The Best Affordable Beach Towns in Mexico
I can’t deny that I’m a sucker for a great beach town. I love them so much that I left New York City to pursue a life and career of chasing the best beach towns all over the world. But my bread and butter, OG, first love beach towns are in Mexico. Sadly, many of my favorites have fallen victim to the plagues of over-tourism: crowds, pollution, and rising prices. So where do I go when I want to ditch the crowds, post up in a hammock, and sip a 25-peso beer? Here’s my list of the best affordable beach towns in Mexico.
San Pancho, Nayarit
Everyone knows Sayulita. Everyone. Between you and me, I’m so over Sayulita. The crowds, the prices, the garbage. And its principal beach is a bit of a let-down. Allow me to introduce you to San Pancho, short for San Francisco. Just a few minutes up the coast from Sayulita, San Pancho is often described as what Sayulita used to be like 15 years ago. It has a rising foodie and art gallery scene, but things still shut down relatively early here, and you won’t find an overwhelming amount of bars or hotels. The beach in San Pancho is even more beautiful than in Sayulita, and much larger, too.
How to Get There: Fly into Puerto Vallarta (PVR) and drive or take a taxi/Uber about an hour north.
Where to Stay: Marii Hotel Costero
Zipolite/San Agustinillo, Oaxaca
For many years, Puerto Escondido had a special hold on my heart. It still does. But word of Puerto Escondido has spread like wildfire and it’s now one of the trendiest and most expensive beach destinations in Mexico. Instead of Puerto Escondido, I now turn to beach towns further south like Zipolite and San Agustinillo. These sleepy little towns have a small, but growing scene of funky barefoot beach bars, boutique hotels, and locally owned restaurants. I love Zipolite for its creative crowd — it’s believed to be one of the rare energy vortexes on the planet, which means it attracts spiritualists, hippies, and the perpetually off-beat.
How to Get There: Fly into Puerto Escondido (PXM) and drive or take a taxi an hour south. Or fly into Huatulco (HUX) and drive or take a taxi an hour north.
Where to Stay: El Alquimista
Bacalar, Quintana Roo
Bacalar is far from an under-the-radar destination these days. But it’s still quite a far cry from Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum. Perched on a spectacular freshwater lake (Laguna Bacalar), Bacalar is a wonderfully charming, quiet village with sandy streets, low-key boutique hotels, and great, local restaurants — many perched over the lake itself. The new airport in Tulum is going to make Bacalar much more accessible than it is right now, so my tip is to go as soon as you can.
How to Get There: Fly into Cancun (CUN) and drive five hours south. Or fly into Tulum (TQO) and drive two and a half hours. Or fly into Chetumal (CTM) and drive 30 minutes.
Where to Stay: Hotel Makaaba
Lo de Marcos, Nayarit
With a little bit of time, you’ll soon learn that Nayarit is a treasure trove of under-the-radar beach towns, especially if you go north of Sayulita. Next up the coast from San Pancho is the town of Lo de Marcos. I love this town for its beautiful, broad, golden-hued beach and total lack of big hotels. The streets of the town are in a small grid, with the east-west streets all running to the beach. There are a handful of small restaurants and cantinas, but the real treat about Lo de Marcos is how quiet and naturally beautiful it is.
How to Get There: Fly into Puerto Vallarta (PVR) and drive or take a taxi for about an hour and a half.
Where to Stay: Hotel Boutique Wirikuta
Mahahual, Quintana Roo
About as far south as you can go in Quintana Roo before you cross over into Belize, that’s where you’ll find Mahahual. This ribbon of sun-bleached, powder-soft sand is surrounded by mangrove jungle and blessed with some of the most spectacularly blue water you’ll find anywhere. There isn’t much in Mahahual except for a modest strip of beach restaurants and bars. (There is a small cruise port, but very few cruises come.) It’s the end of the road in the Mexican Caribbean in Mahahual, and you truly feel like that when you get there.
How to Get There: Fly into Cancun (CUN) and drive five hours south. Or fly into Tulum (TQO) and drive two and a half hours. Or fly into Chetumal (CTM) and drive two hours.
Where to stay: Almaplena Boutique Hotel
Perula, Jalisco
Picture a huge bay with miles and miles of golden sand, surrounded by gently sloping mountains. A smattering of palapa-topped, toes-in-the-sand seafood restaurants line the shoreline. And the few, lonely streets are dusted with a fine layer of sand. That is Perula, and it is one of the most beautiful beach towns in Jalisco. You’ll have to drive about two and a half hours south of Puerto Vallarta to find it, but that’s what helps to keep the majority of tourists at bay — just how I like it!
How to Get There: Fly into Puerto Vallarta (PVR) and drive two and a half hours. Or fly into Manzanillo (ZLO) and drive two and a half hours.
Where to Stay: Las Rosadas or Careyes
Loreto, Baja California Sur
I have no idea why Loreto is not more popular. For starters, it has an airport with seasonal direct flights from Los Angeles, Dallas, and Phoenix. Beyond that, it’s spectacularly beautiful, facing the Sea of Cortez and backed by towering mountains that protect it like a forcefield. It’s a gateway for divers and snorkelers who want to explore the richness of wildlife in the Sea of Cortez, and the water is calm enough to enjoy stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking. In town, you’ll find great seafood restaurants, including a seafood truck that I highly recommend.
How to Get There: Fly into Loreto (LTO). Or fly into Los Cabos (SJD) and drive six hours.
Where to Stay: Villa del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto
Mazatlan, Sinaloa
Talk about one of the best destinations in all of Mexico. Mazatlan is one of my favorite places in the country. Far from an under-the-radar destination, Mazatlan is one of Mexico’s best beach cities, but it does not receive the attention it deserves. For the most part, it’s frequented by Canadian snowbirds or Mexican travelers, which has helped keep the cost of living a lot lower than other beach towns. But travelers are spoiled in Mazatlan when it comes to beautiful beaches, a gorgeous Centro Historico, beachfront restaurants, and crazy nightlife.
How to Get There: Fly into Mazatlan (MZT).
Where to Stay: Casa Lucila
La Manzanilla, Jalisco
I’m living along the Costalegre this winter, about three hours south of Puerto Vallarta, so I’ve had plenty of time to drive to the beach towns in this part of the state. Most recently I have been spending a lot of time in La Manzanilla, yet another beautiful beach destination overlooking a sprawling, palm tree-fringed bay. This is one of the best places along the coastline to post up at a beachfront restaurant and enjoy plates heaped high with colorful ceviche, guacamole, or freshly grilled fish. A few design-forward restaurants are opening, which has me worried that the Tulum-ification of La Manzanilla has begun.
How to Get There: Fly into Puerto Vallarta (PVR) and drive three and a half hours. Or fly into Manzanillo (ZLO) and drive an hour and a half.
Where to Stay: Casa Coyul
Mulege, Baja California Sur
What I love most about Mulege is the color palette. The lushest, greenest jungle greens flow down to the spectacular, eye-popping turquoise of the sea. Thick groves of bushy palm trees carpet this oasis town, which has popped up alongside a river in the middle of the Baja peninsula desert. A true oasis, Mulege is as tropical as it gets and is a popular stop for travelers who are road-tripping along the Baja peninsula. Its river flows out into Bahia Concepcion, one of the most gorgeous bays within the already-mesmerizing Sea of Cortez. Fingernail flecks of white sand beaches hide around every cove, and you’ll find plenty of RVs parked at sandy camping strips for those who have come to Mulege to disappear off the radar.
How to Get There: Fly into Loreto (LTO) and drive an hour and a half.
Where to Stay: Casa El Pescador