Collected by Catherine Craddock-Carrillo , AFAR Local Expert
Mexico’s Pacific Coast is where Mexican beach tourism began. Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán– the names hark back to bygone eras of mid-Century Hollywood royalty and the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema. The allure of Mexico’s Pacific Coast has not vanished. Old town Mazatlán overlooking the beach, Sayulita surfing and fish tacos, fun-loving Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco in all its cliff-diving glory–these magical places and more await the visitor to Mexico’s Pacific Coast.
Mazatlan
Ferrocarrilera, Mazatlán, Sin., Mexico
Mexico is full of beach tourism destination and well-known surf spots. Mazatlan is not particularly well known for either of these (it’s known as more of a cultural destination) but that doesn’t mean that they don’t exist there. The city of…More Details >
La Quebrada
La Quebrada, Acapulco de Juárez, Gro., MexicoThere are several of these cliff-diving shows a day (unfortunately I can’t remember the name of the cove, but say ‘cliff divers’ in Acapulco and everyone knows what you’re talking about). To call them ‘shows’ is a bit belittling, though. They dive…More Details >
Viceroy Zihuatanejo
Carretera Ecenica Sn, Playa la Ropa, 40895 Zihuatanejo, Gro., MexicoGuests who lounge too long on the Viceroy Zihuatanejo’s La Ropa beach can find instant relief at the resort’s six-room spa, which features a sunburn-soothing treatment of freshly picked aloe vera, Baja lavender, and organic chamomile. Nearby,…More Details >Check Availability >
Playa principal
We strolled into town from our hotel (La Casa Que Canta) by walking down the hill and along Paseo Pescador, which connects Playa Madera and Playa Principal. There is no shortage of restauranteurs offering you the “best” fish tacos and “coldest”…More Details >
La Casa Que Canta Hotel
Camino Escénico a Playa la Ropa S/N, Playa La Ropa, Playa la Ropa, 40880 Zihuatanejo, Gro., MexicoWhen we decided to spend a long weekend in “Zihua” we wanted a hotel with great views, conveniently located near a beach, and within walking distance of town. Casa Que Canta delivered these in addition to a tasty good restaurant with helpful,…More Details >Check Availability >
Los Osuna
Latin AmericaLos Osuna is an award-winning blue agave distillery that’s more than 100 years old. It’s located in the hills outside of Mazatlan. It has old wooden buildings, displays of traditional tequila-making processes, and has a quaint little bar under the…More Details >
Playa Las Gatas
Playa las Gatas, Zihuatanejo, Gro., MexicoWe hiked along a rocky trail starting at Playa La Ropa to get to Playa Las Gatas. You can make it in sandals although it’s not a walk in the park. Once we arrived we were met with a crowd of locals enjoying their weekend. As you stroll the beach…More Details >
Sayulita
Sayulita, Nayarit, MexicoGuadalajara visitors craving an escape from the city should know that the ocean breeze isn’t far away. The bohemian beach town of Sayulita is about a four-hour drive, and even closer by plane. Popular in the 1960s among American and Canadian…More Details >
Museo Galeria Dolores Olmedo
Acclaimed Mexican artist/painter Diego Rivera (a.k.a. Mr. Frida Kahlo) created these Aztec mosaic murals, which continue to the left, on the outside walls of this house in the old tourist center of Acapulco. He stayed in this house, which belonged…More Details >
Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay Resort & Spa
Av Ernesto Coppel Campaña 201, Zona Nuevo, 82110 Mazatlán, Sin., MexicoI’m not a big spa person, but I’ve never seen anything like this. The men’s spa in the Emerald Bay Resort is one of the most beautifully designed and aesthetically pleasing rooms I’ve ever been in. There are several different kinds of showers to…More Details >
Huana Coa Canopy Adventure
Just north of Mazatlan is Huana Coa Canopy Adventure tours. That was where I had my first zipline experience. We showed up, were fitted with gear, and then driven up an insanely steep slope in a six-wheeled “swiss army vehicle”. The ride was…More Details >
Zona Romantica
Malecón, Zona Romántica, Amapas, 48399 Puerto Vallarta, Jal., MexicoPuerto Vallarta’s “Zona Romantica,” or “Romantic Zone” has all the elements that make the neighborhood name a fitting one: cobblestone streets, proximity to the beach and its stunning sunsets, and plenty of shops, restaurants, cafes, and bars,…More Details >
Capella Ixtapa
Paseo Punta Ixtapa S/N, Zona Hotelera II, 40880 Ixtapa, Gro., MexicoBuilt into the side of a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Capella Ixtapa is a luxurious resort hotel with 59 rooms, all suites with ocean-facing views. As might be expected, accommodations are generous in size, with each guestroom featuring a…More Details >Check Availability >
Barra de Potosí
Barra de Potosí, Gro., MexicoBarra de Potosi, near Zihuatanejo, is a small coastal village at the mouth of a lagoon. The lagoon, together with long stretches of adjoining beach, are home to over 200 species of birds, endangered butterflies, rare mammals and reptiles, nesting…More Details >
Playa Maruata
Michoacán, MexicoMichoacan can claim only a small stretch of Pacific coastline in comparison with neighboring states, but what it has is lovely and blessedly lacking in tourist overdevelopment. Playa Maruata is the most beautiful of Michoacan’s beaches and the…More Details >
Pie de la Cuesta
Fuerza Aerea Mexicana 17, Pie de la Cuesta, Acapulco, Gro., Mexico If you’re going to Acapulco, you might want to consider staying in Pie de la Cuesta, 10km to the north. It offers relaxation and tranquility that are hard to come by in Acapulco but is still close enough so that you can take a taxi into the resort…More Details >
Mazatlán
Av. Reforma 2013, Tellería, 82149 Mazatlán, Sin., MexicoMazatlán is going through a renaissance. “The Pearl of the Pacific” saw its original heyday along with Acapulco during the glamorous 50s and 60s, when Hollywood stars mixed with Mexico’s elite for sun and fun and cocktails. By the 90s, however,…More Details >
Source: afar.com
