Cancun Beaches

The Cancun coast has a string of beautiful, pristine beaches with fine white sand and warm turquoise sea. You can either laze in the sun or for the more active and adventurous, there are plenty of water activities available. Snorkelling and diving are popular on the coral reef, which is the second longest in the world. 

From Holbox in the north, to Puerto Morelos in the south, you will find many beautiful beaches to explore. Here are a few suggestions of where to find the best Cancun beaches:

 

Playa Langosta

This is one of Cancun's most popular beaches and one of the best for swimming. There are plenty of water sports, restaurants and bars. Boat tours leave from the pier to Isla Mujeres. Playa Langosta is about 5km from the Cancun Hotel Zone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Playa Mujeres 

In the extreme north-east of Cancun, 10 miles beyond Puerto Cancun, there are some fantastic beaches with pristine waters in a wild environment - where  nature is preserved in its original state. It is an area like Cancun, where just a few hotels have been built so far, however it will be a new Hotel Zone in the near future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Playa Tortugas

This is an ideal family beach as it has beautiful sand and shallow water. There are plenty of water sports plus restaurants and bars. From the pier there are boats across to Isla Mujeres. Playa Tortugas is about 6 kms from Cancun the Hotel Zone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Playa Isla Blanca

Playa Isla Blanca is about half an hour north of Cancun. It is a quiet, beautiful beach with the Caribbean Sea on one side and the Chacmuchuk Lagoon on the other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Playa Gaviota Azul

This beach has water sports and is good for surfing. It is close to Plaza Forum, in Cancun Hotel Zone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Playa Chac Mool

This beach is about 10 kms from the Cancun Hotel Zone, near the Bojorquez Lagoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Playa Delfines

There are fine views from this beach which is about 18 kms from Cancun Hotel Zone. You will see beautiful sunsets on this beach and in Cancun.

  

 

 

 

 

 

Playa Yamil Lu'um

Lush vegetation, blue sky and turquoise water make a gorgeous lanscape.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Playa Caracol

In the middle of the Cancun Hotel zone this beach has all kinds of nautical sports and is fun of all ages. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cenotes

Cenote is a term that comes from the Mayan word dz'onot, meaning sacred, as Mayan people's reference to the use of cenotes as sacred places where they made sacrifices to the god Tlaloc (god of the rain). Most cenotes are located along the Mayan Riviera close to Playa del Carmen on the Yucatan Peninsula.

Perhaps the most famous of all the cenotes is Xkeken in Valladolid, 100 miles from Cancun towards Merida city.  There are no surface rivers in this area as rain water passes through the limestone soil and forms underground rivers. Because of the underground rivers there are many caves and sink holes - or cenotes. The cenotes around Playa del Carmen include Laguna La Union, Laguna Chumpoko, Laguna Campechen, Laguna Boca Paila, Laguna San Miguel, Laguna Catoche, Laguna Cobá, Laguna Verde and Laguna Nochacam.