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7 Best beaches in Mexico for families
Enjoy a day trip to the best beaches in Mexico for families, including Playa de Los Muertos, Playa Norte, Lover's Beach, and more.
A trip to the beach can help give your family some much-needed relaxation. In fact, it’s proven that spending time near water can help lower stress and anxiety.
And where better than Mexico? Mexico is amazing to visit overall, with some of the best cuisines, cities, and destinations to add to your travel guide. The beaches, in particular, are known for being beautiful and incredibly picturesque.
Here is a list of some of the best beaches in Mexico for families:
Playa Norte, Isla Mujeres
If you plan to visit Cancun, Playa Norte in Isla Mujeres makes for a great family trip to the beach. The crystal clear turquoise waters, green palm trees, and soft sand are enough to get everyone in great spirits, but it gets even better. There are amazing secluded places with shallow water, great for small children to play in, and many activities for adults, such as jet-skiing, parasailing, and beach clubs.
Playa Norte is also one of the best family destinations in Mexico because of the abundance of nearby food options. From traditional Mexican cuisine to seafood and continental choices for people and kids of all ages, having a nice meal by the ocean is easy.
Things to do on your family vacation in Playa Norte
When in Playa Norte, make sure to:
- Check out the beach area between Playa Norte and Mia Reef, which acts as a giant shallow swimming pool perfect for small kids to swim in without the risk of strong currents or waves.
- Feed the fish in Mia Reef next to Hotel Mia — a stimulating activity for the younger ones.
- Take the kids snorkeling. Since the water is crystal clear, you can see all the way to the bottom of the Caribbean sea floor. You can also enjoy a buffet lunch on the boat and head to Playa Norte for some much-needed beach lounging. Prices for such an excursion typically start from $120.
Playa Pescadores, Tulum
If you’re traveling to Mexico with kids for a family vacation, be sure to visit Playa Pescadores in Tulum. While you should exercise caution traveling to certain places south of the border, Playa Pescadores remains one of the safest beaches in Mexico.
This beach is fully equipped with parking, showers, and restrooms, making it incredibly convenient for those with smaller kids. There are also many family-friendly activities, such as snorkeling or swimming with the tortoises.
At night, gather the family for a beach-side sunset dinner and bask in the beauty of the Caribbean as you enjoy mouth-watering Mexican local food.
Things to do on your family vacation in Playa Pescadores
When in Playa Norte, make sure to:
- Visit between May and November so you can have a chance to do some turtle-watching and snorkeling in Paradise Reef! Prices start from only $35 for 1.5 hours of snorkeling, where you can explore the pristine waters and spot manta rays or sea turtles.
- Book a fishermen’s beach tour for the entire family and learn more about their skills in action and the ocean’s marvels firsthand.
- Visit the ancient archeological site of the Tulum ruins and learn about its past. Prices range from $5 to $8.
Playa Mia Grand Beach Park, Cozumel
Next on our list of best family destinations in Mexico is Playa Mia Grand Beach Park in Cozumel. This stretch of white sand is perfect for families and has a variety of kid-friendly seaside activities with many good restaurants nearby. The water park is ideal for all ages. Children can enjoy the pirate-themed Buccaneer’s Bay with age-appropriate rides, while teenagers and adults can test their limits on the 200-foot snaking wet slides. While the kids tire themselves in the water park, parents and adults can have a siesta in the Oasis hot tub.
Things to do on your family vacation in Playa Mia Grand Beach Park
When in Playa Mia Grand Beach Park, make sure to:
- Rent a wave runner at Playa Mia Beach for only $65 for 30 minutes! You can ride alone or seat a family member for double the fun.
- Purchase the Amazing Beach Break® at Playa Mia ($45 for children aged 4-11 and $90 for 12+) and get access to kayaks, water tricycles, beach lounge chairs, snorkel gear, and more.
- Take the kids parasailing. For $65 for 15 minutes, witness Cozumel from a bird’s-eye view and enjoy the tropical paradise and crystal clear waters from a height.
Lover’s Beach, Cabo San Lucas
Pack your best beachwear, and head over to Lover’s Beach (also known as Playa del Amor) in Cabo San Lucas — one of the best Mexican beaches for families.
Although its name might suggest otherwise, Lover’s Beach is the best for family vacations and couples alike. There are stunning rock formations, the famous El Arco to marvel at, and turquoise blue waters to enjoy here. You’ll also find some safe swimming sections in the water, away from rocks and strong waves.
And if you’re lucky, you might spot the resident sea lion colony while you lounge in the white sand. Or go snorkeling in the calm waters of Lover’s Beach and spot all sorts of marine life, such as sea urchins, parrotfish, angelfish, and starfish.
Things to do on your family vacation in Lover’s Beach
When at Lover’s Beach, make sure to:
- Book a traditional glass-bottom boat tour — perfect for the entire family, including small kids. For $40 per adult, you can tour Lands End, El Arcom Pelican Rock, the Sea Lion Colony, and many more locations surrounding Lover’s Beach.
- Go humpback whale watching on a Cabo San Lucas Arch tour (prices start from $45 per adult), and you might be fortunate enough to have a close encounter. The sheltered waters around Lover’s Beach are especially ideal for baby whales, so they spend their first weeks here.
- Scuba-dive and explore Cabo San Lucas’ vibrant coral reef, teeming with marine life. Lover’s Beach offers beginner-friendly scuba sessions for prices starting from $110.
Mahahual Beach, Costa Maya
Mahahual Beach is on our list of family-friendly beaches in Mexico because of its vast array of available activities.
With loads of scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, and other water sports, this beach deserves a family trip. Besides lounging underneath the Caribbean Sun, you can walk with your family along the boardwalk, which tends to be less visited and serene. Many seafood restaurants and beach bars are nearby, making it a convenient location, especially for those visiting with kids.
What makes it one of the best beaches in Costa Maya is that it’s home to the second-largest reef in the world — the Meso-American Barrier Reef — right after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
Things to do on your family vacation in Mahahual Beach
When at Mahahual Beach, make sure to:
- Snorkel in the shallow and gentle waters of Mahahual Beach and feast your eyes on the vibrant marine life that calls the reef home. This activity is also highly affordable, starting from $30 per adult, and caters to ages five to 65, making it perfect for a whole family excursion.
- Scuba dive in the open water (accompanied by a PADI dive instructor) and closely examine the marine life and seabed. Prices start from $90 per person.
- Go on a fishing tour with the family (prices start from $370 per group) in areas where you’ll likely catch a fish Kingfish, Red Snapper, or even a Mahi Mahi, making it all the more exciting. You can also use kayaks and paddle boards for solo excursions.
Playa de Los Muertos, Puerto Vallarta
Known as the “Dead Man’s Beach” due to the old pirate raids that used to happen nearby, Playa de Los Muertos is next on our list of the best family destinations in Mexico. There are also many family-friendly resorts, hotels, and spas nearby if relaxation is on the agenda.
Surrounded by sand, the sea, and abundant watersports, you’ll never get bored. Whether you’d like to play a competitive game of beach volleyball with the family or zip around on a jet ski and show the younger ones how it’s done, this beach in Puerto Vallarta will keep you entertained.
Things to do on your family vacation in Playa de Los Muertos
When in Playa de los Muertos, make sure to:
- Take advantage of the clear waters and go for a swim.
- Go whale watching with the family on a cruise and marvel at these gentle giants as they breach and play in the Pacific Ocean. Prices start from $85 per adult for an experience of your lifetime!
- End your day at Playa de Los Muertos with a majestic sunset sail. Witness spectacular views of Banderas Bay from the ocean blue. Prices start from $85 per adult.
Santa Maria Beach, Cabo San Lucas
Although Santa Maria Beach in Cabo San Lucas is lesser-known, it doesn’t mean that this isn’t one of the best family beaches in Mexico. If you and your family find secluded beaches more enjoyable, this is your destination. And you won’t find it lacking in terms of activities.
Like the rest of the beaches on this list, soft sand, clear waters, snorkeling tours, and teeming marine life await.
Things to do on your family vacation in Santa Maria Beach:
When at Santa Maria Beach, make sure to:
- Go swimming with the entire family. The beach is located within a protected marine sanctuary, meaning there are ample opportunities to spot schools of colorful fish, such as damselfish and yellow porkfish.
- Take a kayak tour with the family and see the coral reefs and dramatic rock formations up close. Prices for this activity start at $90 per adult.
- Go on a snorkeling catamaran tour to closely examine the marine life in the crystal clear waters, and be sure to book a morning tour for optimal visibility. Prices for snorkeling in the Santa Maria Bay start from $60 per adult.
Keep kids entertained on the go with a Holafly eSIM
Every destination mentioned on this list has the ingredients for the best family beach trip: fun activities, safe-to-swim waters, great food, picturesque landscapes, and brimming marine life. Choose any of the seven beautiful beaches for families mentioned above, and you’re bound to create everlasting memories to cherish forever.
Make your trip to the best family beaches in Mexico even better by remaining comfortably connected using a Holafly eSIM for navigation, sharing updates, or even keeping younger kids entertained as you sort out your itinerary. Holafly is among one of the best eSIM providers in Mexico; simply activate your Mexico eSIM upon arrival through a few easy clicks and receive unlimited data throughout your trip for excellent prices:
- 3-day trip to Mexico: $12.90 USD ($4.30/day)
- 5-day trip to Mexico: $20.90 ($4.18/day)
- 7-day trip to Mexico: $29.90 ($4.27/day)
There’s no need to top-up data or overpay for days you don’t need; simply match your plan’s validity to your trip’s duration, and you’re all covered until you get back home! With 24/7 customer support, the team is available to sort out any issues or queries, making a Holafly eSIM your perfect travel buddy for a trip to Mexico.
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Born and raised in Queens, New York, I'm a Psychology graduate with a passion for writing that I've been nurturing since 2019. Over the years, I've enjoyed creating meaningful content across various niches, including sports, hospitality, and career development. At Holafly, I focus on crafting useful and inspiring pieces to make your adventures more effortless. One of the best perks of this role? Creating travel content always seems to inspire my next vacation destination!
