Mexico’s Six Best Beaches, Ranked by Readers
Six Mexican beaches made the Americas top 20 in this year's Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Choice Awards. Here is each one, and who it suits.
Six of the 20 best beaches in the Americas are in Mexico, according to this year’s Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards. Mexico’s Secretariat of Tourism announced the results on 8 October. Tourism Secretary Josefina Rodríguez Zamora said the list confirms “the tremendous appeal of our sun-and-beach destinations.”
The six cover two coasts and very different trips: ruins, empty desert coves, a city beach and a marine park you can only reach by boat. Here is each one, with its rank and reader score.
1. Tulum, Quintana Roo (2nd, 96.29)
Tulum came second in the Americas. Its beach sits below a walled Maya site on a cliff, which makes it the only beach on the list with a 13th-century temple in the view. Go early: the ruins open in the morning, and the sand below is quietest before the tour buses arrive from Cancún and Playa del Carmen.
Who it suits: couples and culture-first travellers who want a beach day and a history day in one.
2. Playa Balandra, Baja California Sur (5th, 94.86)
Balandra is a shallow, almost enclosed bay near La Paz, on the Sea of Cortez. The water stays knee-deep for a long way out, which is why families rate it. It is the only Pacific-side beach in the top five.
Read next · Hotel WatchHilton Takes Its Luxury Brands All-Inclusive2 min →Who it suits: families with small children, kayakers, and anyone pairing La Paz with Los Cabos.
3. Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo (11th, 90.50)
The Riviera Maya’s busiest town beach ranked eleventh. It is the easiest of the six to reach, with a dense hotel base and a ferry to Cozumel.
Who it suits: first-time Mexico visitors and groups who want restaurants and nightlife within walking distance.
4. Akumal Beach, Quintana Roo (13th, 88.28)
Akumal, between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, is known for its sheltered bay and sea turtles. It is a shorter, calmer stop on the same coast.
Who it suits: snorkellers and families who want a day away from the big resort strips.
5. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco (15th, 85.77)
Puerto Vallarta placed on both of this year’s lists. Readers also named it the best small city in Latin America and second in the world, behind Victoria, B.C., according to the Jalisco Tourism Board. Its airport serves 16 Canadian and 24 US routes.
Who it suits: travellers who want a walkable town with the beach, and LGBTQ+ travellers heading for the Romantic Zone.
6. Playa del Amor, Marietas Islands, Nayarit (16th, 84.94)
The “Hidden Beach” sits inside a collapsed crater on the Marietas Islands, off the Riviera Nayarit. Access is by permitted boat tour from the Puerto Vallarta and Nayarit coast, and numbers are controlled, so it needs booking ahead.
Who it suits: active travellers staying around Banderas Bay who will plan a day around it.
The bonus island
Holbox, off the northern tip of Quintana Roo, came third among the best islands in North America, with 94.29. It has no cars and no big resorts, which is the point.
Plan it
- When: December to April is dry season on both coasts.
- From Canada and the US: Cancún for Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Akumal and Holbox; Puerto Vallarta for Playa del Amor; La Paz or Los Cabos for Balandra.
- Book ahead: Marietas Islands tours have daily limits.
- Official info: Visit Mexico.
For advisors
- Pair the coasts: a Riviera Maya week with Tulum and Akumal day trips is the easy sell. Balandra and Playa del Amor reward repeat Mexico clients.
- Use the ranking: “number two beach in the Americas” is a ready-made hook for a Tulum stay this winter.
- Watch capacity: Playa del Amor’s controlled access means tours sell out in peak weeks.
Sources
Alicia Loveday is Senior Editor at Not An Atlas. She's a mom who works in fashion and AI, which means she can style a look, prompt a model and pack a carry-on for the whole family before the coffee's done. She leads our travel guides and bigger stories, and firmly believes every itinerary needs one more outfit than strictly necessary.