In pictures: the best beaches in Mexico
21.07.2023 - 07:55
/ roughguides.com
Mexico boasts a mesmerizing coastline of around 9,330km, with millions of tourists coming here solely for the country’s exceptional beaches. The following have been selected as much for the scene – whether backpacker or spring-breaker – as for sand quality, water and scenery. Taken from the Rough Guide to Mexico, here are some of the best beaches in Mexico.
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Tulum town is generally empty of visitors by day because they’ve all decamped to the beach, the longest, most impeccable stretch of sand along Cancún. The easiest access is at one of the beach clubs, where you pay for lounge chairs and drinks; far south, especially in the biosphere reserve, there’s easier free access. The most popular clubs are walking distance from the ruins, making it easy to sightsee, then grab lunch and a spot in the sun. El Paraiso Beach Club, about 500m south of the ruins’ black entrance, has a generous stretch of sand, often with bands, beach soccer and volleyball.
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The most unspoiled beach in this area is Playa de Balandra, a series of shall bays, most of which are no more than waist deep (great for families and snorkelling). There are minimal vendors here and few people on weekdays – you can also rent kayaks.
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A kilometre or so over the headland from Playa Madera, past the mirador with great views across the bay, lies Playa La Ropa which takes its name – “Clothes Beach” – from silks washed up here when one of the nao de China (trading chips from China) was wrecked offshore. This is Zihuatanejo’s finest road-accessible beach, perfect for swimming and palm-fringed for more than a kilometre, with a variety of beachfront restaurants and hotels.
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Mazatlán © ChavezEd / Shutterstock
If your goal is to reach a beautifully serene beach, head north of Mazatlán to either Playa Cerritos or Playa Bruja (both accessible by bus). These are at the heart of the new mega resorts and development of Nuevo Mazatlán, but the beaches remain fairly free of crowds and there are plenty of restaurants and places for a post-beach drink.
Boats in Punta Mita (Nayarit, Mexico) © Irra/Shutterstock
Punta de Mita is more developed than Bucerías (19km away), with most of the bars, cafés and seafood restaurants along the handsome beach attached to hotels and resorts in the area known as Playa Anclote. The beach here is a wide, kilometre long curve of silky coral sand, and the water is shallow with long wave breaks, making it perfect for beginning surfers.
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The origin of the name “Zipolite” is uncertain – one theory