Mexico is a magical place. From the delicious food to the great music and ice cold drinks, it can be an ideal destination for a vacation. If beaches rank high on your list of attractions you may wonder which Mexican beaches are worth checking out. This guide is here to answer exactly that.
Playa del Carmen
Playa del Carmen is on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and it’s full of stunning beaches and top-notch places to stay – and eat, and party. The town of El Zocalo is particularly fun to check out and the beach and its parallel street La Quinta Avenida are full of delicious places to eat and interesting shops. The white sand beaches are absolutely incredible and it’s a lovely place to swim as well, with refreshing turquoise water.
The optimal time for coming here is between April and May because it’s less crowded and temperatures stick around 80. Summers are usually quite humid and between June and September there can be hurricanes, so check the weather first before buying your ticket.¹
Playa Mazunte
Playa Mazunte is located in the state of Oaxaca in the south of Mexico. It’s on the beautiful Pacific Ocean and has lovely swelling waves and relaxing beaches. The nearby town of Mazunte adds even more local flavor and you can chill out on the beach and order sun umbrellas and food all day with no worries at all.
Playa Mazunte is definitely one of the best beaches in Mexico and is highly recommended for anyone who wants somewhere fairly low-key but also classy and beautiful.²
Playa Tulum
Tulum is well-known because of its ancient Mayan ruins, and it’s beach is also something you don’t want to miss. Tulum is situated about two hours away from Cancun and its beach will exceed your expectations with lovely white sand, endless crystalline water and nearby small limestone pools that you can swim in as well.
Tulum is more relaxed than the main beaches of Cancun, although it’s started to get a steady stream of visitors and there’s all sorts of local events and activities going on every week from parties to spiritual retreats and workshops as well as chic stores to shop at and local music to check out.³
Mahahual
Mahahual is a bit over two hours south of Tulum on the beautiful Costa Maya. It’s like Tulum but less pricey and its picturesque beach is simply stunning, with white sand, shinning aquamarine water and tasty restaurants on the beachside to eat and drink at. It’s one of the best places in Mexico and it’s not as well-known as some other destinations, making it a bit of a hidden gem.
Mahahual also has a very small port for cruise ships, but other than that it’s pretty much all nature all the time. Imagine white sand, open water, mangroves and palm trees as far as the eye can see and settle back into the picture-perfect life of Mahahual.⁴
Cozumel
Cozumel is a small island off the Yucatan coast that has amazing views and a fun, enchanting atmosphere. It’s true that Cozumel gets fairly busy, but the beaches on the island are truly world-class and there are all sorts of really fascinating and fun side trips you can do here like fishing trips or snorkeling in the reefs around the island.
There are all sorts of great bars and restaurants to spend your time when you’re done exploring the great outdoors for the day, and the beaches are the optimal place to soak up the sun and the good vibes all day long. Cozumel is definitely a destination you should check out if you’re headed down Mexico way.⁵
[1] https://travel.usnews.com/Playa_del_Carmen_Mexico/
[2] https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/mexico/articles/the-11-most-beautiful-beaches-in-mexico/
[3] https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-beaches-mexico/
[4] https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/best-beaches-in-mexico
[5] https://travel.usnews.com/Cozumel_Mexico/