July | 2013 | Eco-Tourism Experiences

Playa Norte, Isla Mujeres, a top ten travelers choice beach in the Caribbean

Mexico has about 6,000 miles of coastline and over 450 beaches with a variety of physical characteristics. These range from desert to tropical environments but while it may be easy to classify beaches according to these objective characteristics, the choice of which beach resort is best for a vacation is much more subjective. A quick internet search will turn up several sites that rate beaches in Mexico by a variety of different criteria but there is only one objective system that rates beaches by strict criteria applied the world over and that site can be found at http://www.blueflag.org. Their system for evaluating beaches started in France around 1985 and is now run by the European Foundation for Environmental Education. In general, the Blue Flag criteria used to determine which beaches deserve to be awarded are water quality, safety, services, environmental management and information. As of now, there are 5 beaches that have earned the blue flag award in Mexico. Coincidently, all five of these beaches are also on the list of the best beaches in Mexico as published by websites such as Travelers Choice and magazines such as U.S News and Travel that use tourist opinions or travel writers opinions to rate beaches. So, if finding the best beach is a top priority on your next vacation, it comes down to a decision about the intangibles such as idyllic versus the tangibles such as environmental information signs. In the photo essay below there is a photo of Playa Delfines, a blue flag awarded beach, as well as several photos of beaches in Tulum which Travelers Choice rates as the best in Mexico. All other beach photos below are highly rated by one or more survey about best beaches in Mexico.

Playa Delfines, a blueflag awarded beach in Cancun

Akumal, one of traveler’s choices top 10 beach pics in mexico

Playa Akumal, a top choice for snorkeling and protected area for turtle nesting .

Balandra Beach, a protected biospheres and top ten travelers choice pic for best beach in Mexico

Tulum Beaches, Maya Riviera, U.S. News and Travel rates Tulum beaches as the best in Mexico

Another look at Tulum’s Beaches, Maya Riviera

Playa Cabo Pulmo, Baja California Sur, only coral reefs for scuba divers and snorkeling in this area

El Requeson Playa, Bahia Concepcion, Baja California, Best RV camping on the transpeninsular hwy. Baja California Sur

Gold Coast, Mazatland, U.S. News and Travel rates Mazatland beaches in Mexico’s top 10

La Ventana Beach, Baja California Sur, Best kiteboarding in mexico

Playa Los Muertos, Puerto Vallarta, One of PV’s best beaches

Las Palmas Beach, Todos Santos, Baja California, Best Secluded Beach in Todos Santos

Ensenada Grande, Isla Partida, Sea of Cortez, One of the top 12 beaches in the world

Mamita’s Beach, Playa del Carmen, U.S. News and Travel rates Playa del Carmen as the best apres beach town in Mexico

Los Cerritos Beach, Los Cabos, Baja California, One of cabo’s best beaches

El Corumel, La Paz, Baja, sea of cortez, best sunset beach in the area

Playa Lanchero, Isla Mujers, Another excellent beach a few miles away playa norte

Modern Office building in Cancun, Mexico

The architecture of Mexico is known for its variety that developed in several phases from different cultures. During the pre-hispanic period from 300 A.D. through the year 1581 A.D. most architecture was the product of Maya and Aztec civilizations which can be seen today at such archeological sites as Palanque, Tulum, Coba, and Chichen Itza. After Cortez and the Spanish armies conquered mexico in the year 1581, European architecture replaced Maya and Aztec building techniques with baroque, renaissance, gothic, and neoclassical architectural styles during what is known as the colonial period of Mexican history. Existing examples of this transition can be seen in several Mexican cities like Guanajuato, Morelia and San Miguel de Allende that have all been declared UNESCO world heritage sites due to the well-preserved colonial buildings in these area’s. In the year 1821, Mexico finally gained it’s independence but there where very few new developments in the field of architecture for several decades until the emperor Maximilian and the dictator Porfirio Diaz started to import French architectural designs around 1860. Perhaps, the most famous example of French influenced architecture of the day is the Palacio de Belles Artes in Mexico City commissioned by Diaz.. The next and most recent evolution in Mexican architecture came along just after the Mexican civil war ended in 1910 when modern and contemporary architecture started to replace obsolete building techniques. During this time frame architects started blending Mexican stylistic elements with expressionist and functionalist design concepts to create innovative works of modern architecture that continues to this day. A few representative examples of Mexican architecture from past to present are included in the photo essay below.