North American Beach Guides

Mexico's best beach stays for couples in 2026: Rosewood Mayakoba, La Casa Que Canta, Hotel Escondido, Casa Las Tortugas, Privilege Aluxes and Hotel El Ganzo. Four are adults-only.

Mexico beach resorts in 2026: budget all-inclusives run USD 200-400 a night for two, luxury starts near USD 800, and Los Cabos averages USD 425-530 with almost no budget tier.

Mexico's best beach nightlife: Cancun's Hotel Zone for mega-clubs, Playa del Carmen's Calle 12 for bar-hopping, Puerto Vallarta for LGBTQ+ nights, Cabo's marina strip. Tulum now closes at 1:30am.

Mexico's beach food splits by coast: Ensenada fish tacos, Mazatlan tacos gobernador, Nayarit pescado zarandeado, Campeche pan de cazon, Yucatan panuchos and marquesitas.

Yelapa, Maruata, Chacahua, Xcalak, El Requeson, Barra de Potosi and Punta Perula are Mexico's genuinely quiet beaches. Balandra and Marietas' Hidden Beach now cap visitors.

Zicatela is expert-only; La Punta, Sayulita, Troncones and Los Cerritos are the beginner waves. Barra de la Cruz and Scorpion Bay reward the drive. Seasons decide everything.

Cabo Pulmo, Bahia de Loreto, San Ignacio Lagoon, Holbox, Punta Allen, El Cuyo and Mazunte are Mexico's genuinely protected beach bases. Tulum's eco-branded hotel zone is not one.

Tulum, Punta Sur, Campeche, Veracruz, Quiahuiztlan, Mazatlan and Acapulco are the Mexican beaches with real history beside them — and only some are worth swimming at.

Mexico all-inclusive resorts cover meals, house drinks and non-motorised watersports. Transfers, premium spirits, spa, the Quintana Roo Visitax and tips are not included.

The best beaches from Cancun to Tulum, north to south: Playa Delfines, Puerto Morelos, Maroma, Punta Esmeralda, Xpu-Ha, Akumal, Xcacel and Tulum’s free Parque del Jaguar beaches.

Zipolite in Oaxaca is Mexico's only designated nude beach. The Désire and Hidden Beach all-inclusive resorts on the Yucatán coast are the adults-only alternative.

Molokai and Lanai share fewer than 100,000 visitors a year between them. Three-mile-long Papohaku Beach sits empty most days, spinner dolphins play in Hulopoe Bay by morning, and the logistics alone keep the crowds away.

Green means safe, red means dangerous, purple means marine life -- but most beachgoers can't identify all the flag colors. Here's the full system, country-specific variations, and what to do when there are no flags at all.

Sayulita is a colorful surf village on Mexico's Riviera Nayarit with a beginner-friendly point break, $2 fish tacos, and a bohemian energy that hasn't been polished away by development. Forty-five minutes from Puerto Vallarta, it runs on its own clock.

From San Diego's free beach wheelchair program to Barcelona's assisted bathing service, here's a practical guide to beach accessibility for wheelchair users -- what works, what doesn't, and how to plan ahead.

Charleston's barrier island beaches blend wide Atlantic sand with Lowcountry character -- salt marshes, Spanish moss, and dolphins in the creeks. Folly Beach brings the surf, Sullivan's Island keeps it quiet, and downtown delivers some of the best food in the South.

Beyond Cancun's crowded pool parties, spring break travelers can find better beaches, richer culture, and lower costs across the Caribbean, Mexico, and beyond. This guide covers 9 alternatives with specific pricing for flights, accommodation, and nightlife.

Destin and Florida's Emerald Coast combine sugar-white quartz sand with Gulf water so green it looks digitally enhanced. World-class fishing, the floating party at Crab Island, and the boutique beach towns along 30A make this Panhandle stretch a family favorite.

No passport required, US currency accepted, and beach resorts that rival anything in the Caribbean. From the Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Dorado to bioluminescent bays in Vieques, here are Puerto Rico's best resort options.

Every cheap beach option from Chicago mapped out with prices: Michigan lake towns an hour away, $120 flights to Fort Lauderdale, $200 flights to Cancun, and complete trip budgets for weekends under $300 and weeks under $800.

Oahu packs world-class surf on the North Shore, the turquoise perfection of Lanikai, and the urban energy of Waikiki into one island. With 112 miles of coastline, every shore has a different personality and season.

Puerto Vallarta wraps around Banderas Bay where jungle mountains crash into the Pacific. Boat-access beaches, humpback whale watching from December through March, and street tacos at $2 make this one of Mexico's most rewarding coastal cities.

A guide to clothing-optional campgrounds near beaches across North America and Europe, covering De Anza Springs, Bare Oaks, Euronat, Valalta, and more, with etiquette rules and honest first-timer advice.

San Diego delivers 70 miles of coastline with year-round surf, leopard sharks at La Jolla, and a taco scene fueled by proximity to the Mexican border. From Torrey Pines bluffs to Coronado's sparkling sand, every neighborhood has its own beach personality.