Beaches of Mexico
The best months to visit the beaches of Mexico are from November to May. July-August, Christmas and Easter attract a large number of tourists from within and outside the country. The hottest and most humid months – June, July, August and September – should be avoided in view of the tortuous weather. The problem of insects during these months is another matter. August-November has the possibility of storm surge on the Pacific coast mainly due to storms. For diving in Baja California, the period from August to November is the best, with its warm, transparent waters and blue skies. Mexican beaches can be enjoyed with a wide variety of sumptuous food and drinks and, of course, music and dancing. Other attractions are the coral formations that are simply magnificent in places. Also, some nearby ancient sites like Chichén Itzá and Tulum are worth visiting.
Some of the places that offer the best of Mexican beaches are listed below. Tulum (on the Caribbean coast) has one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, with picturesque Mayan ruins overlooking it. The environment thus created is impressive and is the reason why thousands of tourists visit the place every year. Tulum is located 130 km south of the huge Cancun resort. It is a small but perfectly formed white sand cove, with beautiful palm trees and the attractive azure blue sea of the Caribbean for swimming. The entrance to Tulum has a huge parking lot, souvenir shops, cafeteria and restaurants. As such, there is no place to stay on site, but there are a few hotels and restaurants in the town of Tulum. In addition, there are many resort-like places, cabins (beach huts) and campsites along the coast road south of Punta Allen.
Playa del Carmen (on the Caribbean coast) is a cool, casual beach with plenty of accommodations, great bars, restaurants, and shops. Although it is very popular and draws crowds from all over the world, the place is still low-key, friendly and relaxing. It is the best place in Mexico to buy high quality handicrafts, especially jewelry. Boats are available to Cozumel, famous for world-class diving and a park for swimming with dolphins. Puerto Escondido (on the Pacific coast) has several stretches of magnificent sandy beach, with a laid-back atmosphere and plenty of cheap accommodations. Popular beaches include 2 km long Zicatela (surf paradise) to the east of the city and Playa Puerto Angelito to the west. The swell here reaches 7-8 meters during the months of August to November due to the storms from the South Pacific.
The Puerto Ángel area (on the Pacific coast) is known for its tranquility and the most popular beach is Zipolite. Security is a small issue here. Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo (Baja California) offer miles of wonderful beaches and is a major American tourist destination for fishing and partying for young people. The best beaches are Playa Cemeterio, Playa Santa María (ideal for swimming), Playa Costa Azul, Playa Canta Mar (ideal for surfing) and Playa Solmar (whale watching from January to April).
The Bahía Concepción coastline (Bahía Concepción) has several picturesque beaches, such as Playa Requesón, Playa Buenaventura, and Playa Coyote. It is on the coast of the Sea of Cortez, which is a protected marine sanctuary. The facilities are fairly basic (no fresh water in some places) but the natural beauty and tranquility more than make up for it. Excellent for water sports and excellent for seafood (especially clams). Playa Santispac has the best camping, with some good restaurants. Buenaventura Beach is for kayak lovers. Bahía de Matanchén, San Blas (on the Pacific coast) is a small but truly Mexican fishing town of San Blas that has an excellent urban beach, but the best in the area is Bahía de Matanchén, about 4 km away. It has a wide, crescent-shaped bay with splendid beaches of fine, soft sand and a relaxing atmosphere.
Between Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco, the central Pacific coast has several hundred miles of coastline with fine sandy beaches and excellent facilities. The place is known for its fantastic seafood, its lively nightlife and many activities.