Dreaming about holidays, sandy beaches but you cannot decide which part of Mexico would be the perfect destination? Whether to enjoy the Caribbean coast, Gulf of Mexico or the Pacific? Here are we to help, we have compiled a list of the 13 most beautiful beaches of Mexico based on our taste & experiences!
Playa Azul, Cancún – Quintana Roo
If you are in a need of a place that is far from the famous Hotel Area (Zona Hotelera), which seems to be a bit less set up for tourists, far from the luxurious resorts and charter flights passengers, go north! Not to mention that this is only area in Cancún, where you can face less sargassum, thanks to the fact that this territory lies in the shadow of Isla Mujeres, which functions as a natural fence to filter some part of the seaweed invasion.
BTO Tips:
- If you want to avoid sargassum, follow this site to get updated how the alga situation is all around.
- If you are looking for a good seafood restaurant nearby, go for Flamingos!
- More things to do in Cancún & around, check our related article.
- Read our complete review about Quintana Roo here!
Punta Cocos, Isla Holbox – Quintana Roo
It is a constant debate which island to visit, once you are in Quintana Roo. Cozumel, Isla Mujeres or Holbox? If you don’t have time for all three, let us suggest you a paradise spot, the Coco Beach on Holbox. Not saying that is completely empty of tourists, but if you arrive in the morning hours for sure you can choose the best palapa for yourself, get fresh coconuts and enjoy the turquoise blue crystal clear water only for yourself. During the day of course more and more people will arrive, but still bearable.
BTO Tips:
- If you are looking for a good local restaurant nearby (approx 150 meter from the beach), go for Las Fridas de Punta Coco
- Don’t walk there, it is too far from the center under the crazy burning sun! Plus the road conditions are not very pleasant (dust everywhere and the smell of uncollected rubbish)! You can rent bikes, golf cars or just catch a taxi, that will take you there for 150 Mexican Pesos.
- Read our complete review about Quintana Roo here!
Laguna de Kaan Luum, Tulum – Quintana Roo
This place is a hidden treasure on the Mayan Riviera. Easily accessible from Tulum, about 12 kilometres in the direction of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, a wooden sign painted with the name of the Lagoon appeared in front of us. We entered the jungle and came across a small parking lot where a booth was located to pay for the entrance fee, which covers the parking and a general admission to access the Laguna. The lagoon, which runs into a cenote, which is inside it, has a depth of 82 meters, where you can dive for an extra cost that they tell you at the entrance.
BTO Tips:
- They say that you cannot buy any drinks inside. It’s not true, when we were there, you could have bought beers and soft drinks. But it’s worth to bring your own supplies with yourself, just in case.
- There are limited places on the wooden decks, so later during the day it’s very unlikely to find a calmer spot for yourself and for your belongings.
- You can rent kayak and paddle boards too.
- Read our complete review about Quintana Roo here!
Playa Akumal – Quintana Roo
After the complete failure of finding a beach without sargassum on the Mayan Riviera, we have decided to visit Playa Akumal and we were luckier here. The seaweed was still present, but you could still enjoy the Caribbean Sea. Unfortunately – as many of the cool places in Mexico – this place is in private hands and you need to pay entrance fee to get in and enjoy the beach.
BTO Tips:
- If you like turtles, you can book a turtle watching tour here. But as the locals say, without any tour as well you have high chances to spot a turtle, especially when it’s their reproduction season.
- Read our complete review about Quintana Roo here!
Playa de Celestún – Yucatán
This village may not have the classic beaches of the Caribbean, and honestly – besides the beach there is not much to see there – but it does have several kilometres of lovely coastline, that is perfect for long walks, sunbathing & admiring the sunset. There are no crowds, even at the main beach in town, and the water is a pretty green-emerald colour.
BTO Tips:
- It’s especially worth to visit during the sargassum season, since this part of the Gulf of Mexico is hidden by the currents, and usually stays seaweed free!
- Not to mention their amazing gastronomy, already influenced by Campeche state, and the fresh seafood at every beach bar – cockteleria!
- Read our complete review about Yucatán here!
Playa Norte – Ciudad del Carmen – Campeche
Playa Norte, on the Gulf of Mexico, is Ciudad del Carmen’s beach area. It’s superb looking, with wide expanses of coarse sand, turquoise green water, parking areas and some palapa bars, cocktelerias and restaurants. It’s a proper urban beach that usually during the weekdays is kind of empty as you can see on the below pictures! However, as we heard from locals, during the weekend is suddenly getting full of visitors.
BTO Tip:
Isla del Carmen – Campeche
Everyone speaks about different island tours around Mexico but usually they forgot to mention or even consider Isla del Carmen. Maybe because it’s kind of easy to access via its bridges, no need for ferry rides, I’m not sure, but for us it was most probably the most romantic place that we could have experienced all around our Mexican journey. Super long extension of empty beaches, with white and golden sand, free palapas, and the Gulf of Mexico only for us. Besides couple of official beach bars with fences where you need to book ahead your palapa for a lot of money, don’t expect here any services so it’s better to bring your own supplies, choose a friendly bay, and enjoy your day till sunset!
BTO Tip:
Sabancuy – Playa de Santa Rosalia – Campeche
Sabancuy is famous for its beach on Mar Vivo – meaning on the Gulf Sea, and not in the lagoon (Mar Muerto). Its beaches are extremely quiet, fine white sand, shallow water, transparent, peaceful and gentle slope waves. Today, thanks to its peaceful calm waters with waves are ideal for young children and elderly people, and also water sports such as the diving cliffs where you can admire a variety of marine fauna, in addition to fishing sports, sailing, it is planned eco-tourism development for the area and while the study is presented to investors. Sabancuy offers tourism services including accommodation, food, tourist information, plus the population has the characteristics of being kind and friendly people.
Mazunte – Oaxaca
Well, to reach Mazunte from Oaxaca capital is already challenging you 100%. The never-ending curvy road through the mountains will exhaust you and it will be less and less believable that at some point you will be able to step in the Pacific Ocean. But yes, it is possible, but honestly if we should do it again, we would just simply fly. You can fly from Oaxaca capital to the coast, to Puerto Escondido on very reasonable prices.
The town of Mazunte is a little beach town on Mexico’s Pacific Coast and is actually one of the country’s Pueblo Mágicos (Magical Towns). It’s got a welcoming vibe and you quickly come to understand that it’s the kind of town where people prefer the hippy lifestyle, being shirtless & shoeless during all day, with variety of music bars & stoned waiters around.
Here, like no one ever heard of any pandemic and related any limitations. You cannot find here a single person wearing a mask, or any hand sanitisers.
The town was not our favourite, it felt like a fake hippy paradise, from where all real hippies already left long time ago, and now it is actually more like the spring break location of U.S. college students, who are trying to be or at least pretend to be super cool. And in the end it is all a bit ridiculous and thanks to them super overpriced. But nevertheless, the Pacific Ocean and its beach is incredibly beautiful, but luckily it is accessible from many other towns and villages too!
BTO Tip:
Puerto Angel – Oaxaca
If you had enough of Mazunte, this neighbouring fishermen village offers you a completely different vibe and a calmer atmosphere to enjoy the Pacific, don’t miss it out.
Along with San Agustinillo and Playa Zipolite are known as the “Riviera Oaxaqueña“. It is located 9 km south of city of Pochutla and approximately 80 kilometers east of Puerto Escondido. Despite tourism development since the 1960s, the town is still mostly a fishing village, located on a small bay surrounded by rocky hills that lead into the Sierra Madre del Sur. It was founded in the mid-19th century as a port for the region’s coffee and lumber industries but since then other means of shipping these products has replaced it.
BTO Tip:
Playa Bamba – Oaxaca
Maybe we shouldn’t share this secret beach as one day it will be also crowded by tourists… but it was really a Besides the Obvious discovery, where we could enjoy the beach – Playa Bamba – only for ourselves, not a single person around, and the closest bar was made out of couple temporary wooden elements, broken chairs and some hammocks, where we have seen two more people all together all afternoon. They served chilled Coronas & actually we didn’t need anything more.
Santa Brigida – Chiapas
Santa Brigida is a surprisingly cute spot, right on the border of Oaxaca and Chiapas states. That is so much that according to Google Maps it’s hard to decide where it belongs. But if you do your research it will be confirmed quickly that Santa Brigida is already part of Chiapas state. The only reason why we ended up here was that we were looking for some cute beaches on the Pacific, something similar to Playa Bamba and something definitely better than Salina Cruz. Read our advantages in Oaxaca state here!
Well Santa Brigida is super popular spot among locals, especially on Sundays, we also arrived that day during lunchtime. It was full of local people, families, enjoying their free day with good food and nice surroundings. Even though Santa Brigida is not more than a street with 4-5 restaurants on a lagoon, with many palapas & hammocks to enjoy the shadow after lunch and also to access the beach – it’s definitely recommended to stop by.
Playa Del Sol – Chiapas
Playa Del Sol, on the coast of Chiapas is a lovely place that does not include big resorts and crowded beaches. Just a couple of palapas, where you can taste the local food. Boca del Cielo and Puerto Arista are the closest beaches to San Cristobal de las Casas. It is about 4 hours away by car, but once around don’t miss Playa Del Sol and admire its sunset.
Enjoy our discounts in the place
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Excellent selection of beaches! Great information. Thanks very much for sharing.
Thank you Daniel!