Tag Archives: kiteboarding

Beaches in Mexico

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

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

Tulum, Maya Riviera

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a roadside stand on the jungle side of Tulum beach road

a roadside stand on the jungle side of Tulum beach road, would you rather be here or starbucks?

Tulum is  a  mixture of 3 separate and distinct areas which consist of  the archeological zone, Tulum Playa and Tulum Pueblo. In the past, the main reason to visit Tulum was to see the archeological site but many new additions  to both the beach zone and central zone are now attracting tourist  for a variety of others reasons.  The focus of new developments in the Tulum Playa area is overwhelmingly  on  eco-tourism and preservation of the natural environment. So, new construction projects are kept to a minimum and must also meet strict standards for sustainable development.

Tulum pueblo is  primairily a business and residential area for the locals  but it also has some restaurants and nightlife that appeals to both tourist and residents alike.  The beach area, however, is the  main attraction for most people and Tulum beach road is where it’s all happening. This is where you  find all the new ecologically designed boutique and spa hotels along with beach clubs, beach parties, stores and a decent selection of  restaurants   and nightlife. This is the only way into and out of Tulum Playa and it is surrounded by jungle on one side and the caribbean on the other. This is the same road that leads to the Sian Ka’an Reserve  and Punta Allen which is a fishing resort at the tip of the peninsula. In any case, someone once said “a picture is worth a thousand words” so, to learn more about Tulum Playa, see the photo gallery below.

if you need directions on the way to the beach, look for this roadside stand
your basic and economical beach cabana
an upscale beach cabana
Volleyball game at La Luna beach club
a private 3 bedroom, 3 bath home for rent but if you have to ask the price you probably can’t afford it
there are several beach clubs in town and here’s a look at Ziggy’s swing bar
a 2 story beach side hotel on tulum road, There are new luxury hotels in towm but no high rises allowed. The limit is around 2 or 3 stories.
a jungle side open air restaurant considered one of the best in town owned and operated by Eric Werner who learned his craft at the vinegar hill house in Brooklyn and the Peasant in Manhattan restaurants
a jungle side open air restaurant on tulum beach road
a beach side stand with brick oven made pizza and bread
On the jungle side of Tulum Road is this popular restaurant serving mexican food with a mediterrian twist
If you don’t like tulum the sign says 700 miles to cuba and if you want to just help youself to the dingy
a newer upscale beach side restaurant
an arts and crafts store on the jungle side of Tulum beach road
there is a kiteboarding school on the beach here and lot’s of wind
a mexican sombrero and a look down tulum beach road going south
a beach restaurant and bar featuring Italian cusine
Tulum Beaches, Maya Riviera, U.S. News and Travel rates Tulum beaches as the best in Mexico

La Ventana, Baja California Sur, Mexico

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Less than an hours drive south of La Paz lies the Bay of Ventana which is one of the best locations in the world for windsurfing and kiteboarding. The best time of year for both of these sports begins in November and ends sometime in March when the strong northeasterly winds slowly die out.  During the peak season there are kite boarding expos and several major events such as the La Ventana Classic which is an international competitive  event for windsurfers and kiteboarders.

Other popular activites in the La Ventana area include snorkeling, camping, swimming and fishing for marlin. There are campsites for both tents or motorhomes all along the shoreline; some offer showers, toilets and trash barrels while others are more primitive.

Kiteboarding at La Ventana, Mexico

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La Ventana Beach on the sea of cortez is one of the best locations in the world for both kiteboarding and windsurfing, It is located less than an hours drive to the south of La Paz, the capital of Baja Sur in Mexico. La Ventana is host to both kiteboarding expo’s and the La Ventana Classic, an international competitive event for both windsurfers and kiteboarders. Usually, these events take place in January or February when weather conditions are best for both sports.kiteboarding in the la ventana classic