mile wide, the 26-mile long island runs parallel to the Chiquila Coast creating a protected lagoon that is home to flamingos, pelicans and other birdlife.
Holbox actually means "black hole" but there's no sign of anything fitting this definition, in fact quite the opposite. Lined with… read more »
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5. Playa Balandra // Baja
Nathan Dugal Great for:- Snorkeling
- Swimming
Located 30 minutes from La Paz near the tip of Baja California, Playa Balandra is a an idyllic crescent-shaped bay. The sweeping bay is often cited as the most beautiful beach in Mexico.
White sand dunes and clear turquoise waters are backed by red hills dotted with prickly cactus. The white sand is very soft and warm. Just offshore is the Isla Espirito Santo adding to the scenic view.
The sheltered lagoon… read more »
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6. El Tecolote // Baja
Charles-Edouard Coste Great for:- Swimming
Located 15 miles north of La Paz on the beautiful Baja California, El Tecolote Beach is literally at the end of the road, just after Playa Balandra on State Hwy 11.
El Tecolote has an unusually long stretch of fine white sand (about 8 miles) with shady palapa beach umbrellas and some beautiful shells if you care to collect them. It is one of the few beaches in the area… read more »
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7. Xpu Há // Quintana Roo
BrunoSchalch Great for:- Snorkeling
- Swimming
Xpu-ha Beach (pronounced Shpoo-Ha) is a typical crescent of white sandy lapped by gentle aquamarine waters on the Yucatan peninsula. It's just off Hwy 307, tucked between the popular resort of Playa del Carmen (17 miles away) and Akumal, but it's rarely overcrowded.
The offshore reef is excellent for snorkelling, but you need to wade through patches of algae that occasionally form along the shoreline - it's a pervasive problem… read more »
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8. El Castillo // Quintana Roo
The beach at Tulum is pretty much your standard Caribbean coast beach; crystal clear turquoise waters, soft white sand and low limestone cliffs draped in tropical vegetation. However, the beach at El Castillo can do even better than this.
Located on what has been dubbed the Riviera Maya, the beach here is backed by the ruins of an ancient Mayan port of Zama. The Tulum ruins are believed to date… read more »
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9. Stingray Beach // Cozumel
Great for:- Snorkeling
- Swimming
Just a few hundred metres south of San Miguel de Cozumel (the main town on the island) and the island's airport, Stingray Beach is named after its marine visitors. The only beach on Cozumel where its possible to swim with these mysterious, yet harmless, creatures, it is subdivided into various sections.
Some sections are freely-accessible to the public, while others are owned by a private resort. The stingrays are unable to… read more »
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10. Playa Punta Morena // Cozumel
© cyprusniko Great for:- Snorkeling
- Swimming
- Surfing
Situated midway along the east coast of Cozumel facing out into the rich blue of the Caribbean Sea, Playa Punta Morena is a broad sweep of pale sand which arches around a small bay. Backed by a handful of places to grab tasty food and drink, and dotted with sun loungers and umbrellas, much of its sand remains free for beach games.
There's a small natural pool sunken into these sands… read more »
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11. Playa del Amor // Baja
© Daniel Conde Near the popular tourist town of Cabo San Lucas is Playa del Amor, also known as Lover's Beach, one of the the most striking beach in Mexico thanks to its natural geology. The golden sands here are surrounded by two imposing rocks that rise out of the sea, but it is just around the corner that you'll find the main feature; a huge natural rock arch named El Arco.
… read more » -
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12. Playa Mazunte // Oaxaca
Fido Great for:- Swimming
- Surfing
The small beach town of Mazunte is just west of San Agustin on the Pacific Coast of Oaxaca. Far from the main tourist route and requiring a rough 8-hour road journey from Oaxaca City, it remains a quiet haven, so you'll only have the company of a few backpackers and locals on this lovely beach.
The 1km long cove is sheltered by the Punta Cometa peninsula and lookout point which is… read more »
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13. Playa Palancar // Cozumel
dronepicr Great for:- Snorkeling
- Swimming
Playa Palancar is a white sand beach whose ribbon of sand runs for around a mile along the southwest coast of Cozumel Island. Easily reached via the island's main highway – Quintana Roo C-1 – it is approximately 20 minutes from where the cruise ships dock. It is backed by shade giving palms and a handful of thatch-roofed huts which meld perfectly into this tropical paradise.
Lined by well-spaced sun loungers… read more »
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14. Yelapa // Jalisco
Jordan Schwartz Great for:- Swimming
One of the more traditional and quaint beaches in Mexico, Playa del Yelapa is an old hippy hangout that still retains much of its old world charm with its laid back vibe and rustic atmosphere around the pier.
It occupies a beautiful position on a charming bay and backed by tropical hills and fringed with coconut palm trees.
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15. Playa Chen Rio // Cozumel
Great for:- Surfing
Playa Chen Rio is located on the east coast of Cozumel. Curving slightly as it meets the Caribbean Sea, it has slightly less protection from the waves than beaches on the opposite side of the island, but is nonetheless a mesmeric place to spend a few hours – or even days.
Its white sands sweep down from low grass-covered dune-like formations which develop out of the island's natural flora of fleshy… read more »
