After living and traveling through most of Mexico, we have been to almost every major beach destination in the country. While we love Central Mexico for all its culture and charm, there’s no denying that Mexico is jam-packed with incredible beaches, and the best beaches in Mexico are some of the best beaches in the world. In this post we’ll give you our inside scoop on 5 places to go with the best beaches in Mexico and what to do while you’re there.
1. Cozumel
Cozumel, an island located off of the Caribbean, has the best beaches in Mexico by far. In fact, I’d say some of the beaches in Cozumel are among the best beaches in the entire world. I’ve been to most of the major islands in the Caribbean, and Cozumel is near the top of the heap. It’s so good that I have gone there at least five times! The best beaches in Cozumel have perfectly white sand and crystal clear waters, and you can find just about any beach vibe here that you want.
Cozumel is actually pretty large, too, so there are so many things to do. If you’re interested in a deep look at planning your trip to Cozumel, be sure to check out my Cozumel Travel Guide. Otherwise, you might want to consider reading my picks of the best beaches in Cozumel and my review of one of the best snorkeling companies on the island. Whatever you’re looking for, you can probably find it on Cozumel.
2. Tulum
If you’re looking for some of the best beaches in Mexico and don’t want to have to take a ferry to Cozumel, it doesn’t get any better than Tulum. While Tulum is known largely for its bohemian atmosphere and luxurious beach clubs, the quality of the beach itself is world-class. If you’re looking for a party, Tulum hits the mark. If you’re not looking for a party, don’t worry! Tulum still has plenty to do for the family, especially up towards the northern end of the beach strip.
Tulum is not only a great place to go for beaches, but also for cenotes!
If you haven’t heard of cenotes, they’re really cool underground sinkholes located all throughout Mexico and they come in all shapes and sizes. When you take the combination of awesome beaches and relaxing cenotes, Tulum has plenty of water to go around, earning its stripes solidly on the list of the places with best beaches in Mexico. If you’re looking for more information on Tulum, be sure to check out my detailed travel guide with everything you need to know about visiting Tulum!
3. Acapulco
Acapulco used to be one of the most famous destinations in all of Mexico, and some semi-recent bad headlines have taken it out of the limelight. This is really sad, because Acapulco really has many of the best beaches in Mexico, especially in terms of Mexico’s west coast. Now, I want to take a second and honestly tell you, Acapulco is safe to visit. The recent headlines aren’t fake news, but they are severely blown out of proportion. Don’t let some falsely represented news scare you out of this awesome destination.
If you want more information on safety in Acapulco as well as tips for planning your trip, I definitely recommend checking out my Acapulco Travel Guide. Also, if you’re looking for specific recommendations about beaches in the area, I’d advise checking out my list of the best beaches in Acapulco. Acapulco really rocks, and the coastline is dotted with several of the best beaches in Mexico, hands down. There’s a reason that this was one of the most celebrity-famous areas in the mid 1900s! If Frank Sinatra and the Kennedy’s thought it was worth the trip, so should you.
4. Los Cabos
If you live on the west coast of the United States, you almost have to have heard of Los Cabos. For Californians, this place is practically the backyard! When we visited Los Cabos, we were blown away by just how well developed the area is. Most of Mexico is very well developed, don’t get me wrong, but driving on the roads in Los Cabos feels like driving on one of the nicest highways in the United States!
Los Cabos is more than just nice roads, though. From the stunning Arch of Cabo San Lucas to the beautiful beaches on the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez, this place absolutely rocks. Los Cabos is widely regarded as a higher end place to go on vacation, and many cite it as one of the most romantic beach destinations in the world.
I highly recommend checking out Los Cabos, especially if you’re located on the western half of North America. I promise you, you won’t be disappointed! For some more details for your trip, check out my Los Cabos Travel Guide.
5. Puerto Vallarta
Rounding out the list of the places with the best beaches in Mexico is the Vallartas – Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta. Both of these areas are really world class, but we are partial to Puerto Vallarta because of its accompanying town. Nuevo Vallarta is more of an isolated resort strip, while Puerto Vallarta has a hotel zone and a really awesome town.
Puerto Vallarta has really cool things to do, from whale watching to hiking to remote beaches. The city is also a really incredible place to hang out and explore, serving world-class food and hosting an awesome boardwalk area, which in Spanish is called the Malecón. The beaches themselves are better in the other four destinations, but don’t take that the wrong way – all of the best beaches in Mexico are among the best beaches in the world. The town in Puerto Vallarta and its big waves are what make it unique from the rest of the places on this list. For some of the top things to do in Puerto Vallarta and logistics for your trip, be sure to check out my Puerto Vallarta Travel Guide!
Thanks for reading my post on the top 5 places with the best beaches in Mexico! Hopefully you have an incredible time visiting these amazing destinations. If you decide to go, let us know!
Do you think we missed any places?
Tell us if we missed any beach destinations in the comments below!
