Photo: René Bongard · CC BY-SA 3.0Caribbean coast · 223 beaches
Quintana Roo
Mexico's Caribbean side: Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and Cozumel, with reef-calmed turquoise water and cenotes inland.
Mexico's 17 coastal states
Mexico's 17 coastal states stretch from the cactus-lined shores of Baja California to the mangrove-rich wetlands of Quintana Roo. Filter by region and beach count to find the states that match the trip: heavy Pacific surf, cenotes and reef on the Caribbean, or a slow road trip along the Gulf.
After narrowing your list, browse the accompanying beach directory, city guides, and resort rankings to plan the rest of the trip.
17 of 17 states
States
Photo: René Bongard · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: AlejandroLinaresGarcia · CC BY-SA 4.0Gulf of Mexico · 60 beaches
Yucatán
Maya heritage, cenotes and a low-key Gulf shore of fishing ports and flamingo lagoons north of Mérida.
Golfo · 19.85° N · 90.53° W
Gulf of Mexico · 21 beaches
Campeche
A walled colonial port on the Gulf, with calm, shallow water and quiet beaches most visitors drive straight past.
Photo: AlejandroLinaresGarcia · CC BY-SA 3.0Gulf of Mexico · 11 beaches
Tabasco
More river and wetland than beach: mangroves, cacao farms and a short Gulf coast of fishing villages around Paraíso.
Photo: KABAYEK · CC BY-SA 3.0Gulf of Mexico · 66 beaches
Veracruz
Mexico's oldest Gulf port, a long coast of busy city beaches and seafood, and the quieter Costa Esmeralda to the north.
Photo: josma · CC BY 3.0Gulf of Mexico · 21 beaches
Tamaulipas
Long, wide Gulf beaches such as Playa Miramar near Tampico, well off the international tourist trail.
Photo: daryl_mitchell · CC BY-SA 2.0Pacific coast · 102 beaches
Jalisco
Puerto Vallarta on Banderas Bay, then the quiet coves of the Costalegre running south toward Manzanillo.
Photo: Grisiproo · CC BY-SA 4.0Pacific coast · 140 beaches
Oaxaca
Surf at Puerto Escondido, the bays of Huatulco, and small beach pueblos like Mazunte and Zipolite in between.
Photo: Ivan Hernández · CC BY 2.0Pacific coast · 87 beaches
Guerrero
Acapulco's big bay, Zihuatanejo's smaller one and the planned resort of Ixtapa next door.
Photo: el semental ingles · CC BY-SA 3.0Pacific coast · 28 beaches
Michoacán
A rugged, little-developed Pacific coast of surf breaks and turtle-nesting beaches, far from the big resorts.
Photo: Wiper México · CC BY-SA 3.0Pacific coast · 42 beaches
Colima
A short stretch of Pacific coast around Manzanillo, with dark volcanic sand at Cuyutlán and the Colima volcano inland.
Photo: Luisalvaz · CC0Pacific coast · 74 beaches
Nayarit
The Riviera Nayarit: surf towns like Sayulita and San Pancho north of Puerto Vallarta, and the resorts of Punta de Mita.
Photo: Gzzz · CC BY-SA 4.0Pacific coast · 37 beaches
Sinaloa
Mazatlán's long malecón and golden beaches, with quieter sand at Isla de la Piedra across the harbor.
Photo: Ricardo Pool · CC BY-SA 3.0Pacific coast · 30 beaches
Sonora
Desert running into the Sea of Cortez at Puerto Peñasco, San Carlos and Bahía de Kino.
Photo: JGEP060205 · CC BY-SA 4.0Pacific coast · 33 beaches
Baja California
Cold Pacific surf at Rosarito and Ensenada, calm Sea of Cortez water at San Felipe, and wine country in Valle de Guadalupe.
Photo: eurimaco · CC BY-SA 3.0Pacific coast · 117 beaches
Baja California Sur
The tip of the Baja peninsula: Los Cabos resorts, the calm bays around La Paz, and whale lagoons on the Pacific side.
Photo: AlejandroLinaresGarcia · CC BY-SA 3.0Pacific coast · 16 beaches
Chiapas
Mexico's far south, with long, empty Pacific beaches such as Puerto Arista near the Guatemalan border.