Best beaches in Mexico (for families with kids)
We extensively traveled in Mexico via car. From Texas to the very east coast of Mexico; from east coast to Oaxaca; from Oaxaca to Texas and then to Jalisco, Hidalgo, Chiapas, Oaxaca again.
As we love the beach, wherever we visited – and if that place had a beach – we would check it out. If it had 10 beaches – we most likely would visit them all. There are a few that really stand out and we would definitely come to them. Here is our top 10 (ten) beaches in Mexico especially for families with kids.
10. Playa Careyeros, Nayarit.
It is an hour drive from Puerto Vallarta (closest big city). We were staying in Nuevo Vallarta at that time and found out about this beach from a local girl. Glad we did! It is very secluded, located in a bay, not crowded at all, the road leading to it is a dirt road and has free parking. White sand beach, rocks, crystal clear water is a sight for the eyes and a wonderful family spot to spend a day. Great for beach walking, boogie boarding and even surfing as the waves a pretty high (the downside with the little kids but still manageable).
9. Playa Delfines, Cancun, Quintana Roo
It is located in Zona Hotelera in Cancun and it is actually a man made beach. The color of the water is unlike anything we have seen before. Very close to hotels, restaurants. Cons: paid parking, whole beach is on an incline and entrance to the water is quite steep. We were in this beach in December and the water was pretty rough too.
8. Alberca De Mar, Punta De Mita, Nayarit
This beach has a natural pool, that is pretty shallow and has no waves ever- so the little ones can enjoy it without a danger of big waves. the water is also warmer than in the ocean. It is also surrounded by lots of rocks where kids can explore explore explore.
Free parking. Secluded. you actually have to walk to it for 5-10 minutes through the jungle from parking but it is all so worth it.
This beach is also located near the resorts, so close by there are restaurants and bars. We had our beach chairs and umbrella as well as a cooler, so we had all what we needed. Kids had a blast that day and it is a unique place to visit although it is located around 40 minute drive from Puerto Vallarta.
7. Playa Bacocho, Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca
Walking distance from the main street of Puerto Escondido, this beach is truly wonderful- with less crowds, beautiful sunsets and has somewhat low sand dunes. It also has free parking but no bars or restaurants at the beach.
What we loved about this beach the most is that you can have a sea turtle release experience right there. It starts at 5 Pm and costs 100 pesos per person. And what fascinating experience it is- joy to the kids. We remember this experience to this day which we would really do it again.
6. Playa Manzanillo, Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca
Stunning beach with its own bay. Lots of rocks, but sand is light yellow, lots of boats anchored on the shore right there at the beach. Boys were very busy on this beach, swimming, playing with someone’s little boat and exploring on the rocks near by. There were lots of fishies, crabs, sea urchins.
This beach is walking distance from Puerto Escondido center, and is filled with families. Lots of local shops, restaurants and bars right on the beach. The nest part – we found local fisherman to rent the boat from to go fishing, it was a fraction of the tourist price that was advertised anywhere else.
5. Playa Varadero, Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit
Why we like it?- It has calm waters, shallow entrance to the ocean and best of all – you can fish right from the shore 9and there is a lot of fish, my son even caught a crab). The entrance to the beach is located in between the resort and condo building, but has limited free parking on the street by the yacht club. It is a walking distance to the restaurants and bars, also has a couple right there on the beach. Great perk that it has showers to wash off all that sand.
4. Playa La Esperanza, Crucecita (Huatulco), Oaxaca
Pretty small but stunning beach in its own bay. Plenty of rocks if kids want to explore. Breathtaking color of the water especially from uphill. Free parking lot 100 meters away from the beach. Not sure about the restaurants as we had no need for them at that time.
3. Playa Mazunte, Mazunte, Oaxaca
Wonderful and stunning beach, yet small and cozy. Close by is Punta Cometa where you can hike to it from the beach and watch a captivating sunset.
This beach is a short walk from the village, restaurants and shops are right there at the beach.
There are also tours that leave from the beach to see humpback whales when in season. They also have a lot of huge sea turtles in the ocean- we saw hundreds of them while on a tour and the turtles were very close to the shore.
Free parking on the side streets, good for families to swim, boogie board, or just to soak up the sun.
2. Playa Zicatela, Oaxaca
If it was my husband writing- this would be number ONE.
It is a wide and long beach, with the best waves for surfing. Lots of space to play, sunbathe, relax. you can watch the most astonishing sunsets here, and we had plenty of those experiences and now we know why people would just come out for the sunset. Even local stray dogs would come to play at the beach at sunset (I am sure they would get treats from the tourists here but the dogs brought some charm to the place).
Free parking on the street, plenty restaurants, cafes and bars ( and nightclubs) near the beach.
Just overall a really beautiful beautiful beach.
- Xpu-Ha Beach, Quintana Roo
This is stunning beach, truly has a Caribbean feel to it with crystal clear waters.
We found out about this beach from a local (glad we listened).
White sand, palm trees and crystal clear water for snorkeling – that what won number one on our list. Great for families with kids , with the restaurants on the beach for a refreshing lunch or snack.
The parking is not free, but it is well worth the price. The beach is situated between the resorts, so it is a true paradise here.
You can go snorkeling in the water and there is plenty of different fish to see. You can also just walk along the beach, enjoy water sports or just relax under the palm tree.
We love that we can see for ourselves how different all the beaches are by looking back. They are truly one of a kind and worth a visit at least once in your lifetime. Thank you for reading – much love to you!