I was born in Mexico and during my life, I have visited many of Mexican beaches as they have different colours of sands depending which body of water bathes them. Therefore, I have chosen three of my favourite beaches for different reasons: Acapulco for being my favourite beach holiday, Cozumel for their coral reefs and Los Cabos for their whale watching tours.
Mexico (officially United Mexican States) is a country located in North America. Mexico’s largest bordered is with sea as it is bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortés to the south and west, by the Caribbean Sea to the southeast, and by the Gulf of Mexico to the east. With such a big shoreline, the beaches are different depending on which sea they are. Therefore, my favourite beaches are in three different seas which are: Acapulco located in the Pacific Ocean, Cozumel located in the Caribbean Sea, and Los Cabos located in the Sea of Cortés.
Mexico City (Ciudad de Mexico) is the capital of Mexico and it is located at the centre of the country and is the oldest capital city in the America continent. Mexico is my country of birth and visitors require to consult their travel requirements, as some countries are exempted from visa while other required to apply at their local Mexican consulate. Therefore, if you required a visa apply with time as all travel papers required a lot of time and effort from the beginning. Mexico’s currency is the peso (MXP) and it is recommended to exchange at the airport just after landing, as who has the time to search for it after.
Acapulco was the beach where I met the sea and where I spent every summer while I was at school and many winters once I was living in London.
Acapulco is the major seaport located in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast and it is the largest beach and summer resort in Mexico. Acapulco is a deep semi-circular bay and has been extremely popular since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history.
Acapulco was founded on 12th March 1550 and its name comes from the Nahuatl which means “where the reeds were destroyed or washed away”. Acapulco has a lot of history and was influence by different cultures including the Olmecs, Nahuas, Maya, and finally Aztecs during the pre-Hispanic period (before the Spanish conquest), which ended in 1520s.
Acapulco was established a major port when then Spanish arrived in early 1530s and a major road was constructed between the port and Mexico City. This is because the Spanish used it as a trading post with the Far East to establish direct trade with the Philippine and created the Manila trade, which ended after the Mexican Independence.
Acapulco became an international popular destination after the Prince of Wales (future King Edwards VIII) visited the bay in 1920 and then returned to tell the European elite. Then in 1950, the bay became fashionable for the Hollywood stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Frank Sinatra.
Today, Acapulco is a weekend and wedding destination, as with the toll road is about 3 ½ hours journey from Mexico City, however, there is also an International Airport. Acapulco features a tropical wet and dry climate with even temperature between seasons (30.4 to 32.3°C/86.7 to 90.1°F) and has an amazing golden sand.
Acapulco has three tourist areas: city centre (el zocalo), Golden (Dorado), and Diamond (Diamante). Each area caters to different peoples as they focus on different activities. The city centre is the historic part with buildings and museums, the golden zone is the most tourist area as it has attractions for persons of every age, and the diamond zone is the most exclusive as it has the most luxury facilities of Acapulco.
In my case, Acapulco has been my favourite beach since I was a child and therefore, I have explored the city in entirely but at different stages in my life. During my childhood, my brother and I spent most of our time at the aquatic park (golden zone). We used to spend every day after breakfast going up and down the slides and just returning to the hotel just before closing time. We did this every day of the summer until I was around 13 years old, when I was interested in other things and started spending more time at the hotel’s pool.
During my teenage years, we discover that there were new fashionable restaurants appearing near the hotel then shopping malls, so we started exploring as we started to become aware of all new things happening around us at the golden zone.
After our family trip to Canada in 1992, I became a super fan of Hard Rock Café and I discovered that there was one next to hotel. During this year, I started going with my grandmother during the early May for the music festival at the beach where all the new music was happening, and it was fun. The golden zone attractions continued to grow as I was growing up, and I was interested in different types of entertainment.
While I was in university, we started exploring the diamond zone and their luxury hotels and facilities. We enjoyed them so much that we stopped going out of the hotel, as we spend all day at the pool and pool side, and after dinner I was able to enjoy the moonlight walk, then music and drinks at the lounge. During this period, I also enjoyed the variety of the nightlife as the bay looks beautiful at night.
After I got married, I was able to explore the city centre and all the historic part of Acapulco even seen the famous cliff divers from La Quebrada. We were also able to take the boat tour to see the famous underwater virgin Mary of the bay with glass bottom boat for this. We also explored some of the aquatic sports like water bikes.
Due to my many trips to Acapulco over the years, I was able to enjoy every single aspect of the bay and discovered things as they arrived. This is the perfect trip for every family that wants to go to the beach without leaving any comfort of the house and it can adjust to any budget. Acapulco is a bay packed with all types of attractions to keep every member of the family completely engage and wishing to come over and over.
In addition to all the things that I have done myself, Acapulco bay comprises of:
Golden beaches: several small beaches, two lagoons, a mangrove, and an island (La Roqueta).
Sea-life: a sea turtle nesting site (Tres Palos).
Aquatic sports: scuba diving, snorkel, and boat tours.
Family parks: sea life and aquatic park (caters to children), and family park (Papagayo Park).
Tourist attractions: the Dolores Olmedo House which is decorated with Diego Rivera murals, the House of Masks (Casa de la Máscara) which has masks of all over Mexico, and the Botanical Garden which is a tropical garden with plants native to the region.
Cozumel was the beach where I decided to test my underwater camera because of the reach underwater life, and I spent most of my days snorkelling around the hotel beach and then took a tourist boat for the coral reef to continue with my underwater photographic portfolio.
Cozumel is the largest Caribbean island and the third-largest island of Mexico. Cozumel is almost inhabited and most of the island’s population lives in San Miguel’s city which is in the western shore.
Cozumel is an island off the eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in the state of Quintana Roo surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and its name comes from a Mayan word which means “the island of swallows”. Cozumel is opposite to Playa del Carmen on the mainland.
Cozumel first settlers were the Mayan in early part of the 1st millennium AD. The island was dedicated to the Mayan Mood Goddess and her temples were for pilgrimage. The largest remaining ruins are at San Gervasio (centre of the island).
The first Spanish expedition took place in 1518 and the following year, Hernán Cortés stopped there on his way to the Port of Veracruz. Cozumel served as a restocking point for the Spanish expeditions to the mainland. Around 1650, Cozumel was attack by pirates and the islanders were forcibly relocated to the mainland.
After the Caste War of Yucatán some refugees escape to the island and settled in the town of San Miguel de Cozumel, and in 1848 Cozumel was officially recognized by the Mexican government.
Today, Cozumel is around two-hour direct flight from Mexico City. However, there is a way for a road trip, which is a 21-hour drive through Villahermosa (Tabasco), Chetumal (Quintana Roo) and Playa del Carmen (Quintana Roo). Cozumel weather remains stable all year with little variations. The wet months are between February and April with an average of 45mm of rain per month. Cozumel features a tropical wet and dry climate with mean temperature between seasons is 28.6 to 33°C (83.5 to 91.4°F) with the coolest month averaging 22.9°C and has an amazing white sand.
Cozumel’s economy is based in ecotourism as it contains the largest coral reef in Mesoamerican within a national park, mangrove forest, and aquatic activities like scuba diving and snorkelling.
Cozumel is surrounded by coral reefs and more than 1,000 marine species. This coral reef is part of a larger Mesoamerican barrier reef system, which is the second largest reef in the world. A large portion of the reef on the south side has been sectioned as part of the Coral Reef National Park (Arrecifes de Cozumel), which are protected under the Ramsar Convention and are included in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Cozumel Island.
The Coral Reef National Park is habitat with several endangered marine species like loggerhead sea turtle, hawksbill sea turtle, queen triggerfish and splendid toadfish. The abundance of marine life, the coral reef and the warm Caribbean water made of Cozumel the best scuba-diving and snorkelling destination of the world.
Cozumel is mostly covered with mangrove forest containing many endemic animal species. Cozumel is a flat island based on limestones with some cenotes, which are deep water-filled sinkholes formed by water eroded through soft limestone. The cenotes are restricted to everyone except for cave divers with appropriate credentials.
Scuba diving is the primary attraction of Cozumel’s due to the coral reef (Palancar reef) located on the western shore, which are protected from the open ocean by the island’s geography.
Currently, Cozumel is considered an important ecotourism destination in Mexico due to the scuba diving trips but there are many other activities like:
White beaches: Playa San Juan, Playa Santa Pilar, Playa San Francisco, Playa Santa Rosa, Playa Palancar, and Punta Sur Eco Beach Park.
Aquatic sports: diving, scuba diving, snorkelling, parasailing, kitesurfing, and a tourist submarine.
Sea-life: including many endangered marine species, and Stingray Beach.
Aquatic park: dolphinarium, laguna Chankanaab and National Marine Park.
Archaeological sites: San Gervasio.
Tourist attractions: cruise ship docks (deep-water pier), pearl farm (the only in the Caribbean is located on the North edge of the island), tourist attractions (Discover Mexico Park Cozumel, Lighthouse), and many shops (souvenirs, restaurants, cinemas, bars).
Los Cabos was the beach where I decided to go whale watching. I have been interested in all kinds of cetacean (aquatic mammals like whales and dolphins) since I saw them at Sea World when I was a child. Since then, I have studied everything that I could and going to see them was a dream come true. Therefore, Los Cabos was the best option to visit during late December as they are breading at that time and I could not wait to photograph them.
Los Cabos is a municipality located at the southern tip of the peninsula of the state of South Baja California (BCS). Los Cabos is surrounded by the Gulf of California (Mar de Cortés) and the Pacific Ocean. This municipality consists of two towns Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, which are linked by a twenty-mile road known as Resort Corridor as it consists of beach-front properties and gold courses. Cabos San Lucas is the largest city while San José del Cabo holds the government of the municipality.
San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas are the names after the Spanish Marquis of Villa Puente who sponsored the mission to that area. The first settlers were Pericus which where a hunter-gather culture with stone age tools.
In 1535, Hernán Cortés arrived at the municipality, and the gulf was named after him. The harsh conditions of the environment delayed the colonization until 1730 when Father José Echeverría and Father Nicolás Tamaral founded the mission in San José del Cabo. Therefore, San José del Cabo was founded in 1730.
The visiting Europeans brought diseases which killed most of the indigenous groups, and in 1768 more missionaries arrived as it was an important way station for the Manila Galleon as they stopped for fresh supplies on their way to Acapulco. However, its isolation made of Cabo San Lucas an excellent place for English pirates to hide (like Thomas Cavendish and Francis Drake).
Due to its remoteness, Los Cabos was kept out of active participation of most of Mexico’s 19th and early 20th century tumultuous history (including Independence and Revolution) except for the Mexican-American War (from 1846 to 1848, which ended with the annexation of Texas to USA).
In early 20th century, the tuna industry based in Cabo San Lucas and the federal agency Fonatur (National Tourism Fund) allowed the development of the tourist industry at Los Cabos. The road between San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas was finished in 1970.
Today, Los Cabos is around two-hour direct flight from Mexico City. However, there is a way for a road trip, which is a 28-hour drive through Querétaro (Querétaro), Guadalajara (Jalisco), Mazatlán (Sinaloa), and a ferry from Mazatlán to Cabo San Lucas. Los Cabos weather remains stable with a little variation with coolest month averaging 22°C. The wet months are June to September. Los Cabos features a hot and dry climate with even temperatures between seasons (22°C to 29°C/72°F to 84°F) and has an amazing white sand.
Los Cabos main tourist attraction is its environment as it has a unique enchantment of the place where the dessert meets the sea which is best symbolized by the biggest natural arch (El Arco) made of natural stone over the ocean in Cabo San Lucas at Land’s End where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortés, which is the symbol for the municipality. Los Cabos is located at the edge of the dessert which covers most of the Baja California peninsula making this one of the sunniest places in the world averaging 320 days of sunshine.
Los Cabos’ economy is based on tourism as it contains boat tours, whale watching, summer resorts, and various sports like fishing, snorkelling, sailing, camel rides, horseback riding and rappelling.
San José del Cabo’s city centre still conserves its colonial charming with the church dating from the 1700s. Most of the large houses in the centre dates from the 19th century and have been converted into restaurants, art galleries and a variety shops from fine handicrafts, silver, local gemstones to souvenirs.
San José del Cabo still conserves its relaxing and colonial style typical of Mexican town with pedestrian areas, and colonial houses and buildings. The main tourist attractions are the municipal hall, cultural centre (Casa de la Cultural), and the town’s parish church (part of the Estero de las Palmas de San José del Cabo Misión).
Cabo San Lucas is located about twenty miles to the west of San José del Cabo, which is centred around the marina and the entertainment district. The main attractions are fishing tournaments, nightlife, whale watching, luxury summer resorts, and many more activities.
Currently, Los Cabos is considered one of an important most luxury tourist destination in World which has many other activities like:
Boat tours: to El Arco, San José Estuary, and the coral reefs.
Whale watching from end December to March.
Sport fishing: mainly marlin in summer and various species all year.
Aquatic sports: snorkelling, diving, water-propelled jet packs, surfing, jet-ski riding, kayaking, sailing.
Dessert sports: dune buggy rides, camel rides, and ATV riding.
Mountain sports: zip-lining, horseback riding, hang gliding, mountain biking, camping, and rappelling.
Tourist attractions: Santiago fossil museum, glass blowing factory, and seashell jewellery.
Towns’ sightseeing: Caduaño, San Antonio, San Bartolo, San José del Cabo, Santa Rosa, and Miraflores.
Although, these three beaches have different types of tourist depending on their budget since Acapulco is very closed to Mexico City making this the weekend destination which tends to be overcrowded on peak season; since Cozumel is an island and everything is imported from the mainland tends to be a bit expensive; and since Los Cabos are two cities is a very flexible location as it suits any budget.
They represented the diversity of activities of what Mexico beaches have to offer. Cozumel has the best for explorers as it has the best white virgin beaches, the best coral reef, local flora and fauna, and Mayan archaeological sites. Acapulco is the best short break due to its versatility and all the family can enjoy it. And Los Cabos is the best for adventurers as it has the best whale watching tours and best activities for water, mountain, and dessert.
Regardless of what the type of holiday you are planning and your travel budget, Mexico has the perfect beach for you. Therefore, consider travelling to any Mexican beach and you will have an amazing time, an amazing weather, and the best food comparable with the best Mediterranean beaches of France, Spain, and Italy.
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