Nude Beaches in Mexico: Where They Are and What Is Allowed
Photo: Sebastian Mantel sebamantel / Wikimedia Commons (cc0)
Mexico has one officially recognised nude beach, a handful of clothing-optional resorts on the Caribbean coast, and a warm, affordable coastline that draws remote workers all year. Public nudity is not broadly legal, so it concentrates in a few well-known places. Here is where they are, how to reach them and what the rules are.
The main nude beaches in Mexico
- Playa Zipolite (Oaxaca): the only public beach in Mexico with official nudist status, laid-back and long-established.
- Playa Sonrisa (Xcalak, Quintana Roo): a small, couples-only clothing-optional resort on the far south of the Caribbean coast, near the border with Belize.
- Hidden Beach Resort (Kantenah, Riviera Maya): an adults-only, clothing-optional all-inclusive between Playa del Carmen and Tulum.
- Desire Riviera Maya and Desire Pearl (Riviera Maya): couples-only resorts with an “au naturel” policy on their grounds.
Outside Zipolite, the clothing-optional options are private resorts. The open public beaches of Cancun, Tulum and Playa del Carmen are not nude beaches, and going bare there can get you fined.
Playa Zipolite, Oaxaca
Zipolite sits on the Pacific coast of Oaxaca, in the municipality of San Pedro Pochutla, between Mazunte and Puerto Ángel. Nudism has been part of life here for decades. In 2024 the Oaxaca state Congress declared the beach Biocultural Heritage and the state’s only nudist beach, as the Oaxaca Tourism Secretariat notes. Nudity is optional, not required, and plenty of people on the sand wear swimsuits.
The rule that matters most: nudity belongs on the beach. The town behind it is a working community, so dress to walk to a shop, a cafe or your hotel reception. Some hotels and beach restaurants let guests stay undressed on their premises, but each sets its own policy, and the state tourism office asks visitors to follow the rules of each business.
How to get to Zipolite
- By air: the nearest airport is Huatulco, with flights from Mexico City. Puerto Escondido, further west along the coast, is the other option.
- By road: from the airport, take a taxi or shuttle along coastal Highway 175 to Pochutla, then on to Zipolite.
- By bus: ADO, OCC and other lines run from Mexico City to Pochutla or Puerto Ángel, a trip of 12 to 14 hours. From there it is about 20 minutes to Zipolite by taxi or colectivo (shared van).
The Zipolite nudist festival
Every year, around the end of January, Zipolite hosts the Encuentro Nudista, a long weekend of yoga, workshops, body painting, beach volleyball, music and beach clean-ups. The 2026 edition, the eleventh, ran from 29 January to 1 February and was listed by Visit Mexico. Book early if you want to go: for the 2024 edition the state government expected more than 5,700 people and described Zipolite as the only official nudist beach in the country.
Swim with care
Zipolite faces the open Pacific, and the surf and currents can be strong. Check conditions with your hotel or local lifeguards, respect any warning flags, and do not swim alone or after drinking.
Clothing-optional resorts on the Caribbean coast
If you want the Caribbean rather than the Pacific, your options are resorts, and nudity stays on their property.
Playa Sonrisa, Xcalak
Playa Sonrisa is a family-run, couples-only resort that has served the naturist community since 2001. It sits in Xcalak, inside the Xcalak Reefs National Marine Park, near the southern tip of Quintana Roo. It is off-grid: solar power, no mobile signal, wifi on site. The draw is the reef, with snorkelling, diving and kayaking. The nearest big airport is Chetumal, and the drive from Cancun is long, so plan it as a destination in itself.
Hidden Beach Resort, Kantenah
Hidden Beach Resort Au Naturel is run by Karisma Hotels on Kantenah Bay, on the Riviera Maya between Playa del Carmen and Tulum. It is adults-only and all-inclusive. The house rules follow standard naturist etiquette: carry a towel and sit on it, no photos or video of other guests (phones included), no staring, and no sexual behaviour in public areas. Cancun International Airport is the closest major airport.
Desire Resorts, Riviera Maya
Desire Riviera Maya and Desire Pearl are couples-only resorts with an au naturel concept and an adults-only party atmosphere. They suit couples looking for a lifestyle resort more than a quiet naturist beach, so read their policies before you book.
Is nudity legal on Mexican beaches?
Only where it is specifically accepted, like Zipolite and private clothing-optional resorts. Mexico has no national rule that sets out nude beaches. Public nudity is handled mostly by municipal police codes. In Cancun, for example, the Bando de Gobierno y Policía of Benito Juárez municipality lists “any act of nudism or erotic-sexual exhibitionism” among the things people must abstain from. Breaches of the code are administrative offences, sanctioned with a fine or detention of up to 36 hours.
In practice that means three rules. Stay naked only on the recognised beach or inside the resort. Cover up the moment you step off it. Never photograph other people without clear permission.
Etiquette on a Mexican nude beach
- Bring a towel to sit on, on sun loungers and in restaurants.
- Keep cameras and phones pointed at the sea, not at people.
- Do not stare, and do not approach people who are clearly there to be left alone.
- Sexual behaviour in public is not tolerated, at Zipolite or at the resorts.
- Use strong sunscreen on skin that rarely sees the sun.
Basing yourself in Mexico
Mexico is a top nomad base for US and Canadian remote workers thanks to the time zone and cost. See the Mexico profile and cheapest cities to live in Mexico.
FAQ
What is the only official nude beach in Mexico?
Playa Zipolite in Oaxaca. The Oaxaca state Congress declared it the state’s only nudist beach and Biocultural Heritage in 2024.
Are there nude beaches in Cancun or Tulum?
Not on the public beaches. Cancun’s municipal police code bars public nudism. The nearest clothing-optional options are private resorts on the Riviera Maya, such as Hidden Beach at Kantenah.
Is nudity mandatory at Zipolite?
No. It is optional, and many visitors keep their swimsuits on.