Cancun Travel and Vacation Packages

Cancun Beaches

The stunning beaches are one of the biggest reasons people visit Cancun. The Hotel Zone of Cancun is essentially one long, white, sandy beach surrounded by beautiful warm turquoise-colored water.

All Mexican beaches are considered public property so tourists have access to all of the beach areas in the city and are allowed to walk and swim in any area. Many of the beaches have easy public access points but others can be a little more challenging to get to unless you walk through a hotel, which is considered private property. Even though some hotels have security, most will probably not notice if you walk through the property to get to the beach and most won't mind if you stop into a hotel bar and buy a drink before accessing the beach. Once you're on the sand, you can walk as far as you'd like.

The Cancun Hotel Zone (referred to locally in Cancun as Zona Hotelera), is home to the best beach areas. The zone is shaped like the number seven and the beaches on each side offer different qualities.

Beaches on the north side face the Bahia de Mujeres and are sheltered from heavy surf by Isla Mujeres, an island located offshore. The surf is quite mild on this side, making it ideal for families with young children and those who want to engage in water sports like kayaking and sailing. The docks from which the cruises, shuttles and water taxis depart for Isla Mujeres are also located on the north beach side.

To the east is the Caribbean Sea and the beautifully-colored water and powdery white sand that Cancun is famous for. This is also the area where the majority of the hotels are located. While they do have breathtaking views, the beaches on this side of Cancun also have rougher surf and swimmers need to be aware of possible undertows. Take the lifeguards' signals and the color-coded warning flags seriously.

Sunbathing is of course one of the most popular pastimes on the beaches of Cancun and although it is not considered scandalous for women to sunbathe topless, it is also not very common. If you are on hotel property in Cancun, you may be asked to put your top back on at the hotel's discretion.

If your hotel does not have a beach or if you just want to explore the various areas of Cancun, there are 10 public access points where you can reach the beaches:

Playa Las Perlas
Location: Km 2.5 on Boulevard Kukulcán at the beginning of the Hotel Zone
Amenities: There are restaurants and bars on the beach. You can also catch the shuttle to Isla Mujeres here.
Playa Las Perlas is one of the closest beaches to downtown Cancun and is the first beach heading east along Boulevard Kukulcán, the main road through the Hotel Zone. It is a smaller beach that is nice for swimming and water sports, although most of the water sports are available only to those staying at the nearby resorts. This is also a popular beach with the locals.

Playa Juventud
Location: Km 3 on Boulevard Kukulcán
Amenities:  There are restaurants and bars located nearby.
Playa Juventud is located in front of the Villas Juveniles youth hostel and consequently caters to a younger, party-minded crowd. The beach is good for swimming and water sports including snorkeling and scuba diving. It is located close to downtown Cancun.

Playa Linda
Location: Km 4 on Boulevard Kukulcán
Amenities:  Dive tours and a shuttle to Isla Mujeres are located here. There are restaurants and changing rooms.
Playa Linda faces the Bahia de Mujeres and is known for its excellent swimming conditions. It is also conveniently located close to downtown Cancun. Playa Linda's dock is the departure point for submarine and dive tours.

Playa Langosta
Location: Km 5 on Boulevard Kukulcán
Amenities: There is a pier where several tour boats depart for Isla Mujeres. There are plenty of bars and restaurants nearby.
Playa Langosta is a good beach for swimming because of its calm waters and smaller waves. It is a popular beach with families and vacationers and can sometimes get crowded. The waters are quite shallow, making it good for snorkeling as well. While the beach has no public facilities, it has plenty of palapas.

Playa Tortugas
Location:  Km 6.5on Boulevard Kukulcán
Amenities: There are restaurants and bars located along the beach and an indoor crafts market can be found right at the edge of the sand. In front of the pier, there is a platform for bungee jumping and there is a dock for shuttles to Isla Mujeres. Changing facilities are available.
This beach has calm and shallow waters, making it the ideal family vacation spot.  It is often busy with local families. While this beach was heavily eroded during Hurricane Wilma in 2005, there is still a good stretch of sand to enjoy and it is a good place for swimming, sailing and snorkeling.  The beach also draws water skiers, jet skiers and parasailers.  The public entrance is next to Fat Tuesday's.

Playa Caracol
Location:  Km 6 on Boulevard Kukulcán
Amenities: There are restaurants, bars and numerous activities here.
Playa Caracol is one of Cancun's most popular beaches and therefore can be one of the most crowded as well. It is a good beach for children because of its shallow, flat sand bed. The beach is in a very developed area near Punta Cancun, the point where Kukulcán Boulevard turns south and the waters of Bahia de Mujeres meet the Caribbean. The water is a brilliant turquoise color and attracts sailboats and parasailers. The public entrance to Playa Caracol can be found by going through a small wood gate next to the Fiesta Americana Coral Beach hotel.  It is also accessible through the Xcaret bus terminal.

Playa Ballenas
Location:  Km 14on Boulevard Kukulcán
Amenities: There are restaurants and bars in the surrounding area.
Playa Ballenas is a scenic stretch of beach that offers beautiful views and it is a great place to sunbathe. It is also popular with jet skiers. However, it can have rough surf and is not always ideal for swimming because of dangerous currents. The public entrance is on a sidewalk along the Le Meridien Hotel fence.

Playa Chac-Mool
Location:  Km 10 on Boulevard Kukulcán
Amenities:  There are changing rooms and showers. There is a restaurant and bar located nearby.
Playa Chac Mool is one of the few Cancun beaches that occasionally have good surfing conditions. The moderate surf is also a good area for water sports including water skiing and parasailing. Since currents can be strong, it's also an ideal place to just relax, sunbathe and admire the views. The public entrance is located across the street from Señor Frog's.

Playa Marlin
Location:  Km 13 on Boulevard Kukulcán
Amenities:  There are no public facilities.
Playa Marlin is a quiet beach that makes it a great place to escape the crowds and indulge in some sunbathing. The strong currents can make for dangerous swimming conditions. The beach is located just half a kilometer south of archaeological site Yamil Lu'um.

Playa Delfines
Location:  Km 20 on Boulevard Kukulcán
Amenities:  There are some stone benches to sit on, but there are no public facilities. There are parking spaces specifically for the beach.
Playa Delfines, located near Punta Nizuc near the end of the Hotel Zone, offers breathtaking views. It is located on an area where the boulevard curves upward into a hill and there is a lookout area where you just might see one of the dolphins for which the beach is named.  Swimming here is dangerous, but it is one of the only places where you can take surfing lessons.

Other Notable Beaches

Playa Gaviota Azul
Location:  Km 18 on Boulevard Kukulcán
This beach is located south of Punta Cancun and can be accessed just behind the Plaza Forum Mall. It is a very scenic area but swimmers need to use caution because of the large waves. Playa Gaviota Azul is excellent for water sports such as windsurfing and parasailing.

San Miguelito
Location:  Km 16.5 on Boulevard Kukulcán
 At this beach you can visit ruins at a small archaeological site, which is also called San Miguelito. Outside of the historical remains located on the beach, it is also a good spot for swimming, water sports and snorkeling.

Yamil Lu'um
Location:  Km 12.5 on Boulevard Kukulcán
History and culture buffs will enjoy this beach located south of Playa Chac-mool that features two Mayan structures -- one that was probably a temple and one that was probably a lighthouse or lookout tower. The archaeological site stands on the grounds of the Park Royal Cancun, which means that non-guests can only access the ruins from the beach side. The ruins date from the late 13th or early 14th century.

Playa Punta Nizuc
Location:  Km 21 on Boulevard Kukulcán
This beach, located near Parque Nizuc waterpark on the southern end of the Hotel Zone, is bordered by mangrove jungle. The water is fairly calm and the beach is not very busy as there are no restaurants or bars nearby. It is a good spot for those who want to try snorkeling or diving. The area where Playa Punta Nizuc is located is surrounded by large resorts and can be challenging to access. There is a drive between Club Med and the Westin hotel with a sidewalk leading to the beach.