You’ve drawn straws and have even tried a game of rock, paper, scissors, but you still can’t decide on whether you’d prefer a city- or sand-based Mexican honeymoon. Stop flip-flopping, because you can combine the history, shopping and nightlife of a large urban area with the natural beauty, aquatic adventure and solitude of a beach destination all in one trip. Here, our favorite city and beach combinations. Now, all you have to decide is which pair of sandals to pack.
Cancun and the Riviera Maya
The all-inclusive Grand Velas has awesome beach access and is located an hour from Cancun.
Photo courtesy of Grand Velas Riviera Maya
Couples craving more seclusion can head down the coast. The long beach region called the Riviera Maya stretches from just south of the city nearly all the way to the neighboring country of Belize. The northernmost resorts are only about 20 minutes from Cancun, ideally situated to letting you combine city and sand on your honeymoon. The main attractions are the long white strands framed by palm trees and the turquoise Caribbean, including some spots where yours will be the only footprints in the sand. Not far offshore is the longest barrier reef in the western hemisphere, with myriad spots for primo scuba and snorkeling. Near-shore activities include sea kayaking, jet skiing, paragliding and kite surfing.
You can make a splash or simply relax at Grand Velas Riviera Maya.
Photo courtesy of Grand Velas Riviera Maya
Tucked between a secluded beach and pristine mangrove forest near popular Playa del Carmen is Grand Velas Riviera Maya, an upscale waterfront all-inclusive resort. Beach aside, what sets this hotel apart from others is the food. A la carte eateries include Frida (modern Mexican), Cocina de Autor (Spanish), Sen Lin (Asian) and Piaf (French). Another treat is an enormous spa with a fabulous wet area and a unique clay room with copious amounts of Mexican mud to spread all over your body. Guest rooms offer sea or jungle views, and many have private plunge pools (room rates start at $450 a night, all inclusive; grandvelas.com).
Next: Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit >>
Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit
A bird’s-eye view of Puerto Vallarta.
Photo courtesy of Puerto Vallerta Tourism Board
Beginning on the shore of Banderas Bay is the Riviera Nayarit, a string of laid-back beach towns first visited in the 1980s by American surfers, which is now getting a must-see reputation among anyone who cherishes secluded strips of sand. Indeed, the surf is good, and there are plenty of places to rent boards and take lessons. And even if hanging 10 isn’t in your honeymoon plans, the Nayarit coast is a perfect place to while away a day (or two or three) sipping margaritas in a thatchedroof beach bar and occasionally going for a dip in the warm, tropical waters. Away from the shore, Nayarit offers numerous other distractions, including golf at several championship-quality courses, horseback riding, jungle ziplines and off-road vehicle adventures.
Opportunities for water sports abound on the Pacific coast’s Riviera Nayarit.
Photo courtesy of: Riviera Nayarit CVB/ Mark Callanan
Next: Acapulco and the Costa Grande >>
Acapulco and the Costa Grande
The glam and romance of Acapulco will always be linked with the ’50s and ’60s American movie and music stars who gathered here to soak up some sun— and sometimes elope—in a beach locale far from the gossip columnists. Not only did Elvis Presley laze around Acapulco Bay, he also filmed Fun in Acapulco while here. Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, Brigitte Bardot and Rita Hayworth also famously frequented the stunning stretch of beach. Perched on Mexico’s southern Pacific shore, Acapulco is still fun after all these years. Although the American celebs are largely long gone, there’s still a certain glitz along the golden sands and the restaurants and clubs in the high-rise hotels along the bay. And there’s history too: check out the old zócalo (square) with its ancient cafés and cool arcades, and La Fuerte de San Diego, a solid Spanish colonial fort built in 1616 to protect the treasure-laden Manila Galleons that used to anchor in Acapulco Bay. Don’t miss: Watching the cliff divers of La Quebrada.
A couple of hours north of Acapulco via the coast highway is the Costa Grande (Big Coast) region. The name is relatively new, but perfect for describing an area that really does seem to stretch forever, with the rugged Sierra Madre del Sur mountains on one side and the deep blue Pacific on the other. Many of the locals still fish, farm and ranch for a living, giving the region an authentic feel lacking in other resort locales. And the area affords an opportunity to blend modern activities like surfing and scuba with hacienda horseback riding or visits to traditional country fairs in towns like Petatlán. A one-time fishing village around a bay called Zihuatanejo and the nearby beach area of Ixtapa are the best bets for visitors.
At the chic Las Brisas Ixtapa, a 416-room resort that hugs a private cove, even the most modest rooms boast private balconies with hammocks for a couples’ siesta or a cozy champagne toast under the stars. The more lavish suites boast private pools, while rooms in the Brisas Beach Club— an adults-only hotel-within-a-hotel— include access to a private 20th-floor lounge with complimentary breakfast, early evening cocktail hour and sweeping vistas. The resort’s recreation menu features a full range of water sports, as well as golf, tennis and spa treatments (room rates start at about $250 a night; brisashotelonline.com).