Playa Norte
Playa Norte
4.5
About
Just a short ferry ride from Cancun, this stunning stretch is known for its crystal clear turquoise waters and lush palm trees. Lounge on the soft white sand, take a dip in the warm Caribbean Sea, and have fun with beach activities like jet-skiing and parasailing. Book a snorkeling tour to see an array of marine life at the nearby coral reef or a whale shark tour during the summer months. Playa Norte is also home to beach clubs and bars, and restaurants serving traditional Mexican cuisine and seafood. If you can't get enough, consider staying at one of the no-frills beach hotels. – Tripadvisor
Duration: More than 3 hours
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  • lfthorn
    Seattle, Washington209 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful beach!
    Playa Norte is beautiful. The water was warm, but cool enough to cool you off. We rented beach chairs and an umbrella for 450 pesos for the day. Most beach clubs are similar and then require that you buy food and or drinks. The water was so shallow, and such a beautiful blue color. It was a little crowded, but we didn't have trouble finding chairs. And it was fairly quiet. We enjoyed our day.
    Visited March 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 24 March 2023
  • Randall B
    Goodyear, Arizona108 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Perfect sand. Great service.
    We rented a golf cart. Drove to the end of a public street that stopped at North Beach. A very kind man named Kenji set is up with two lounge chairs and an umbrella for $20 and was our server for the day. He was kind and prompt and attentive. The beach is amazing. The view is unrivaled. The water is crystal clear. Perfect day.
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 24 April 2023
  • Amy P
    Springville, Alabama332 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fabulous!
    Amazing beautiful white sand beach with calmer shallow water. Many boats pull up so it does get a bit crowded. The beach is accommodated by many restaurants offering lounger and umbrella rentals as well as bar and restaurant service, beachside. Great way to have your own excursion! Take a taxi there and rent a chair and umbrella. Or go the local way and bring your towel or blanket, sit in the shade of a palm tree and drink beer from your cooler. Muy bueno!
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 30 October 2023
  • Calmjohn
    Leavenworth, Kansas6,195 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Not Enough Time
    It was a beautiful day and a fantastic beach. The crystal clear water was fascinating to my wife. She usually only goes ankle deep in the water, but went out much farther. The beach was crowded, but not so much that we could not enjoy. It was our fault that we only had a short day. We plan to return and spend much more time.
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 29 November 2023
  • Stacey Q
    Calgary, Canada75 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Constant threat of being ripped off and constantly harassed by street vendors. Would not recommend.
    Beautiful beaches but not a fan of this place. Constantly getting harassed by street vendors constantly. They don’t take no for an answer and they’re all trying to rip you off. Cabs are different prices from day-to-day. You have to be on high alert here or you’ll get ripped off. I’ll never come back here.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 22 January 2024
  • Wendy K
    Baldwin, Wisconsin388 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Every shade of blue!
    Our first time to Isla and Playa Norte did not disappoint. We arrived on February 16 and were here for a week. The water is a bit cooler than I would have liked, but it felt refreshing after a long day in the sun. This beach provides every shade of blue you can imagine, it’s beautiful. There are several beach clubs along the beach. We used, Guru, Green Demon and Mayan Beach Club. I would use any of them again and they are all priced about the same. We enjoyed food and drinks at all three clubs and everything that we tried ordered was very good. What impressed me the most was how good the service was at each beach club. The waiters were incredibly attentive and friendly. I can’t wait to visit again!
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 20 February 2024
  • Justin Michael
    Cancun, Mexico6 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Staycation experience
    Best beach ever, the island is nothing but love. It’s Mexico but there’s so many people from all over the world it’s really a melting pot of cultures. So many people come here on vacation and get stuck and can’t leave. I’m one of those people. @Partymonster.isla hmu for any information or things to do here on the island. 6 years I’ve been here now.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 23 February 2024
  • Juliana T
    London, Canada9 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth the visit
    There are two main beaches on the Island. They are in the Centro area. Public beaches are free to use /walk or put a chair down. Most place have lounges that you can rent for the day for approximately 600 pesos a day which will have a combination of chair , umbrella and food/ beverage purchase included. The beaches themselves are soft and sandy the water glorious.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 25 February 2024
  • Jack
    Old Bethpage, New York846 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Crystal clear, turquoise waters. White sand with many palm trees.
    Playa Norte is stunning. Palm trees line the coast with perfect white sand and crystal clear, warm turquoise waters. I highly recommend stopping at the beach here if you are in Isla Mujeres because it will be one of the best beaches you have ever been too.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 9 March 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles8,258 reviews
Excellent
6,135
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1,500
Average
443
Poor
113
Terrible
67

Jack
Old Bethpage, NY846 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Family
Playa Norte is stunning. Palm trees line the coast with perfect white sand and crystal clear, warm turquoise waters. I highly recommend stopping at the beach here if you are in Isla Mujeres because it will be one of the best beaches you have ever been too.
Written 9 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Juliana T
London, Canada9 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Friends
There are two main beaches on the Island. They are in the Centro area. Public beaches are free to use /walk or put a chair down. Most place have lounges that you can rent for the day for approximately 600 pesos a day which will have a combination of chair , umbrella and food/ beverage purchase included. The beaches themselves are soft and sandy the water glorious.
Written 25 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Justin Michael
Cancun, Mexico6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Couples
Best beach ever, the island is nothing but love. It’s Mexico but there’s so many people from all over the world it’s really a melting pot of cultures. So many people come here on vacation and get stuck and can’t leave. I’m one of those people. @Partymonster.isla hmu for any information or things to do here on the island. 6 years I’ve been here now.
Written 24 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Wendy K
Baldwin, WI388 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
Our first time to Isla and Playa Norte did not disappoint. We arrived on February 16 and were here for a week. The water is a bit cooler than I would have liked, but it felt refreshing after a long day in the sun. This beach provides every shade of blue you can imagine, it’s beautiful. There are several beach clubs along the beach. We used, Guru, Green Demon and Mayan Beach Club. I would use any of them again and they are all priced about the same. We enjoyed food and drinks at all three clubs and everything that we tried ordered was very good. What impressed me the most was how good the service was at each beach club. The waiters were incredibly attentive and friendly. I can’t wait to visit again!
Written 20 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Richard B
Edinburgh, UK4,011 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
Certainly nice enough. Just a little bit busy for me. The island is small and Playa Norte is about a 10 minutes away from the port. So, it does get busy.

Certainly worth a look if you fancy a couple of hours sunbathing
Written 9 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Stacey Q
Calgary, Canada75 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Friends
Beautiful beaches but not a fan of this place. Constantly getting harassed by street vendors constantly. They don’t take no for an answer and they’re all trying to rip you off. Cabs are different prices from day-to-day. You have to be on high alert here or you’ll get ripped off.

I’ll never come back here.
Written 22 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sridhar
Eden Prairie, MN392 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Family
Great beach but it gets filled up in no time. The best time would be in the morning before all the tour boats and the ferries arrive. Water is clear, no sea weeds and just an awesome beach for all ages!
Written 14 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jmazur05
5 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Family
Just another annoying Mexican tourist trap. Scammers are abundant. Prices are a joke. Food is substandard.
Written 3 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Calmjohn
Leavenworth, KS6,195 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • Couples
It was a beautiful day and a fantastic beach. The crystal clear water was fascinating to my wife. She usually only goes ankle deep in the water, but went out much farther. The beach was crowded, but not so much that we could not enjoy. It was our fault that we only had a short day. We plan to return and spend much more time.
Written 29 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AlyBeau
Columbia, MO82 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Friends
The beach is absolutely gorgeous. It was so crowded with people and boats and loud music.

Renting beach chairs was expensive.

It’s great for those who love touristy spaces but if you are looking for some peace by the sea or snorkeling, then this is not the place for you.

I’m glad I walked along the beach to have experienced it though.
Written 9 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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PLAYA NORTE: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Playa Norte