White sand beaches and beautiful blue water are de rigueur in Mexico. But this hidden beach, specifically Playa del Amor (which translates to the Beach of Love), is far and away the best beach Mexico has to offer. Why? Because you can only access it by swimming through a tunnel that connects it to the ocean. Excuse us while we go find our flippers.
Located in the Marieta Islands near Puerto Vallarta, Playa del Amor is a popular tourist destination and an even more popular one on Pinterest. It was even named one of the 21 best beaches in the world by National Geographic.
#nationalgeographic publicó una lista de las playas más hermosas de mundo, #México encabeza la lista con #playadelamor ubicada en parque nacional de #islasmarietas #turismonacional #tourism #conocemexico #turismo #turisteando #photooftheday #paisajes #playa #tourism
A photo posted by Clarin Veracruzano (@clarinveracruzano) on
Jan 27, 2017 at 10:34am PST
The tunnel that connects the hidden beach to the Sea of Cortez is about six feet above sea level, so you can choose between kayaking or swimming through the naturally occurring channel. The Sea of Cortez is well known for its varied sea life, so keep an eye out for brightly colored corals, fish and other inhabitants—some visitors to the beach have even reported seeing whales.
Enamorarse de la playa secreta… #IslasMarietas #Mexico #PlayadelAmor #playa #escondida #belleza #única #paisaje #NaturalTravel #viaje #vacaciones #DestinosImpresionantes #Instamoments #TurismoCarey
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Jan 18, 2017 at 9:30am PST
Once you emerge from the tunnel, you’ll be greeted by an almost perfectly circular hole in the earth that lets the sunlight stream through onto the soft white sand, turning the water into a Crayola shade of turquoise. Though you’ll have to share the space with other tourists, it has been kept pristine thanks to the efforts of naturalists and conservationists.
When I was much younger I use to watch the Peter Stuyvesant ad of people partying in Mexico and I use to say I want to go there. Now I found another reason. Who is game to join? #playadelamor #Mexico #gottogobeforedie #willcampthere #toobeautiful
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Jan 19, 2017 at 8:16am PST
Famed scientist Jacques Cousteau was instrumental in working to protect the Marieta Islands from human destruction, and they became a protected national park in 2005. Today, you can only swim, kayak or sunbathe inside the park.
The Marieta Islands are about an hour-long boat ride from the mainland of Puerto Vallarta. There are a number of tour companies that provide one-day excursions to Playa del Amor.
La Playa del AMOR… México lo tiene todo…SobreTodo Volamos #MxFly #DroneDeAltura #DJI #djiphantom3professional #djiphantom #djiphantom4 #Sayulita #PuntaMita #Playadelamor #Amazing #Drones #IslasMarietas
A photo posted by MxFly (@mxfly_) on
Jan 18, 2017 at 11:17am PST
If you can’t make the trip, feel free to crank up your thermostat and peruse Instagram and Pinterest for soothing pictures of the beach’s crystal waters and white sand. It’ll almost feel like you’re there.
You can also check out this video one traveler made of her trip to Playa del Amor for a more immersive experience. We know we’re feeling more relaxed already.