Are the Beaches Public in the Riviera Maya and Playa Del Carmen? 

When you think of Mexico’s Riviera Maya and Playa Del Carmen, images of white sand beaches and turquoise waters probably come to mind. If you’re planning a trip, you might wonder: Are the beaches actually public in Mexico? Can you walk freely even if you’re not staying at a resort?

The short answer: YES — all beaches in Mexico are public by law! But there are a few important details to know.

What the Law Says

Under Mexican law, all beaches are considered public federal property. The key piece of legislation is:

Constitución Política de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos (Political Constitution of the United Mexican States)
Article 27, and more specifically regulated by the:

• Ley General de Bienes Nacionales (General Law of National Assets)

According to Article 8 of the Ley General de Bienes Nacionales,

“The federal maritime-terrestrial zone, beaches, and bodies of water are public property and cannot be privately owned.”

In simple terms:

• Beaches are public from the high tide line down to the ocean.
• No individual, hotel, or business can claim ownership of the sand or sea.

You have the right to access and enjoy all beaches.

What About Private Resorts?

Here’s where it gets a little tricky:

• While the beach itself is public, the access points to get to the beach can be private.
• Many luxury resorts and beach clubs are built right up to the edge of the sand.
• If you are not a guest, you may not be able to cross through their property to reach the beach.

Important:
Resorts cannot kick you off the beach once you are on the sand below the high tide line — but they can restrict you from using their loungers, umbrellas, pools, and private amenities. For example, if you access the beach from a public access point and walk down the beach in front of a resort, you have full rights to be on the beach up to the high tide line. 

 How Can You Access the Beaches?

There are several public beach access points in Playa Del Carmen and along the Riviera Maya. Some popular public beaches include:

• Playa Mamitas (Playa Del Carmen) – lively, popular, and easy to access from 28th Street or points north and south of this beach. 
• Playacar Beach (Playa Del Carmen) – technically public but mainly accessed by guests, although you can walk there from the Cozumel Ferry Pier. Right before you enter the pier, go right though a building (it is where the old Senor Frogs used to be). This is the only official public beach access unless you are staying in Playacar Phase 1 or 2. The beach is about 2.37 miles (3.82km). The better part of the beach is in front of Phase 2 of Playacar where there are only all-inclusive hotels. This is one of the best beaches in Playa Del Carmen because of the shape of the coastline and the fact that hotels regularly clean the beaches of seaweed and trash that floats in. 
• Xpu-Há Beach (South of Playa) – gorgeous and less crowded, small access fee for parking. There is no free access, but you can get a discount at some of the beach clubs based on your entrance or just pay for the access and use the beach for free. 
• Punta Esmeralda (North end of Playa) – a beautiful family beach with a freshwater cenote. The water from the cenote flows into the ocean and creates a cool place for kids to play. The entrance to this beach is a narrow road that has parking at the end. It is approximately where 112 Street is, just to give you an idea how far up it is from the downtown. One weekend and public holidays this beach can get busy, and parking can become limited.

If you’re ever unsure, look for public beach access signs (“Acceso Público a la Playa”). These are usually blue signs, and you will see this around Playa Del Carmen. 

Tip: Always bring some cash, because some areas charge small parking fees or have local vendors renting umbrellas and chairs.

What if Someone Tries to Remove You From the Beach?

Unfortunately, not every business or security guard respects the law. Occasionally there are disputes between beach clubs or hotels and tourists. Sometimes there is a grey area, meaning there has been erosion and the beach is smaller or there is an irregularity in the naturally occurring high tide line. If someone asks you to move, you can always move closer to the water and keep the peace. If it seems unreasonable or they are clearly trying to keep people off the beach in front of the business, then you can do the following. 

If someone tries to tell you that you can’t be on the beach, remember:

• You have the legal right to be there (on the sand from the high tide line to the water). The high tide line is the point where the crest of this tidal wave (the highest part) reaches the shoreline. 
   
• Politely but firmly explain you know your rights under Mexican federal law.
• If things escalate, you can contact PROFEPA (Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection), who handles complaints about public beach access violations.

What Are Some Beaches Where People Have Problems?

Here are some of the places where issues arise with public use of the beaches. 

Natural Barriers to the Beaches

If you think you walk the entire length of the Riviera Maya on the beach, you would be wrong. There are many natural barriers where it is not possible to continue walking. In some areas there are rocky outcrops and deep water that make it impossible to pass. There are also ports with ship traffic like Calica and Puerto Aventuras. 

Even in Playa Del Carmen you cannot walk past Playacar and go all the way to Xcaret because the beach ends and it is too rocky to pass. 

Tulum Beaches

Tulum is laid out differently than Cancun and Playa Del Carmen. The downtown of Tulum is about 3km from the beach and access to the beach is by bike, scooter or taxi. The Hotel Zone is the part of Tulum that is a majority of the beach front. This is also where you will find more of the boutique hotels. In the Hotel Zone there are only a few public access points, however parking for cars is very limited and is paid parking. Alternatively, you can visit one of the beach clubs in the Hotel Zone, however these tend to be pricy and have a minimum consumption that is out of the reach of locals. 

The north end of the Tulum beaches by the ruins has always been where the main public beach access is. However, now with this area being incorporated into the Jaguar Park, people need to pay the park entrance to get to the beach. Prices for the entrance are free for Tulum residents with ID. Then there is a price for residents of Quintana  Roo, Mexican nationals and another price for international visitors. 

To the south of Tulum is the Sian Kaan Reserve. There are many natural beaches with no development. This area is also covered by a small fee which is paid and the entrance arch at the end of the Hotel Zone. 

Overall, because of the popularity of the beaches in Tulum and limited space, public access is one of the larger issues that Tulum faces. 

Riviera Maya Coastline

If you look at a map of the Riviera Maya, there are a lot of all-inclusive hotels on the coast and very few communities. There are large stretches of beach where there are no public access points. There is no official way of saying exactly how much of the beach has access, but outside of communities, about 80% of the beaches have no public access except for guests of the large all-inclusive hotels. 

Playacar Phase 1 & 2

Public access to the beaches in front of Playacar is only from the Cozumel Ferry Pier. People staying in Phase 1 have good access to the beach, but this is only for residents and guests. Phase 2 is even more limited because all-inclusive hotels line the front of the beach. People staying in other parts of Phase 2 need to ask what access they have. Sometimes it is only at one beach club.

There is one trail to the beach for free public access from Playacar Phase 2, but the street where the trail is, is closed for parking, meaning it can be a long walk from the backside of Playacar Phase 2 to the beach. 

Some all-inclusive hotels have several resorts and some of the resorts on not beachfront. So, these resorts have a walkway to the beach which looks public, but wristbands must be shown to access the walkways. 

Playa Del Carmen Centro Beaches

Most of the beachfront in Playa Del Carmen has great access to the beach. Almost all streets end at the beach with access. However, there are two things that make it harder to get to the public beaches. One is paid parking. Almost all of the center of Playa is metered during the day. So, if you are driving to the center or just to be closer to the beaches, you will need to pay for parking.

The other area where people have issues are the beach clubs. Beach clubs want to protect their rights to the areas they pay for concessions. Sometimes the beach changes with erosion and there can be friction between public beach goers and beach club security as to where the line is. Also, in the mornings, many people like to go to the beach to watch sunrise. Some hotels keep beach beds out all the time or put out chairs in the early morning. These are not for public use even if no one is using them yet. 

Punta Esmerelda

This public beach on the north of Playa Del Carmen is popular with locals because it is sort of remote and has a nice cenote that feeds into the ocean. There is even parking and recent improvements for bathrooms and a more sustainable beach. However, this beach is just north of the Paradisus Hotels. These are higher end all-inclusive resorts. Since the surround area of Playa is a lower-class neighborhood, security often is keeping a very keen eye on people crossing in front of or using the beach. 

Playa Xcalacoco

This has always been a popular beach for locals that have a car and want to get out of the center of Playa Del Carmen for a nice beach day. There are some large all-inclusive hotels in this area and there has been friction between access to the beach for locals and non-hotel guests. Since there is one small road that goes down to the beach, people arriving by car need to park somewhere. Recent “improvements” to the area restrict parking, in effect limit the amount of access to the beach since walking to the beach is too far from the highway. 

Final Thoughts

The beaches of Playa Del Carmen and the Riviera Maya belong to everyone — locals and visitors alike. Whether you’re staying at a five-star resort or just passing through, the ocean, sand, and sunrises are yours to enjoy.

By knowing your rights and choosing the right access points, you can explore all the natural beauty Mexico’s Caribbean coast has to offer — freely and confidently.

Sources:

• Constitución Política de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos, Artículo 27
• Ley General de Bienes Nacionales, Artículo 8

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Mr.Yucatan

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