Best Beaches to visit in Mexico for 2020

In this report, I share the best beaches to visit in Mexico for 2020.

Where can Americans travel right now?

There is a nice tool provided by Kayak that will help you determine what countries are open for travel during the coronavirus pandemic. The tool shows that Mexico is open to most citizens of the world. But you may have heard that Mexico is experiencing a high-level of coronavirus right now? Today, according to John Hopkins, Mexico is ranked seventh in the number of coronavirus cases in the world trailing only six countries … the USA, Brazil, Russia, Colombia, Peru, and India. So is it safe to travel to Mexico?

What does the US State Department say about Mexico?

The US State Department publishes travel advisories for most countries in the world. Many consider it a reliable source of information because the data it reports reflects potential dangers Americans may experience around the world at any given time. You should review the state department travel advisories when deciding where to travel.

Here is the map of Mexico that includes the color-coded travel advisories.

In a general sense, you should stay in the light yellow areas of Mexico because the danger level is Level 2, “Excercise Increased Caution.” According to the State Department map, the light yellow areas are a lower risk than Level 3 (Tan–Reconsider Travel) or Level 4 (Red–Do Not Travel). These were the color codes for Mexico on the day I checked. But you should double-check the link provided on the day you are deciding where to go.

The beaches in Mexico I discuss are in the light yellow areas.  So I am going to tell you a little bit about each of the following best beaches in Mexico to visit for 2020. But there is no need to take notes. I will provide you will a link to my notes at the end of this video.

Best Beaches to Visit in Mexico for 2020

Instead of ranking them according to my favorites, I will do something more valuable to you. I will tell you some of the main features of each and let you decide based upon the kinds of features you are attracted to.

Personally, I would be comfortable going to many of the beaches rated as less safe by the US State Department. Like Puerto Vallarta for example. But I will stick to the light yellow areas on the map for this report

East Coast Mexico

Campeche, Mexico: Campeche is where the Spanish first landed in Mexico in 1517. Campeche is an authentic colonial-era city built by the Spanish starting in 1540. The Spanish destroyed a Mayan city on this spot that had 3000 homes and temples. The Spanish built castle walls around the city after pirates destroyed the city in 1663. If you are looking for an authentic Mexican cultural experience with less touristy influence, this is your best bet. Campeche is on the Gulf of Mexico so the sand is a little grainier than the Riviera Maya, so this is more of a cultural experience with beach on the side. Make sure to see the Edzna archaeological site when in Campeche, one of the finest examples of preserved Mayan culture in Mexico.

Merida, Yucatan, Mexico: Merida was built by the Spanish over the top of what could be the oldest continually inhabited city in the Americas. In the 19th century, Merida became one of the wealthiest cities in the Americas because of a fiber made from cactus in the area that was rot-resistant, was useful on sailing craft. The wealth created is visible still today in all the mansions that were built in this colonial-era city. Merida is undergoing a renaissance as people move into the city center and restore these mansions. The city is about 35 kilometers from the beach but buses run to the beach on the hour. Make sure to visit the Pink Lake and the cenotes in the area when you are in Merida.

We have retire cheap in paradise reports for most of the beach cities we are discussing today. Just visit VagabondBuddha.com to see detailed information about each destination including where to stay, where to eat, and things to do while you are visiting.

Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico: Tulum is home to one of the most beautiful beachside archaeological sights in the Americas. There is a tourist area with expensive hotels and restaurants right on the beach, but a small authentic Mexican village a short bike ride away with better prices and a more authentic Mexican village feel to it. Tulum has the most beautiful white sand beaches in all of Mexico, running south from the temple. The waves are not often big enough to interest expert surfers but there is often a strong wind if you are interested in kite surfing. This is where you go in Mexico to get out-of-this-world Instagram photos. The beaches, the temples, and the cenotes are unforgettable. You will also find some of the best scuba diving in the world here.

Playa Del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico: Playa del Carmen is a beautiful beachside city just a 20-minute drive north of Tulum. If you are a foodie and want to dance the night away, and you have a little more money, this is where you will want to play. This is food central for the Riviera Maya. This is also where you go to relax on the beach during the day, have an assortment of gourmet restaurants at night, and dance the night away on beachside clubs. There is also windsurfing and scuba available here. Playa is also where digital nomads congregate at coworking spaces.

Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico: Cozumel is a mellower island off the coast of Playa del Carmen Mexico. It is where you go to experience island life. Many cruise ships land here in Cozumel. The best beaches are on the east side of the island so make sure to rent a scooter and ride the island circle. There is great snorkeling and scuba in Cozumel. It is a more chill place than Playa del Carmen. But you can take the ferry over for a night or two of partying when you are in Cozumel.

Isla Mujeres Island, Quintana Roo, Mexico: This is a smaller even more intimate island than Cozumel that is a short ferry ride off Cancun. Isla Mujeres means woman island in Spanish. In pre-Columbian times, the island was the home of the Maya guide of childbirth and medicine. The western beaches on Isla are white sand so there is a little better experience there than in Cozumel. Isla provides a better in-city beach walk, party, and sunning experience than Cozumel. It is also a smaller island so can feel a bit cramped. But that could also be a positive because you can walk to most places in the central area.

Detailed Retire Cheap in Paradise Reports are available for each of these beach cities at VagabondBuddha.com. If you are finding any value in this video, could you please like, comment, share, or subscribe? That would move us up in the search rankings and grow our business. Thank you so much.

West Coast Mexico

Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico: This is a great place to go if you are looking to boogie board or surf. It is called the pipeline of Mexico. On any day you will see a pretty decent surf with decent wave formation so most people into waves have a great time here. The surfer area of Puerto Escondido is called Zicatela. There is also a central area of town where you will find the traditional central market. South of Zicatela is a beach area called Las Punta. This is where you will find the hippies and hipsters. La Punta is less developed and feels more like Mexico did 30 years ago. We are in Puerto Escondido as I writee these words.

Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico: I haven’t been to Huatulco for 35 years so I better keep my mouth shut. It was beautiful then so hopefully it is beautiful now. Huatulco is 2-3 hours away from Puerto Escondido where we are now, so we are visiting there later this month.  Stay tuned for my update on Huatulco.

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico: Although the entire Baja is light yellow, I have only been to Cabo San Lucas. This is a party town and many Californians fly here for a long weekend to whoop it up.  It is a little Americanized for my taste so I haven’t been back there in 30 years. But if you have limited time and want your first taste of Mexico, this could be a way to do that.

Thanks for reading the Best beaches to visit in Mexico for 2020. Grab a free copy of my eBook How I Fired My Boss and Traveled the World for 13 Years.

My goal is to make this business better every day, but I need your help. Please leave your new topic ideas, criticism, and other thoughts in the comments below.

This is Dan from Vagabond Awake, the Youtuber Channel for VagabondBuddha.com. The world is your home. What time will you be home for dinner?