Playa Punta Colorada
La Ribera, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Playa Punta Colorada sits beside an old fishing village on the East Cape of Baja California Sur, Mexico, just north of La Ribera. The shore is rocky near the point and turns to smooth sand heading south. Kayakers and snorkelers work the water off the point, and anglers fish the coast.
A genuine fishing village setting with good snorkeling off the point, though the rocky shore and sparse services keep it simple.
How we score beachesSnorkel or paddle off the rocky point rather than the open sand. The fishing here is a major draw, so expect boats at dawn.
Park near the village road beside the beach. There are no formal lots.
A short walk leads to a mix of rock and sand, with uneven footing near the point.
Water is warmest from late summer into fall, and winter is mild and dry. Hurricane season runs roughly June through November.
More Mexico & Central America beaches
Soliman Bay
Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico · Mexico & Central America
Soliman Bay sits about 20 minutes north of Tulum on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, a quieter alternative to the beach clubs further south, with a coral reef sheltering the mouth of the bay and villas tucked right against the sand. Puffer fish, octopus, and the occasional manta ray turn up in the clear water, and a public access point at the north end of the coast road has kayak rentals and simple seafood.
Playa Xcacel
Xcacel-Xcacelito, Quintana Roo, Mexico · Mexico & Central America
Xcacel Beach sits along Mexico's Riviera Maya coast, protected since 1998 as a sea turtle sanctuary where green and loggerhead turtles nest from April through October, releasing more than 200,000 hatchlings most years. A cenote sits just inland from the sand, and the whole stretch has stayed undeveloped specifically because of its protected status.
Chacala
Chacala, Nayarit, Mexico · Mexico & Central America
Chacala sits in a small cove on Mexico's Riviera Nayarit, about 90 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta, a nearly mile long beach of soft, pale sand lined with palm trees and palapa restaurants. The town holds around 300 full time residents, though visitor numbers climb sharply during Semana Santa and Christmas, and jungle covered hills rise up on either side of the bay.