Originally published by Conde Nast Traveler.
From a 1950s Chevy pick-up truck turned tequila bar in Punta de Mita to a sunset bar in Holbox, these eight restaurants and watering holes by the ocean lend to the ultimate Mexican beach escape.
01. The Beach Shack at Banyan Tree Mayakoba, Riviera Maya
Typically, the plan when checking into one of the four high-end resorts at Mayakoba (Banyan Tree Mayakoba, Rosewood Mayakoba, Fairmont Mayakoba, and Andaz Mayakoba) is simply to unwind and never leave the resort grounds, since everything you’d ever want can be found on-site. For a sundowner then, you’ll want to head to the Banyan Tree Mayakoba’s beach bar palapa with some two-dozen brightly colored chairs planted in the sand, a chalkboard with daily drink specials, and some masterful frozen daiquiris.
02. El Farallón, Los Cabos
The Cabo good life doesn’t get better than this seafood-centric restaurant carved into a cliffside at The Resort at Pedregal. Dine al fresco under starry skies, choosing your dinner from the restaurant’s old-fashioned fish market, which is then prepared to order. Begin or end the evening on the adjacent Champagne Terrace, where champagne selections are served by the glass and paired with either mole or mineral salts.
03. ChevyCheria, Punta de Mita
Everything about the new W Punta de Mita screams modern cool, but we especially love the ingenious beachfront ceviche and cocktail bar, ChevyCheria, a 1950s Chevrolet 3800 pick-up truck annexed by a thatched-roof bar. Grab a stool and a skull-shaped menu, and choose from selections of hyper-fresh ceviche (try the “Ceviche Atún Nayarit”—tuna lightly dressed in soy sauce and tossed with avocado, grapefruit, red onion, and radish), craft beers, and tequila cocktails.
04. The Bar at Habitas, Tulum
It’s hard to choose a favorite among Tulum’s prolific seaside haunts, but our current obsession is the boutique beachfront bar at Habitas Tulum. Think of it as a low-key respite from the see-and-be-seen, boho-chic Tulum bar scene, where you can enjoy your Mexican rosé and Yucatan-inspired cocktails (like the mezcal-forward “Hibiscus & Chili”) without the fuss.
05. El Chiringuito Zomay, Holbox
A long and narrow isle of mangrove and beach off the northern tip of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, Holbox is a hideaway where there are no cars (transport is by golf cart), only around 2,000 residents, and a one-mile hotel zone that recalls Tulum circa 2010 (before New York City took it over). Of the many awesome toes-in-the-sand bars to try, don’t miss the small beach spot belonging to Hotel Zomay, where wooden swings and hammocks replace bar stools and the sunsets are epic.
06. TnT and Comal, Los Cabos
Chileno Bay Resort & Residences gives us the ultimate in high-end beach shacks at TnT, which stands for Tacos and Tequila. Tacos are made to order (fresh tortillas included), and celebrity mixologist Osvaldo Vasquez shakes, stirs, and serves Mexican-influenced, artisanal tiki-themed cocktails. If you can’t make it by day, enjoy the beauty of Chileno Bay by evening at the resort’s waterfront restaurant, COMAL, helmed by noted chef Yvan Mucharraz (who trained under Chef Thomas Keller at The French Laundry).
07. The Beach Club at Costa Palmas, Cabo del Este
Over on Baja California’s undeveloped East Cape, the new Costa Palmas resort community, where a 145-room Four Seasons resort will debut in early 2019, has already opened a multi-story beach club and sleek, understated beach bar on a two-mile private stretch along the Sea of Cortez. To maintain exclusivity, these are reserved for members of the Costa Palmas Beach & Yacht Club (and their friends) or prospective Costa Palmas homebuyers.
08. Mita Mary Boat Bar & Bistro, Punta Mita
The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort wanted to be a part of the food truck craze—but with a twist. So they ditched the truck for a wooden boat, stationed it on a prime patch of beach, put a small kitchen and bar inside, set up some tables and chairs, and, voila, created one of the best beach bars and restaurants in Mexico. Bonus: Mita Mary’s is open for dinner while the majority of our favorite beachfront spots are lunch or cocktails only.