Beautiful weather, relatively inexpensive, and a short skip hop (and flight), well Mexico checks all the boxes for a family traveling anywhere in North America. This makes it the perfect family getaway, but with so many options and areas to visit, it might feel a little overwhelming trying to book a trip. That is where I am here to help. We have been lucky enough to visit several regions of Mexico and I wanted to break down my favourite spots, must dos in each, and which ones just aren’t worth it.
Cancun
White sand beaches and endless options of all inclusive resorts, this destination screams family friendly
rating: 6/10
What I love about Cancun is it is basically the tale of two stories. On one side you have Zona Hotelera. Rows and rows of the world’s top all inclusive hotels nestled on gorgeous Caribbean white sand beaches. The other side of the story is the history, giving you a chance to step into the Maya culture and local flavor. We went to visit the beautiful and ancient Maya Ruins, Chichen Itza. Seeing and learning about the ruins was amazing, but even better was visiting the private beach right next door. You also have to love the beauty. Any trip to Cancun isn’t complete without visiting one of the gorgeous cenotes. Many of the cenotes are an easy day trip from Cancun, but if you are looking for a more unique experience, make your way out to Hacienda Oxman Cenote. Here you will find a freshwater cave draped in hanging vines. There are also lots of other adventures to try like ATV tours and Ziplining (for the older kiddos). One must do with the kids is a day at Xcaret. The waterpark is amazing, there are live performances, and can go snorkeling.
Despite all the positives that Cancun offers, for me personally there were also some downsides. I am not the biggest fan of all inclusive travel. While it definitely makes travel with the kids a lot easier, I prefer to explore more of the local culture and cuisine in a regions town. With Cancun it feels you are stuck staying at an all inclusive – which means eating there and barely leaving the property. On top of that, the few times we have visited there has been a really bad seaweed issue, which took away from the beautiful white sand beaches – so I would definitely check ahead of time when the seaweed issues is at its worst.
Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas is known as the Land’s End. Once a modest fishing village it has been transformed into a world-class destination, but is so much more than tourist clichés. Offering both an incredible nightlife but also amazing culture.
Rating: 9/10
There is so much to love about Cabo San Lucas, and that is why we keep coming back here – well more to Cabos San Jose (about an hour drive from Los Cabos). This was one of the first trips my husband and I took when we first started dating, and now we have also gone back with the family. There are so many incredible adventures for the family, amazing food, and a unique breathtaking landscape that offers beautiful beaches but also stunning mountains.
When visiting Cabo you absolutely must take a family trip to Flora Farms – the kids can feed turtles and giant fish and they have a delicious farm to table restaurant on site. We also loved visiting the Thursday night Art Walk in downtown Cabos San Lucas. They shut down the streets from cars and artists bring out their incredible work – there are also live performances on the main stage. Visiting the famous Arch is also a great family activity. Depending on the kids ages I would either take a glass bottom boat or paddle boards. And when the kids are much older ATV tours through the desert and along the beach are so much fun.
While Cabo is my favourite places to visit in Mexico, the one drawback is there isn’t a lot of beaches that are suitable for swimming. There is a very strong rip current in the area. So I would highly suggest booking a place with a swimming pool for the kiddos.
La Paz
Here you can discover pristine landscapes as the desert merges with the ocean creating some of the most stunning views in the world.
Rating 8/10
La Paz is the perfect destination for the adventure family (I like to think we fall into this category). The Sea of Cortez offers endless activities. Here you will find much calmer waters and diverse marine life – in fact here I had one of the best moments of my life, swimming with whale sharks (a great activity for the older adventure kids). For families with kids under 12, Balandra Paddleboard Tours offers the perfect adventure. They take you out on calmer waters and there is some very beginner friendly snorkeling in the area. Playa Balandra is also world famous thanks to its clear turquoise water, and copper coloured cliffs. Another great family friendly activity is a beach day at Tecolote Beach – it is the perfect spot for families to unwind thanks to the calm waters and beautiful views of Espiritu Santo Island.
While La Paz does have some incredible family friendly activities, I just feel it doesn’t have as much diversity as some of the other spots in Mexico. I would recommend it for a couple of days as an add on to visiting Cabo.
Puerto Vallarta
Here you will be surrounded by both the beautiful white sand beaches as well as the Sierra Madre mountains – creating a stunning landscape. Puerto Vallarta combines traditional culture with all inclusive opportunities.
Rating: 5/10
Like Cancun, Puerto Vallarta also gives of the more touristy vibe with a ton of all inclusive resorts available at your finger tip. Here you will find about 50 miles of beautiful coastline, called Bay of Banderas, so you can understnad why they would build hotel after hotel. The one thing I will give Peurto Vallarta credit for is their food. Here you will find some of the best tacos every, including Michelin star restaurants. But again with rows and rows of all inclusive hotels, it didn’t quite feel like a relaxing vacation spot.
Sayulita
A surfers dream with delicious local food – here you will be able to escape the crowds and find a little bit more of a live, laugh, and love laid back vibe.
Rating 7.5/10
We came here because Connor and I took one surf lesson and now are professionals ( well at least in our minds we are). So every year we try and plan a surf trip, and a few years ago we made our way past Puerto Vallarta to the surf town known as Sayulita. We stayed at a little villa right on the beach with a pool for the kiddos to splash around in. I will say, the main beach here is not as pretty as other parts of Mexico, and loses more points with the fact that the sewage is dumped out into the ocean – but it does have a consistent wave, a perfect spot for beginner to intermediate surfers. I loved that you could rent golf carts to get around town. I loved that it felt more local and the food was amazing (but 2 of our travellers got really sick – including my 11 month old son at the time – and I have heard this from a few people that have travelled to Sayulita so I would just be extra dilligent with the food you eat.
Despite the main beach not being the most breathtaking, you don’t have to go far to find the white sand and turquoise water Mexico is known and loved for. I ended up taking a yoga class that I found on airbnb experiences that takes you to a hidden beach for a private yoga class and it was magical.
If you aren’t a sufer but you are looking to get your heart rate up, there are some incredible mountains in the area. We ended up doing a sunset hike up Monkey Mountain, and in the are there are also mountain bike trails.
Tulum
If you are looking for the perfect blend of ancient history, breathtaking natural beauty, and a bit of a more vibrant modern vibe, oh and who can forget the yoga retreats – well then Tulum is the spot for you
rating 7/10
There is a lot to love about Tulum. For starters I think it has the most beautiful beaches in Mexic0 – the famous white sand beaches that you see in every google search and on top of that it is surrounded by lush green jungles. It also has some of the most beautiful cenotes hidden in the forest. As for the food there is a good mixture of classic Mexican cuisine but also more “western” options like bowels and smoothies (it seems to really focus on healthy lifestyle). I also love that you are very close to some of the most famous ruins in the region. I also really enjoyed that instead of overwhelming all inclusive resorts taking over the beach, here you will find more boutique hotels. A few reasons Tulum lost some points? Well for starters it is pricey compared to other parts of Playa Del Carmen. It also has a bit more of a party vibe, which was fun in my twenties, but now most of my followers are millenial moms who are looking to escape the kids and get a good night sleep. I have also since learned the infastructure is having a tough time keeping up with growing demand.
I love that Mexico is a relatively easy travel destination for us and every time we have gone we have really enjoyed our time visiting. I hope this helps make planning your next visit a little easier.
xo
Mia
