You don’t have to look too hard to find a beach in Mexico. In fact, Mexico has 5,800 miles of coastline, so finding a beach is one of the easiest challenges to accept when traveling the country. But often what you find comes with the hordes of other surfers, snorkelers and sun worshipers who are after the same thing, and suddenly, the tranquility you seek is no more.
While today travelers come to Mexico for everything from its centuries-old cities to sizzling street food, the top draw to Mexico is its epic beach scene, from the sugary Caribbean shores to the wild, thunderous Pacific coastline and dreamy, wildlife-rich Sea of Cortez.
But here’s the good news: Mexico — home to nearly 6,000 miles of coastline — still has plenty of hidden stretches of sand where you can swap the crowds for solitude, the beach clubs for swaying palms and the souvenir vendors for nothing but the sound of waves.
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From Baja’s wild, desert-backed shores to the secret coves of Oaxaca and the remote isles of the Caribbean, we take you to the best off-the-grid beaches in Mexico. No all-inclusives, no packed resorts — just pure, unspoiled paradise. Grab your sense of adventure (and a sturdy pair of sandals), and let’s go find the next secret beach escape.
1. Playa Tenacatita, Jalisco
If you’ve never heard of Playa Tenacatita, don’t worry — you’re not alone. Carved into Jalisco’s lesser-known Costalegre, this beach has seen its fair share of drama, including a years-long land dispute that once shut it down completely. But Tenacatita is back, and it might just be the coastline’s best-kept secret.
Imagine a crescent of golden sand, calm water like a giant saltwater pool, and a buzzing string of palapa-style seafood shacks to keep you fueled on fresh ceviche and cold cervezas. There are no massive developments here — just locals, a few in-the-know travelers, and some of the best snorkeling on this side of the Pacific.
The drive towards the beach is part of the journey, as dirt roads wind through towering groves of sun-dappled palm trees with distant jungle-covered peaks, evoking a vibe that feels far more like the remote islands of the Philippines or Vietnam.
Detour: Visit the nearby town of La Manzanilla, a small village on the other end of Tenacatita Bay. This artsy little village has a string of beachfront bars and restaurants, guest houses, and a crocodile sanctuary.
2. Playa Los Algodones, Sonora
Sonora isn’t exactly the first place that comes to mind when you think “beach paradise,” but Los Algodones, just outside San Carlos, is proof that you don’t need palm trees to have a postcard-perfect beach. Here, soft white sand meets the deep blues of the Sea of Cortez, with surreal, rolling desert dunes framing the whole sea.
Unlike some of Mexico’s more rugged, off-the-grid beaches, Los Algodones has just enough infrastructure to keep things comfortable — think beachfront restaurants, kayak rentals, and boutique hotels if you don’t feel like roughing it. If you really want to feel like you’ve got the place to yourself, visit during the week, when it’s just you, the sea and the occasional osprey soaring overhead.
Detour: While visiting San Carlos, be sure to hike up the imposing Cerro Tetakawi. This looming double-peaked mountain is a symbol of the town and has two challenging routes that lead up to spectacular views over San Carlos and the bay.
3. Playa Chacala, Nayarit
If you’re tired of the overhyped beach towns that feel more like Instagram photo ops, you’re going to want to meet Playa Chacala. This tiny Pacific fishing village is just far enough off the tourist trail to stay authentically dreamy, rather than over-curated.
The town itself is all sand and cobblestone, but the real magic here is the beach — a wide, golden expanse of sand framed by lush jungle and gentle waves perfect for swimming. Unlike some of Nayarit’s more famous surf spots, Chacala’s waters are beginner-friendly, making it an ideal spot for a leisurely float or a casual boogie board session.
For the ultimate Chacala experience, grab a fresh coconut from a beach vendor, settle into a hammock under a shady palapa, and watch the sunset turn the sky into a melty, pastel watercolor.
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Local tip: Breakfast at the jungle-shrouded Lalaxtil bread & restaurant is a must. Order anything with their artisanal sourdough bread.
4. Xpu-Há – Quintana Roo
If you’re driving south from Playa del Carmen, chances are you’re headed toward Tulum. But tucked between Puerto Aventuras and Tulum is an absolute jewel of a beach that the locals like to keep to themselves. Xpu-Há sits at the end of a dirt road off of main Highway 307. Travelers are rewarded with a sweeping bay swathed in white sand and little else.
A far cry from the developed beaches to the south and north, this is a pristine, secluded spot with laid-back charm, local restaurants and plenty of palm tree shade for packing a picnic. Plus, the waters are exceedingly calm, so it’s a prime spot for snorkeling, swimming and paddleboarding.
5. Playa Santispac, Baja California Sur
If you’re craving total escape, Playa Santispac is the kind of place where time slows down — mostly because there’s not much here besides turquoise water, soft sand, and a few beachfront palapas. Set along the Bahía Concepción, one of the most stunning bays in the Sea of Cortez, Santispac is an off-the-grid dream.
Days here are simple: kayak around the inlets, watch dolphins cruise past at sunrise, and fall asleep to the sound of gentle waves lapping the shore. Want even more seclusion? Bring a tent and camp right on the beach, or roll in with an RV as the seasoned Baja road-trippers do.
Local Tip: Stop by Ana’s, a tiny beachfront restaurant serving some of the best seafood on the coast. It’s an institution that has been around for more than four decades.
6. Playa del Caballo – Jalisco
You don’t have to travel far from a tourist hub to find this beach, but you’ll feel as if you’ve discovered an unknown world all your own. Playa del Caballo is the adjacent beach to Playa las Ánimas, a popular tourist beach getaway for the locals of Puerto Vallarta.
Take the water taxi from Boca de Tomatlán and hit the teeming shores of Playa las Ánimas, with row after row of beach chairs and crowded bars. But a short walk to the north, on a path that winds behind a few small bungalows, opens up to Playa del Caballo.
This beach is true paradise, with electric blue water and towering palm trees ringing the small strand. The only other travelers you’ll run into here are a few lost tourists or the bevy of crabs that scuttle up onto the shore.
Don’t forget to bring everything you need for the day: there are no vendors, no beach bars, but that’s part of its charm. If the idea of picnicking doesn’t speak to you, there are always the beach bars at Las Ánimas just a quick walk away.
7. Cabo Pulmo – Baja California Sur
It’s admittedly not the easiest beach to get to, but that is likely why it’s remained such a delicious secret. Sixty unpaved miles outside of Cabo San Lucas sits a luxurious stretch of sand, known as Cabo Pulmo, which is a national park.
Skip the pricey restaurants, hotels and nightlife of Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo and opt for the secluded, bohemian beach scene, surrounded by brilliant red rocks and desert. The town itself is tiny, with a population hovering around 100. Divers flock to the shores for the underwater marine life, while other travelers are drawn to the surfing, snorkeling, and hiking.
8. Lagunas de Chacahua – Oaxaca
You can’t get much more hush-hush than the beaches of Lagunas de Chacahua, because getting there is for the truly determined. From the better-known Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, it is an hour-long taxi ride to the small lakeside village of Zapotalito. From here, negotiate the price of a water taxi to take you across the Lagunas de Chacahua National Park. You’ll weave in and out of mangroves that ultimately open up to a sandy point where the lagoon meets the sea.
Here discover a small community of adventurous travelers, surfers and those looking to go truly off the grid. Cell service is spotty at best and wi-fi is non-existent. At night, locals and visitors mingle along “Restaurant Row,” which is essentially a glorified name for the row of beach restaurants and shacks that line the shorefront, serving everything from local Oaxacan tlayudas (similar to a tostada) to fish burgers, tacos, and lots of locally made mezcal.
9. Celestún – Yucatán
One of the best parts about Uber coming to Mérida, the capital of the state of the Yucatan, is that travelers can get out of the city a whole lot easier than ever before. Once car-less folks were reliant on slow-moving buses or colectivos (which are still viable, safe, and cheap ways to travel), Uber allows trips that once had to span the entire weekend to be shortened to just a day or an afternoon.
From Mérida, an hourlong Uber ride puts you at Celestún, a lazy fishing village known for its candy-colored water, thatched beach shacks and veritable pink sea of flamingos in the Reserva de la Biósfera Ría. “Downtown,” if you want to call it that, is a small intersection with a few shops and convenience stores. The majority of people you’ll meet in Celestún are resident fishermen or locals from Mérida who escaped the city for a weekend getaway.
10. Bahía San Agustín – Oaxaca
Huatulco, a port city on the coast of Oaxaca, is known for the nine bays that comprise it, and with this many to choose from, finding a beach is supremely easy. But arguably one of Huatulco’s most beautiful is Bahía San Agustín, a small fishing village about nine miles from Santa Cruz Huatulco. The mile-long, crescent stretch of beach is strikingly beautiful with cobalt-colored water that laps up gently onto bronzed sand.
This beach trades in the all-inclusive hotels of Huatulco’s other bays for small, family-run beach shacks with menus offering ubiquitous ceviche, fish tacos and guacamole.
The beach is frequented mostly by locals who come to snorkel the calm waters, or by the occasional tourist who has heard through a friend-of-a-friend how to get there. The best way is to grab a taxi from Santa Cruz, or, if you’re really adventurous, take the bus between Huatulco and Pochutla and grab a taxi from the side of the road.
