5 Instagram-Worthy Beaches in Mexico (#1 Was Voted One of the Best Beaches in the WORLD)
Mexico is famous for beautiful beaches and bustling seaside cities with luxury resorts and boutique hotels.
However, some travelers prefer off-the-beaten-path places — and for this, only the hidden beaches of Mexico will do.
Check out the Mexico beaches map below for a visual, and then keep reading to learn more about each of these best Mexico secret beaches.
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1. Playa Maroma Beach, Quintana Roo
Playa Maroma Mexico has been voted one of the Best Beaches in the World by the Travel Channel and Discovery Channel.
It’s located in Quintana Roo State, between Cancun and Playa del Carmen in the Yucatan Peninsula.
It is on the Mexican Caribbean Coast, so expect gorgeous, crystal clear waters in every shade of blue.
Playa Maroma Beach has soft white sand and calm waters. This makes it the ideal place for overwater bungalows — and this is exactly where you’ll find all the best overwater bungalows in Mexico.
It also has some great coral reefs for snorkeling just off-shore.
Head to the southern end of the beach, called Punta Maroma (Maroma Point) near the stunning Chablé Maroma Resort, which is the best place to go snorkeling at Playa Maroma.
🎟 Playa Maroma Tip: Buy a Day Pass
Though all beaches in Mexico are public, not all beaches have public access. Playa Maroma falls into this category.
Unless you’re staying at a resort like El Dorado Palafitos Overwater Bungalows, the easiest way to access Playa Maroma is with a day pass from Maroma Adventures and Beach Club.
The day pass costs $40 USD per person.
2. Islas Marietas: Mexico Hidden Beach
The Marietas Islands are located in the Pacific Ocean, about two hours from Puerto Vallarta and one hours from Sayulita, Mexico by boat.
The islands are part of Islas Marietas National Park, a protected natural area.📍 If you need a visual, this is the Hidden Beach Mexico location on Google Maps
The Hidden Beach at Marietas Islands is a Mexico bucket list trip. It’s a bit of a trek to get there, but once you arrive, you’ll see it was worth it.
The Hidden Beach is super exclusive, so you’ll feel like a VIP for even being there.
The Mexican government limits the number of people who can visit this beach each day in an effort to preserve it.
They only allow about 125 or so people to go each day, and the boat tours always sell out in advance.
The only way to visit is on a boat tour, and there are two types of tours: One where you swim in the waters around the Marietas Islands Mexico (like this one), and one that takes you to the Hidden Beach, like these: Hidden Beach Island Discovery and Marietas Islands Snorkeling Tour.
3. Costa Careyes, Jalisco
Costa Careyes is a luxury hidden gem in Mexico on the coast of Jalisco state.
It was discovered in 1968 by Italian banker Gian Franco Brignone, who flew over the area and immediately decided to purchase thousands of acres.
Located between the beach destinations of Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo, Colima, Careyes is all about relaxation, art and architecture.
Its pristine coastline was designed to look like the colorful Italian coast.
Don’t expect to see humongous luxury resorts here. Even though Careyes, Mexico thrives on being a high-end destination, the Careyes accommodation options are all about casitas (little houses) and villa-style homes and resorts.
Gian Francos’s son, Filippo, currently owns the town and vows to never overdevelop it.
He’s committed to maintaining Careyes’s spirit and ensuring the exclusivity of this Pacific Coast jewel — one of the best places to vacation in Mexico.
Careyes has perfect white-sand beaches, surrounded by lush green jungles and mangroves.
It has been a favorite getaway for international jet setters for decades, and people like Mick Jagger and Naomi Campbell have all vacationed here.
4. Playa Balandra Beach, La Paz, Baja California Sur
Balandra Beach is located about one hour from La Paz, Mexico.
It is in Baja California Sur State, one of the two states that make up Mexico’s Baja Peninsula on the west coast of the country.
Playa Balandra is located in the Puerto Bahía Balandra (Balandra Bay).
This is a sheltered area in the Gulf of California that sits just across from Isla Espiritu Santo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
If Playa Maroma (#1 on the list) is the best beach on the east coast of Mexico, Balandra Beach is the best beach in Mexico on the west coast.
The waters are bright blue and calm, perfect for swimming.
💡 Playa Balandra Tips for Visiting
1. Get There Early: Thanks to Instagram and YouTube, Playa Balandra is now a must see Mexico destination, and one of the best things to do in La Paz.
When you go to Balandra Beach, arrive early, as the parking lots can fill up quickly.
2. Check out Mushroom Rock: When visiting, don’t miss the famous mushroom rock. This is one of the coolest rock formations you’ll ever see, located on the beach’s north side.
5. San Pancho, Riviera Nayarit
Located a few miles north of Sayulita on the Pacific Coast, San Pancho is a laid-back, cozy beach town in Nayarit state.
It is a hidden gem that offers the best of what the Riviera Nayarit has to offer.
🗣 Note: The town’s name is actually San Francisco, Nayarit, but everyone calls it San Pancho.
Despite its small size, there’s plenty of things to do in San Pancho. This eclectic beach town is popular with surfers, yogis and artists — because it has something for everyone.
Of course, foodies will love it here too, and there’s a wide variety of eateries and restaurants to suit every taste, from Mexican food to international dishes.
Even though the Pacific Coast of Mexico doesn’t have the same bright blue water as the Mexican Caribbean side, San Pancho still has great snorkeling. You can also enjoy fishing and surfing.
In fact, the waves on Mexico’s Pacific Coast are excellent for surfing. This has made places like San Pancho a mecca for surfers worldwide — and it’s one of the best surf towns in Mexico.
Being on the west coast of Mexico, sunsets in San Pancho are truly a sight to behold. When visiting, you can join the locals who congregate at the beach every evening to watch the sun sinking into the horizon.
Like many destinations on the Nayarit Riviera, San Pancho offers some of the best nature spectacles ever: Whale watching and turtle nesting.
Humpback whales can be seen from November to March, while turtles nest on the beach from June to February.
6. Isla Holbox Island, Quintana Roo
Isla Holbox, Mexico is an island located in the Caribbean Sea. The easiest way to get there is to fly into Cancun Airport, then head to the small pueblo of Chiquila, and take the ferry to Holbox.
This Cancun to Holbox Island travel guide will explain how to get to Isla Holbox — and once you arrive, you’ll never want to leave.
Though Isla Holbox (pronounced hole-bosh, not hole-box) is near Cancun, it feels like it’s a world away.
The island is a tranquil tropical paradise with hammocks in the water and seafood restaurants in the sand.
7. Playa Mermejita Beach, Mazunte, Oaxaca
Mazunte is one of the 177 or so Mexico pueblos magicos, meaning magic towns.
It is located about midway between Puerto Escondido and Bahías de Huatulco, the two best Oaxaca beach towns.
Mazunte has relatively untouched beaches, so they are all beautiful and peaceful — and you can’t go wrong with any of them!
There are four beaches in Mazunte: Playa Mazunte, Playa Cometa, Playa Rinconcito and Playa Mermejita Beach.
🏝 Playa Mermejita Mazunte
Many say Playa Mermejita is the best beach in Mazunte, and anyone seeking out the hidden beaches in Mexico will surely agree.
Playa Mermejita is a virgin beach with long stretches of golden sand — and pretty much nothing else.
There’s no restaurants, restrooms or services on this beach, and usually, no people either.
It takes a bit of effort to hike to Playa Mermejita, but having a private (or near-private) beach will be a great reward.
🪨 Punta Cometa
Punta Cometa (AKA Cerro Sagrada, or Sacred Hill) was used in pre-Hispanic times as a ceremonial center.
Today, it is a gathering place by Mazunte visitors and locals alike, and the best spot in town to see the epic Mazunte sunsets.
Punta Cometa Mazunte is a point of land that juts into the Pacific Ocean.
Given its unique geographic position at the southernmost point in Oaxaca state, visitors get to enjoy 180° views of the Playa Mermejita and the Pacific Ocean just below you.
Looking to Discover More Unique Places in Mexico?
Mexico is a large country — the 14th largest country on Earth by size — and it’s also the 6th most biodiverse diverse country in the world.
Though it’s mostly known for beaches, there’s a lot more to Mexico than that. Check out these Mexico articles to discover parts of the country you never knew existed.
- The 30 Most Beautiful Cities in Mexico (#7 Will Shock You)
- Mexico Off the Beaten Path Places for Your Bucket List
- 20 Hot Springs in Mexico That are Calling Your Name
- Hidden Beaches in Mexico You’ve Never Heard Of
- Best Waterfalls in Huasteca Potosina Mexico
- The Coolest Mayan Ruins in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula
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