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Mexico's Beaches Offer More Than Just A Suntan
With summer right around the corner, Mexico's 9,000 miles of coastline offers beach lovers more than just rest and relaxation. Summer travelers eager to take in some rays can enjoy the diverse activities available in some of Mexico's top beach destinations. Only in Mexico will you find four different sea coasts providing a huge variety of sand types, waves, ocean color and natural environments. Add Mexico's well-earned reputation for hospitality and value, and it's easy to see why Mexico and its beaches are a favorite vacation spot among North American tourists and beyond.
A Perfect Beach for Everyone
With 6,000 miles of its 9,000-mile coast as beaches, Mexico offers everything from bustling mega-resorts to tranquil ecological hideaways. Cancún/Cozumel, Acapulco, Los Cabos, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta are the most popular beach destinations, perfect for those who are into world-class people watching. For those neither into watching, nor wanting to be watched, there are lesser known, secluded stretches of Mexican paradise, often relatively close to more popular beaches. |
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Crave Crowds?
• Cancún/Cozumel
Think of Las Vegas, but with beautiful beaches, bronzed bodies and water sports instead of casinos. Cancún is consistently rated among the world's best beaches. A short trip from the mainland, Isla Mujeres (Island of Women) stretches along 5 miles of pristine beach. Nearby, Mexico's most popular archaeological site, Tulum, combines prehispanic ruins with sprawling beaches and sparkling waters.
• Acapulco
This fabled haunt of the Hollywood elite, equally famed for its daring young cliff divers, is reemerging as one of Mexico's premier beach destinations. If you haven't been there in a while, visit now. Acapulco's magic is more potent than ever.
• Los Cabos
With its other-worldly beauty and enviable location at the tip of Baja California, the world's longest peninsula, the beaches of Los Cabos are equally beautiful and dramatic. Despite its many world-class resorts, you can still enjoy a private stretch of beach.
• Mazatlán
Spreading 15 miles along a thumb of land that extends into the Pacific just below the Tropic of Cancer, Mazatlan marks the beginning of the Mexican tropics. Beyond the "Golden Zone" hotel strip, its coast is sprinkled with beckoning islands and miles of golden beaches and blue lagoons, aptly deserving its title as the "Pearl of the Pacific."
• Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta lies on Bahía Banderas, the second-largest natural bay in North America, with more than 100 miles of coastline. At the same latitude as Hawaii, it's a haven for anyone who enjoys beach activities from whale-watching, parasailing or bungee jumping over the Pacific to windsurfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, jet skiing and deep-sea fishing. |
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Desperately Seeking Seclusion?
• Maroma Beach, Playa del Carmen
On Mexico's Turquoise Coast, Maroma feels like it's like a million miles away, but is actually just 35 miles south of Cancun on what has become known as the Mayan Riviera. Also rated one of the Travel Channel's "Best Beaches," its sand is the color of powdered sugar and its clear waters are the temperature of a warm bath. On the slight chance you'll want to do anything but just melt into the sand, you can visit nearby Mayan ruins, explore the Sian Ka'an Biosphere reserve or visit the Contoy Island bird sanctuary. The locale features a 36-unit, 500-acre luxury resort that was built without electrical or mechanical tools, and only one-tenth of the property will ever be developed in order to maintain the area's ecological balance.
• Isla del Espíritu Santo
The Island of Espiritu Santo is located off the coast of Baja California, near the city of La Paz. With its red rock formations, white sand beaches and turquoise waters, Espiritu Santo is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful islands in the Sea of Cortez. Adventurous travelers can circle this jewel during weeklong kayaking voyages with the opportunity to snorkel, swim with sea lion pups, hike volcanic creeks, and set up camp on a different beach each night, allowing them to explore the beauty of this island paradise. |
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• Nayarit
Offering a broad range of vacation settings, the State of Nayarit is a major agricultural center as well as one of Mexico's most beautiful beach destinations. The coastal city of San Blas is the site of an annual international fishing tournament as well as the ruins of the 18th century temple of San Basilio. A popular spot in the area is La Tovara, a freshwater spring and swimming hole.
• Punta Mita
If visitors to Mexico have their heart set on a relaxed beach vacation, the Pacific ocean-side town of Punta Mita is the ideal spot to unwind. A luxury resort awaits those in need of pampering, and from December to March, the Yubartas whales migrate to the region, giving lucky travelers memories that will last a lifetime.
• Tamaulipas
Nature travelers will be impressed by Tamaulipas many lagoons, estuaries and beaches. Saltwater marshes and mangroves make the shores of Tamaulipas especially interesting to naturalists and ecotourists.
• Huatulco
If in search of the perfect place to unwind, visitors should look no further than the Bays of Huatulco, the newest ecotourism beach resort on Mexico's Pacific coast. The nine bays are located at the base of the Sierra Madre Mountains in the state of Oaxaca. For a closer look at the bays, travelers should not miss the Tequila Catamaran tour. Stop at Maguey Bay for a dip in the cool water and dry off on the white sand beach while sipping fresh coconut milk served right in the shell.
• Up-and-coming
Located just south of Cancun, Mexico's Riviera Maya in Quintana Roo State is quickly gaining the spotlight in the world of sun-seekers. Playa del Carmen, the Riviera Maya's unofficial capital, lies halfway between Cancún and Tulúm on a coastal strip that combines jungle, mangrove swamps and white, sandy beaches. In addition to beaches, Tulum is also one of the main archaeological zones in Quintana Roo. |
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