Little Known Beaches of the Mexican Pacific
The Mexican Pacific is one of the most visited destinations by tourists from all over the world. However, it has hidden beaches that are very little known. Here are some examples of those secret jewels of the Pacific.
Isla Espíritu Santo, Baja California
Located in the Gulf of California, very close to La Paz, this island is one of the most emblematic places of the Mexican Pacific for its incredible ecosystems, including a large colony of sea lions. Unfortunately, visitors can only spend the day enjoying the island because there are no places to stay, so they must hire tours to enjoy the different experiences it offers.
Isla Espíritu Santo is protected by UNESCO as a biosphere, making it a critical ecotourism destination where more than 1,300 species of plants and animals live, of which approximately 50 are in the risk category.
The tours around Isla Espírito Santo include swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, visiting the colony of sea lions in Los Islotes, located on the northern part of the island, as well as tours through the stunning bays of the spot and the famous natural formation of Máscara, in El Candelero, and many other points of interest of Isla Espíritu Santo.
Islas Marietas, Nayarit
On the coast of Sayulita, in Nayarit, are the fabulous Marietas Islands, one of the best-protected areas in the Mexican Pacific and home to the richest ecosystems any visitor can imagine. The area is perfect for snorkeling and scuba diving in beautiful reefs and touring the site on tours with limited places for its visitors. In these islands, it is not allowed to fish or hunt, so the Marietas Islands are considered worldwide as one of the few ecological refuges on the planet comparable to the Galapagos Islands.
Visitors can take tours to see dolphins and whales on their migration path during the year. These islands became famous by the oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, who conducted countless studies and research on the area’s ecosystems, including many plants, birds, and marine species.
Zipolite, Oaxaca
This destination is far from the active tourist life of Oaxaca and is used as a nudist beach. However, it is located very close to Mazunte. This ecological community houses a natural cosmetic factory. Furthermore, it is the place where the Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga was founded, the first one in Latin America dedicated to caring for a vast sanctuary of turtles where visitors can free the baby turtles at certain times of the year, as well as visit breeding sites of these species, aquariums, and a wonderful botanical garden.
From Zipolite, travelers can take scuba diving and snorkeling tours to admire the lush marine fauna and flora. In addition, there are fresh seafood restaurants, bars, hotels, and all kinds of services for those staying on the beach. In addition to Mazunte, tourists can also visit other attractive nearby places such as San Agustinillo and Ventanilla, Huatulco Bay, and Puerto Escondido, popular destinations with more significant tourist activity.
Isla del Coral, Nayarit
This is a fabulous destination of white sand beaches in Nayarit, where visitors enjoy full days practicing water sports like snorkeling and scuba diving by extraordinary coral reefs and Stand Up Paddle Board, among others.
The beaches of this beautiful site are perfect for family fun. They are accessible on board boats departing from Rincón de Guayabitos or with Sayulita, San Pancho, or Punta de Mita tour operators. One of the most recommended places to stay in Rincón de Guayabitos, which offers a lot of accommodations and has beaches certified for their cleanliness and care of nature. Visitors can observe many marine birds, such as pelicans and seagulls, aquatic fauna, such as turtles, rays, and sea stars, and an extensive diversity of multicolored fish.
Playa Isla Cocinas, Jalisco
This is one of the 11 virgin islands that make up the extraordinary Bay of Chamela and is located two hours from Puerto Vallarta. Here visitors can rent half-hour tours to visit the most exciting places aboard water taxis or the boats of local fishermen.
To get to Isla Cocinas, travelers must embark in Punta Pérula in a 20-minute trip. This place does not have restaurants or shops because it is uninhabited. However, it is a perfect place to practice kayaking, snorkeling, and scuba diving to enjoy its fantastic marine life, including dolphins and whales. In addition, it is the ideal place to see turtles spawning. It should be noted that, for being a virgin island, the hours to visit the beach are from 8 a.m. 4 p.m. and it is mandatory to bring a container to store the garbage generated by visitors.
Before traveling to Isla Cocinas, it is recommended to buy drinks and food, sunscreen, and everything visitors may need to spend a day at the beach because there is nowhere to buy these products.