Mexican Beach Bar Golf Trail
[Note: This page still under construction.]
Freddy’s Tequila and Ceviche Bar
Riviera Maya
The 10 Best Beach Bars on Mexico's Riviera Maya
By Emma Sloley, About.com Contributing Writer
We've scoured the sands of Mexico's preeminent coastal playground, the Riviera Maya, to find 10 of the best beach bars, from simple palapas to decadent dance-all-night clubs.
1. Blue Parrot, Playa del Carmen
Courtesy Blue ParrotPlaya del Carmen’s famous beach club has been going strong since 1984 and still packs them in every night. Head on down for the nightly fire show at 11pm, then stick around for international DJs, who mix tunes for each of the bar’s three areas: the beach dance floor (right on the sand beneath swaying palm trees), the Palapa Lounge (which plays progressive dance to a mostly European crowd) and the Sky Bar, which offers a more relaxed, ambient vibe. During the daytime, the scene is far more chilled, with low-key sounds and a drinks and snack menu to take you through the afternoon.
Perfect for: Scenesters wanting to dance the night away
Calle 12 Norte; +52 888-484-0161
2. Freddy’s Tequila and Ceviche Bar, Maroma Resort and Spa (see pic above)
Courtesy Orient Express HotelsThis blue-chip luxury resort located between Cancun and Tulum on Maroma Beach – a secluded stretch of powdery white sand mixed with fine pink coral – is home to a sophisticated beachside bar and restaurant that feels a world away from the wild scenes in Cancun and Playa del Carmen. With over 100 varieties of top-shelf tequila, Freddy’s is the place to really get an appreciation for Mexico’s iconic spirit. There are six types of ceviche available daily, prepared tableside, and the service is top-notch.
Perfect for: that date you really want to impress.
Open 10am to 10pm daily.
Carretera Cancún Tulum Km 51; +52 998-872-8200
3. Azul Lounge, Tulum
The sand-between-the-toes casual chic of this boutique hotel in the Tulum hotel zone is carried through to its oceanfront bar and lounge. During high season, the bar kicks off its “Bikini Beach Sunday party” series, which draws a fun-loving crowd for the live music, dancing and margaritas galore. An idyllic way to while away a lazy Sunday afternoon beachside.
Carretera Tulum - Boca Paila Km 8; +52 984-155-1916
4. Fusion, Playa del Carmen
Steph' De Wolf, Flickr Creative CommonsTouted as one of Playa’s most romantic beachfront venues, Fusion is a laid-back bar with palapas and tables right on the sand. The menu takes a global tour through Italy, the Middle East and the US – the burger gets good reviews – along with Mexican staples like fajitas and enchiladas. At dusk the mood is enhanced by hurricane lanterns glowing on every table.
Perfect for: couples who love people-watching.
Calle 6 on the beach; +52 984-873-0374
5. Beach House at ME Cancun
This swanky hotel by Spanish brand Melia has one of the most sophisticated beach bars in Cancun. The open-air dining pavilion has unbeatable views of the Caribbean Sea, which makes it an ideal perch either during the day – when the menu leans towards casual Mexican fare like quesadillas and tacos – or once the sun goes down, when it becomes a romantically lit hotspot serving dishes like mahi-mahi ceviche.
Perfect for: Those who like their bars sexy and look-at-me.
Boulevard Kukulkan, km. 12; +52 877-954-8363
6. Mamita's, Playa del Carmen
Sean and Lauren, Flickr Creative Commons. This beach club is notorious as the haunt of Playa’s beautiful people, who spend all day and night preening and playing on Playa Mamita, the stretch of white sand studded with chic white daybeds. The scene can be wild after sundown, with DJs, dancing and drinking margaritas ‘til dawn. Daytimes, meanwhile, are all about staking out a prime sun lounge position beneath a palm tree, ordering up some sushi and watching the passing parade.
Perfect for: the party crowd – or anyone wanting to show off their hard-earned gym body
Calle 28 North; +52 984-803-2867
7. Ana y Jose, Tulum
Courtesy of Ana y JoseThis friendly, family-run hotel has been luring guests back since 1985 thanks to its warm service and great location along the beachfront in Tulum. The open-air, palapa-style restaurant serves delicious Mexican dishes with an international spin, like the lobster tail flambeed with tequila and the tuna salad with poblano chiles. The breakfast menu features mouth-watering traditional dishes like Huevos Motulenos and Chilaquiles. Tables are right on the sand and have gorgeous views of the sea, making it a big hit with couples.
Perfect for: a romantic dinner for two gazing at the ocean.
Carretera Cancun-Tulum Km 7; +52 998-880-5629
8. La Buena Vida, Akumal
Courtesy of La Buena VidaThis small resort town situated between Playa del Carmen and Cancun is perfect for those wanting to kick back in a fun setting that’s less of a non-stop party scene than its more high-profile neighbors. Many visitors come to see the turtles for which the area is famous (Akumal means “place of the turtles” in Maya), and the eco-aware theme is carried through at many of the town’s hotels and restaurants, including the popular La Buena Vida, on Half Moon Bay. Sand floors, swings at the bar and Day of the Dead skeletons are all part of the whimsical vibe. There’s also an inventive cocktail list and happy hour every evening.
Perfect for: watching the sun set on Half Moon Bay as you sip a frosty cocktail.
+52 984-875-9060
9. Kukus Jacuzzi Beach Bar at Omni, Cancun
Courtesy of Omni ResortsEvery hotel worth its salt along the Cancun hotel zone has a beach or pool bar of some sort, but this five-star mega-resort goes one step further: its bar is right on the beach, and has multiple jacuzzi-style pools that come complete with tables and a swim-up bar section. The bar is open all day, closing at 6pm.
Perfect for: Guests looking for the ultimate decadent daytime pool adventure.
Blvd. Kukulkan; +52 998-881-0600
10. Palapa Bar, Na Balam Hotel, Isla Mujeres
Courtesy Na Balam HotelNa Balam, meaning “house of the jaguar” in Maya, is a chic, laid-back boutique hotel on lovely Isla Mujeres, a small island northeast of Cancun. The Palapa Bar, right on the beach with stunning ocean views, offers a wide range of tequila, freshly squeezed fruit juices and simple Mexican dishes. There’s also live music on the weekends.
Perfect for: watching the sun go down while listening to cool tunes.
118 Calle Zazil-Ha, Playa Norte, Isla Mujeres; +52 998-881-4770
A U.S. couple who has travelled Mexico and the Caribbean extensively and now lives in Playa del Carmen recommends:
1. Ray's. On Santispac beach, just south of the town of Mulege, Baja, Mexico.
As you drive the highway south through Baja's Sonora desert the road begins to turn ever so slightly east toward the coast. Suddenly the red and gold desert is framed by sapphire blue waters. The road hugs the shoreline as you pass through the tiny town of Mulege and on to the Bahia Conception (Bay of Conception). The Bahia is lined with so many miles of deserted white sand beaches it is called the Mexican Tahiti. The first beach you come upon is Santispac. There, down near the palapas on the beach, is Ray's Bar and Restaurant. It is a small, open air, palm thatched structure surrounded by a whitewashed stone wall about two feet high. Ray's has a dirt floor dining room, a small bar and a view of the Sea of Cortez, which is only steps away. Ray, an expatriated Cuban, serves fresh lime margaritas and offers a menu with seafood specials like butter clams collected an hour before from the bay and now sauteed in garlic and herbs. At dusk Ray fires up the generator to illuminate the twinkle lights and power the stereo which plays classical music until the gas runs out. When the generator dies, and the lights and music fade, the guests walk down to the waters edge to listen to the sea roll in.
2. The Office. On Medano beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
The Office is a perfect reflection of Cabo, a hub of activity just like the town that surrounds it. Jet skis and charter fishing boats go roaring from the beach into the surf; beauties sporting the latest in miniscule bikini fashions can be seen sunbathing and swimming; strolling mariachis and local women selling jewelry move from table to table offering one more song or sale. And at ground zero is the Office restaurant and bar, a sprawling collection of umbrellas, tables and loungers within sight of Cabo's famous Arch. After a night of endless spring break type festivities at places like the Cabo Wabo or Squid Roe, revelers can head down to the beach to recharge their batteries with a bite, a beverage and a snooze in the Mexican sun before heading back into town to do it all over again. Eventually everyone who visits Cabo will spend a day at the Office.
3. Nuddy Beach Bar, in front of the El Paraiso Cabana Hotel, Km 1-Tulum-Boca Paila Rd. Tulum, Mexico.
This is the quintessential Caribbean beach bar. The name is pronounced "nudie" and yes, that is what it means; like most beaches on the Tulum coast, topless (and occasionally less) is acceptable. About a mile south of the ancient Mayan Tulum temple, the beach is pure white and the texture of talcum powder. The sea is multiple colors of turquoise and blue, with a temperature like bath water. The easy slope of the sand into the sea combines with gentle waves to make this a great swimming beach. The beach bar is small with swings hanging from the palm thatch roof. You can also lie on large round overstuffed cushions big enough for three or four people set in the sand down near the water's edge. Waiters will bring drinks and food down to your cushion/bed or you can go up to the tables and chairs which surround the bar. The Nuddy has a spectacular ocean vista, white sand, palm trees blowing in Caribbean breezes and people sipping rum drinks in the sun. It really doesn't get better than this.
4. Bad Boys Beach Bar. On the beach between Calle 4 and Calle 6 in Playa del Carmen Mexico
Playa del Carmen may have more great beach bars per square foot of sand than any place else in the world, which may be why we live there! Mamitas, Tides, Coco Maya, the Blue Parrot, the Il Pirata, well, we could go on and on. Just stroll down the sand and you will find one beach bar after another offering food, drink and a front row seat on the Caribbean Sea. It is tough to pick just one favorite, but Bad Boys Beach Bar stands out as being a little different from the rest. For starters they don't have a sign at BBBB. They simply stick a flag pole in the sand and hoist the Jolly Roger. Back behind the requisite lounge chairs and umbrellas is the giant palapa of a bar. Pull yourself up onto an elevated stool and order a beer or a shot of tequila from one of the pretty girls working there. Yes the bar is a little seedier than most, a little more ragged around the edges. You begin to think it's almost enough of a dive to be a beach version of a Chicago blues bar. And sure enough around 4 or 5 in the afternoon, as the shadows on the beach lengthen and the parents round up the kiddies to head back to the condo for dinner, you suddenly hear an electric guitar squeal out a blues riff! Look around to the back of the bar and you will see a band on the small stage fronted by a dance floor. And then things start to cook. Every night local blues players jam and people dance the evening away. It's something special, even for paradise. Bikinis, beer and blues. How sweet it is.
Cabo San Lucas
HotOnCabo.com says Cabo's best beach bars are:
The Office
www.theofficeonthebeach.com
Cabo San Lucas: 624.143.3464
Great place to hang out for the day, sip margaritas and people watch until you eyes get tired. There are not many places on earth that provide so much for the eyes to see. Rich, drunk, fat, barely dressed, not dressed, young, old, vendors, yachts, jet ski, para sails, cruise ships�it's all there...for better or worse.
In the evenings, the Office offers a Mexican Fiesta with Hispanic and traditional folk dances, pi�atas, tequila shooters on the house, a waiters' show with audience participation, and dancing under the stars. The Office on the beach is always the place for breakfast, lunch or dinner Cabo-style.
Directions: Located on Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas. take a cab because parking is a nightmare.
Hours: Open daily. 7am-10pm
Cuisine: Classic Cabo. Informal elegance with feet firmly planted in the sand.
We recommend: The margaritas. (Be careful, they sneak up on you) and the breaded fish.
Nikki Beach (at the ME Cabo hotel)
www.nikkibeach.com/cabo
Cabo San Lucas - 624.145.7829
They said it best: "Signature white teepee's and plush lounge beds adorn the property, while some of the world�s most beautiful people languidly sip mojitos and soak up the sun. As the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Cortez glisten in the background, guests can socialize over lunch, sample the delicious sushi, and enjoy afternoon champagne and cocktails."
Directions: Located on Medano Beach inside the Melia Hotel, sometimes called the ME Hotel.
Feature: Claims to be the sexiest place on earth. We beg to differ.
We recommend: The mojitos and finding the sexy part.
Baja Cantina
www.bajacantina.com.mx
Cabo San Lucas (Beach grill at Medano): 624.143.9773
Cabo San Lucas (Dock-side at the Marina): 624.143.9772
Beach-side or dock-side dining is a must while you're in Cabo. This restaurant provides a fun happy hour with plenty of TV's for watching your favorite must-see sporting events. Baja Cantina offers an, "American Style" lunch menu and fresh catches just off the boat that day. Baja Cantina has the best of everything, including panoramic view of paradise.
Directions: There are two locations. One is on the Cabo San Lucas Marina Boardwalk and the other is on the Medano Beach in Cabo. Since this is the Best Beach Bars...go to the one on Medano Beach.
Hours: Open daily. 7am-1am
Cuisine: Local Baja flavors - "You catch it, we cook it."
Hours: Open Daily for Lunch and Dinner.
We recommend: Beer. And the blackened shrimp ceaser salad.
Zipper's
San Jose del Cabo
(624) 172-6162
Zipper's restaurant is the best grill in town, preferred by local gringos. Just steps from the sand, enjoy your meals barefoot and seaside with a panoramic view of the surfing off of Costa Azul beach. Make sure you visit Zipper's on a Friday night - the live music will not disappoint.
Directions: Located between Zippers beach (surf spot) and Las Olas on the beach in San Jose. Km 28.5
Cuisine: Casual surfer's fare
Hours: Open daily. 11am-10:30pm
Club Ninety Six at Villas del Mar
www.villasdelmar.com/beachclub.htm
San Jose del Cabo: 624.144.6013
This is without a doubt one of the coolest and BEST ocean front hangouts in the Baja. The only problem is that it is a private Club for owners and guests of the Villas Del Mar community ONLY.
The main restaurant, however, is the French Riviera and is open to the public for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Just give them a call to make a reservation or just stop by to enjoy great food in an incredible setting. Maybe you will get lucky and meet an owner that will invite you to the pool and beach areas. Very Cool.
UPDATE: CLUB 96 IS GOING COMPLETELY PRIVATE AGAIN, SO YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW A MEMBER TO GET IN NOW.
Directions: On the main entry drive to the Palmilla Hotel on the beach.
Hours: Open daily. 7am-11pm
Cuisine: French Riviera
Hours: Open Daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
We recommend: Going to the restaurant, meeting a member and hanging out at the Beach Club.
Cabo is also a massive spring break destination. HotOnCabo's Best Spring Break Clubs:
EL SQUID ROE
YOU CAN'T GO ON SPRING BREAK AND NOT STOP BY EL SQUID ROE. THIS PARTY PALACE IS PACKED WITH YOUNG COLLEGE STUDENTS LIVING IT UP!
Be ready, because anything goes at El Squid Roe.
We recommend: Take a nap before
Baja Junkie
www.bajajunkie.com
Calling from Cabo: 624-143-4740
Calling from US: 310-402-5564
Happy hour offered 3pm-7pm Monday-Friday with 50% off drinks and appetizers.
Enjoy great drinks, food and dancing.
Stop by for Fashionaire Thursdays. Ladies drink free 9pm to midnight.
CABO WABO CANTINA
www.cabowabo.com
VIP PACKAGES ARE AVAILABLE. CHECK OUT WWW.CABOSPRINGBREAK.COM FOR DETAILS.
Mango Deck
www.mangodeckcabo.com
Cabo San Lucas
Tel / Fax: 011-52-(624) 143-09-01
011-52-(624) 143-67-77
Hot Spring Breakers in tiny bikinis flood this wild beach bar during the day and stay well into the evening. The 2x1 drink specials are great and the crazy, sexy drinking & dancing contests are unbelievable! This is definitely one of the wildest beach parties you will ever experience.
Located on Medano Beach near Cabo Villas
No Where Bar
www.nowherebar.com
Cabo San Lucas
2x1 drink specials. Girls drink free from 8pm to 10pm. This is a great place to start or end your night of partying.
Located on the Marina next to Margarita
Where To Play, Cabo San Lucas: Per Golf Magazine...
Diamante (Dunes Course)
Cabo San Lucas, BCS, Mexico
7,300 yards, par 72
$200-$275
866-901-1456
www.DiamanteCaboSanLucas.com
It took dozens of starts and stops before Diamante finally opened in January. It was worth the effort. Designed by Davis Love III and Paul Cowley, Diamante looks like no other course in Cabo. It is built right into majestic, barely disturbed dunes, with some greens set into giant sandhills. The 600-yard, uphill 14th, with its alley-like fairway threaded through the dunes, echoes the 11th at Waterville — it's just about 30 degrees warmer than its Irish counterpart. There may be one too many blind shots for some tastes, and it's not cheap at $275 in high season, but the price includes cart, caddie, and all food and beverage during the round.
Puerto Los Cabos
San Jose del Cabo, BCS, Mexico
7,461 yards, par 73
$150-$195
877-795-8727
www.puertoloscabos.com
If you need more proof that Cabo is no longer a sleepy little village — besides the new Mercedes dealership and the Costco store — sample Puerto Los Cabos. This 2,000-acre community sprouted from the desert floor, spawning three neighborhoods and the world's only Greg Norman/Jack Nicklaus course, but this wasn't exactly a collaboration. Both architects had designed separate tracks, but until the economy recovers the developers have opened nine by each. The front nine is Norman's, the back is Jack's. Jack's is the sterner test, Greg's is more fun. Nicklaus built the region's first championship course, Palmilla, in 1992, and almost singlehandedly transformed Los Cabos into a golf destination, albeit an expensive one. He puts it diplomatically: "I love Cabo for how it was and I love it for how it is."
Cancun
Beach Bar
Cozumel
Coconuts, Cozumel (www.coconutscozumel.com)- Open air, beachfront, and a gator in a pen on premisis. See if you can talk your girlie into posing for their photo album.
Playa Bonita, Cozumel- Waterside, strolling live musicians, thatched roofs.
Or check out www.cozumelbarhop.com.
Nicarauga
Henry Iguana's Beach Bar & Restaurant- San Juan del Sur, Nicauragua (www.iguanabeachbar.com)