Job Discussion Forums

[arthur mcbradley]

just wondering, how far are any nice beaches from mexico city and what's the best way to get there, ie bus, train, hire a car? thanx for any info...

p.s. if they're nude beaches that's a plus

[thelmadatter]

Closest good beaches to Da Big Ciudad are Tecolutla (northern Veracruz State) on the Gulf and Zihuatanejo (Guerrero State) on the Pacific Coast. I prefer the Pacific coast myself and know more about Zihua, tho Ive been to both places.

Both are nice beaches. Zihua is more visited and better-known but has foreign visitors only in the winter. Summer is really hot and humid but you pretty much have just about everything to yourself and its cheaper. North of that is Troncones... a nearly undeveloped beach which saw some shark attacks recently (if that bothers you).

Tecolutla is almost completely unknown, similar to Florida Gulf beaches (calm waters, hot and humid)... very laid back and visited almost exclusively by Mexicans... esp. chilangos looking for a quick weekend getaway. I heard there is an RV park north of the area where many Canadians spend winters but I never saw it personally. Has a neat aquarium and museum that has the remains of some weird creature that supposedly never been identified.

Both are easy to get to by Mexico's very good intercity buses. Tecolutla is about 6-7 hours and Zihua is about 8-9. Neither is a nude beach to my knowledge. The only nude beaches I have heard of are in Oaxaca (Zipolite and Mermejita). Oaxaca has some really gorgeous beaches ... Puerto Escondido is about 12-13 hours by bus. If you can sleep on buses, then its a snap to get there.

They are building/have just built(?) a highway from the city of Oaxaca to the coast which should make getting to Oaxaca's beaches much easier. Before there were only narrow winding roads with basicially meant that on one trip you were either going to visit the city (totally worth it) OR the coast but not both.

Oops I forgot Acapulco... basically because Id rather forget it. Went once, will never go back. Easier and quicker to get to then Zihua but unless you really want wild nightlife, forget it. (at the ripe old age of 44, I can live without it! ) Its dirty, overcrowded and the infrastructure in many places (aside from the hugely overpriced foreign hotel area) is in really bad shape.

[dixie]

[Guy Courchesne]

As long as you're outside the bay, it's not bad. Barra de Coyuca or Barra Vieja are beautiful Pacific beaches away from Acapulco and easy to get to.