Millions of travelers have voted three Mexican beaches to be among the 25 best beaches in the world, in Tripadvisor’s latest travel awards.
The Travellers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best list is based on the high volume of reviews and opinions by Tripadvisor’s community over a 12-month period. Out of 8 million listings, less than 1% get this recognition.
Playa Delfines in Cancún, Playa Norte in Isla Mujeres and Playa Balandra in La Paz, were among those which received the title thanks to the traveler’s high level of satisfaction.
“Tripadvisor’s Travelers Choice Awards uniquely reflect the voices of millions of global travelers and help guide people to plan their best trip yet,” head of the platform Kristen Dalton said. “The diversity of this year’s winners reflects all the things a trip to the beach can offer,” she celebrated.
In the category of Best of the Best Destinations, Cancún ranked as the world’s 24th best place to travel. It was the only Mexican destination on the list.
Playa Delfines, Cancún (No. 16)
Playa Delfines in Cancún, Quintana Roo is famous for El Mirador, a viewpoint offering stunning vistas of the turquoise waters, and its colorful block-lettered Cancún sign. It is the city’s largest public beach and one of the few without large resorts in the vicinity.
“It is a peaceful beach with clear-blue waters, soft white sands, and stunning ocean views,” Tripadvisor wrote.
The beach is great for spotting dolphins and for water sports. It offers showers, bathrooms, straw umbrellas and free parking (a rarity in the city), “making it the perfect place to spend the day.”
Playa Norte, Isla Mujeres (No. 19)
“Soft, white sand and shallow, clear water makes Playa Norte a perfect spot for a relaxing beach day,” Tripadvisor says.
Also in Quintana Roo, Playa Norte is popular for its crystal-clear waters and palm trees. It’s a recommended destination for water activities like snorkeling, jet-skiing and parasailing. It is also home to bars and restaurants serving Mexican food.
“I highly recommend stopping at the beach here if you are in Isla Mujeres because it will be one of the best beaches you have ever been too [sic],” one reviewer writes.
Balandra Beach, La Paz (No. 21)
Balandra in La Paz, Baja California, is one of the Mexican beaches that consistently ranks among the best beaches in the world.
“This stunning cove is a favorite among locals who come to relax among the white sand dunes,” Tripadvisor wrote. The beach is great for water activities and for hiking in the adjacent rugged hills.
Travelers love this place due to its calm, shallow and crystal-clear waters that are perfect for beginners and families. However, many reviews advise to arrive early as it can get crowded.
“Otherworldly! Words and photos can’t really do it justice,” one traveler wrote in her review.
Mexico News Daily
I lived in El Centro de Cancun for over ten years and have been back in California since 2010. When I first moved there and while I still rented downtown, I would take the public ferry to Isla Mujeres at least twice a week, and walk directly over to Playa Norte. It became pretty crowded at times but this didn’t bother me as much as the boats parked too close to the playa. It didn’t feel right somehow, although there the ocean was calmer than in the Zona Hotelera where the hotels have areas in the ocean roped in for their guests. It’s becoming more difficult to enter these private areas but legally the hotels can’t stop you from enjoying the ocean as long as you don’t use their property on the playa, i.e. tables and chairs, etc. You can also now sometimes pay for the day of using their facilities, incl. dressing rooms and food service. The free public playas are overcrowded and your belongings unsafe. Playa Delfines is safer but way out of the way, end of the strip (close to the private Club Mediterranean), with the ocean totally open – it’s perfectly gorgeous – and sometimes sharks are sighted too close for comfort. So, while this playa is safer/less crowded the ocean is much rougher there than in la Zona and not advisable to swim out too far as there are dangerous undertows. It also is not roped in. Few tourists pay attention to the warning signs in Cancun (English/ Spanish) but it pays to remember that nobody is responsible for your safety. Best to not even go near anything that’s even close to looking dangerous. There are a lot of crocodiles in the Nitchupte Canal on the other side of the highway. Entire families go there to fish daily and many people cannot swim. Too often Mexican kids have vanished.
I dont really agree with North Beach being so great. I found some of the secluded beaches north of Huatulco to be some of the best I have ever seen in my life!
Balandra is beautiful! If, you can get in as it is restricted! It has no facilities and no space and unless you enjoy walking in knee length water for a kilometer or two…really have no idea what the excitement is for. Do yourself a favor and drive up to the next and last beach, Tecolote which has lots of space, no restrictions and facilities plus great swimming. If you are feeling up to it, you can hike up the mountain and stare down at Balandra, the best way to see it, which is really beautiful!
Hoping Playa Encanto in Sonora gets a look at some point especially with part and full-time residents doing voluntary clean ups from occasional ocean debris.