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Home » Destinations » Mexico » Cancun Riviera-Maya » Xpu-Ha Beach: A Perfect Day Trip on Riviera Maya

Xpu-Ha Beach: A Perfect Day Trip on Riviera Maya

Posted November 16, 2018, Updated June 15, 2021 //  by Michele Peterson 22 Comments

We may earn income from links in this post. Please read this Disclosure for details.

Pelican flying over turquoise water with text overlay of XPU-HA Beach

Looking for an easy day trip from Playa del Carmen or Cancun? Xpu Ha Beach, a long stretch of white sand south of Playa del Carmen and north of Tulum, is one of the best beaches on Mexico’s Riviera Maya coast for swimming, snorkelling or just chilling out.

With its perfect combination of clear waters, limited undertow and soft white sand, it’s hard to believe it’s still under the radar of most visitors. 

Beautiful white sand beach at Playa XPU-Ha located south of Playa del Carmen.
Beautiful white sand beach at XPU-Ha

Maybe it’s because its name doesn’t exactly roll off your tongue (pronounce it as shpoo-ha and you’ll be pretty close) but during our month-long stay in Playa del Carmen a few months ago, it was one of my favourite beaches.

Xpu-ha beach is the kind of place you should visit now before the crowds arrive. It’s one of the best beaches in the Yucatan. 

Here’s what you need to know about this perfect patch of beach paradise:

Location of Xpu Ha Beach – Playa Xpu Ha

Playa Xpu ha is located around 25 kilometers south of Playa del Carmen off Highway 307 on the way to Tulum, in between Puerto Aventuras and Akumal. It makes a perfect stop if you’re visiting the cenotes of Tulum.

Although this stretch of coastline is sometimes affected by sargasso seaweed, a problem that has been plaguing beaches in Mexico and the Caribbean since 2015, quite often the waters are completely clear and beautiful for swimming.

If you’re planning a beach vacation and have been wondering about the current seaweed conditions in Xpu-Ha and nearby luxury all-inclusive resorts Barceló Maya Palace or Catalonia Royal Tulum, it’s important to note that seaweed conditions can change daily depending on tidal currents, wind and water temperature.

Scroll down to get resources on the latest forecasts on seaweed in Xpu-Ha, Akumal, Tulum and Cancun. 

How to Get to Xpu Ha Beach Riviera Maya

The good news is that it’s relatively easy to get to Playa Xpu-Ha, even if you don’t have your own car.

You can take a taxi (we were quoted 350 MXN pesos for a one-way fare) or you can hop on one of the minivans known as colectivos.

Unlike Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca where a colectivo is most often a pick-up truck with a buzzer in back, here on the swanky Riviera Maya, they are air-conditioned, relatively new mini-vans, complete with seat belts.

Not only are they comfortable but they are cheap. Our ride (one-way) cost just 70 pesos (under $4 USD) for 2 people. (Prices subject to change so ask before you get in the van). 

Colectivo from Playa del Carmen - Tulum.
Hop a colectivo to travel from Playa del Carmen to Tulum and points between

You can catch a colectivo in Playa del Carmen at the corner of 20 Avenida and 2 Calle Norte, a 5 minute walk from Walmart. The vans headed to Tulum will be pointing north on the street. You just climb into one with an open door, grab a seat and tell the driver where you are going.

How to pronounce Xpu-ha? The pronunciation of Xpu-ha  is pronounced shpoo-ha (shouting “poo-pa” from the back of a crowded van is likely one of the most embarrassing things you could ever do ).

Once the mini-van is full, it will depart, making stops along Federal Highway 307 to let other passengers out. You pay your fare when you get out. After a 20 minute ride, you’ll arrive at your highway stop (km 265).

Then, cross the highway, pay 50 pesos at the kiosk, get a wristband and walk down the dirt road with the sign for La Playa restaurant, home of the Xpu-Ha Beach Club.

Save your food bill so you can get a refund of your 50 pesos on your way out (assuming you leave before 6 pm). It’s an easy 10 minute walk, past mangroves and fruit trees, and is mostly shady.

Dirt road to xpu-ha beach near Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
It’s a short walk along the road to xpu-ha beach near Playa del Carmen.

What to Do at Xpu-Ha Playa Beach Club

Unless you bring your own beach chairs, food and drink, your best option for the day is Restaurant & Beach Club La Playa. It’s hard to miss it as it’s the largest  restaurant on the beach.

The clamshell chairs and tables are  free to use for the whole day with a minimum order of food and drink. This gets you access to tidy washrooms with flush toilets, showers, lockers and change rooms. It’s also very family-friendly.

Xpu-ha beach
Xpu-ha beach

Things to Do at Restaurant & Beach Club La Playa at Xpu-Ha Beach

On calm days, the top things to do in xpu-ha include swimming, snorkelling or just splashing about. In addition to being one of the best beaches for snorkelling in the Yucatan, it’s one of the best beaches in Mexico for families.

Even non-swimmers ( like me) will find it an easy spot to swim, assuming you don’t arrive on a windy day. If it’s windy you can always go kitesurfing or go for a long walk. The sand is flat and smooth so perfect for beach walking. 

But what most people do is just hang out and relax on the beach. Sip a cocktail, order a bucket of beer or listen to live music. If you plan your visit and arrive on a Saturday or Sunday around 2:30 pm, you can listen to live jazz or salsa music at Restaurant & Beach Club La Playa.

View of lounge chairs on Xpu-Ha Beach near Playa del Carmen.
Restaurant La Playa at Xpu-Ha Beach near Playa del Carmen

Costs at Xpu-Ha Beach Club

Ceviche on a plate at Restaurant Beach Club La Playa XPU-Ha in Mexico.
Ceviche and shrimp cocktails are the top choice at Restaurant Beach Club La Playa XPU-Ha

Prices aren’t as low at Restaurant & Beach Club La Playa as they are in the heart of Playa del Carmen. Expect to pay 180 pesos for ceviche or aguachile (a tasty combo of shrimp mixed with tomato, cucumber, cilantro, lime, serrano chile and red onion).

If you’re nervous about eating raw seafood, you don’t need to worry here. At Restaurant & Beach Club La Playa, the shrimp is boiled before it’s mixed with the vegetables.

A huge order  of ceviche is 295 pesos ($15 USD) and comes with enough condiments to stock an OXXO store. A platter of nachos with guacamole is 235 pesos while a generous portion of shrimp pasta is 250 MXN pesos.

You can also get burgers and fries or a deep fried whole fish. This is one of the most extensive menus you’ll find of any of the casual beach clubs in Riviera Maya. 

There’s even a kid’s menu, which makes Xpu Ha Beach one of our top choices for a family-friendly vacation on the Riviera-Maya.

When it comes to beach drinks, sip a classic margarita cocktail, order a bucket of icy cold beer or try a Michelada, a spicy concoction of tomato juice, beer and lime juice. 

Sargassum Seaweed at Xpu-Ha Beach Mexico 

Like much of the Caribbean coast of the Mexico stretching from Cancun to Tulum, this stretch of the Riviera Maya was affected by historic quantities of sargassum seaweed in 2018 and 2019.

Read our report on the current Seaweed Conditions in Cancun   learn about the health hazards of swimming in sargassum  seaweed and get information on the seaweed forecast.

 

To monitor current seaweed conditions, you have a few options.

1. GET MAPS AND SEAWEED UPDATES ON FACEBOOK by RED DE MONITOREO DEL SARGAZO

July 15 Update Seaweed Conditions Xpu Ha
Seaweed Update for July 15, 2019 by RED DE MONITOREO DEL SARGAZO

This not-for-profit group is made up of engineers, biologists and other experts who are volunteering their time to provide monitoring expertise and services. They publish maps of areas affected by sargasso seaweed in Cancun, Riviera Maya and Tulum. You can also get updates from the Red de Monitoreo del Sargazo Cancun Facebook Page.

2. Check Webcams to see live Feeds of Beach Conditions

Check the webcams such as the Akumal Beach Webcam to see live feeds of beach images that update every 10 seconds throughout the day.

In Cancun, Mexico you can check the Live Aqua Webcam to see live video frames updated every 15 seconds.

3. Consult Seaweed Forecasting Projections

You can also check the Sargassum Early Advisory System (SEAS), a forecasting  project based in Texas intended to help predict the movement of sargassum blooms. Originally created in 2013 to help with forecasting of the large Sargassum landings in Texas, it now provides forecasting for the Gulf Coast, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Travel Guide to Xpu-Ha Beach, Restaurants and Hotels

Restaurant & Beach Club La Playa: The beach club and restaurant is open daily. In low season the hours are 11:00 am to 7:00 pm and during High Season ( Winter) hours are 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. In high season, arrive early, as lounge chairs disappear fast.  Live music begins at 2:30 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Visit the website at Restaurant & Beach Club La Playa to double-check times and get more details. 

Glamping, Resorts and Hotels on Xpu-ha Beach Mexico

Serenity Luxury Eco-tents: Asian-inspired glamping tents are located directly on Xpu-ha beach. The range of accommodation is from one bed accommodation to a double with a king and a queen size bed so Serenity is a good option for families.

Check prices and Availability on Serenity Luxury Eco-tents on Booking.com.  

Check Prices and Availability at Catalonia Royal Tulum Resort & Spa on Booking.com. 

Check Prices and Availability at Happy Jungle Villa on Booking.com.

If you’re looking for beachfront hotels near Tulum, check our post on the most romantic  hotels in Mexico  for more options.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: 

Love beaches? To discover more about vacations on other beaches in Mexico or things to do near Playa del Carmen, check out these posts:

How to Celebrate Day of the Dead in Cancun Riviera Maya

5 Reasons to Visit Valladolid Mexico 

Beginner’s Guide to Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca 

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Pelican flying over turquoise water with text overlay of XPU-HA Beach

Sand and blue waters with text overlap of Xpu-Ha Beach

Michele Peterson
Michele Peterson

Dividing her time between Canada, Guatemala and Mexico (or the nearest tropical beach), Michele Peterson is the founder of A Taste for Travel. Her award-winning travel and food writing has appeared in Lonely Planet’s cookbook Mexico: From the Source, National Geographic Traveler, Fodor’s and 100+ other publications.

Read more about Michele Peterson.

« Easy Ensalada de Nochebuena – Christmas Eve Salad
Salsa Verde (Green Tomatillo Salsa) by The Mexykan »

About Michele Peterson

Dividing her time between Canada, Guatemala and Mexico (or the nearest tropical beach), Michele Peterson is the founder of A Taste for Travel. Her award-winning travel and food writing has appeared in Lonely Planet’s cookbook Mexico: From the Source, National Geographic Traveler, Fodor’s and 100+ other publications.

Read more about Michele Peterson.

Previous Post: « Easy Ensalada de Nochebuena – Christmas Eve Salad
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Marilyn Pomeroy

    March 25, 2023 at 4:08 pm

    Went to this Beach Club today, and I have to say, I have lived in and traveled all over mainland Mexico and Baja for the last 20 plus years and have never had such awful nachos. Really disgusting. The beach was very windy the day we were there, and while it looks good in the photos, the Saragaso grass is a constant nuisance.I can’t help thinking that since the turtles eat it, and there are fewer of those, that has created an imbalance, so the grass proliferates, Also due to the runoff from all of the resorts,

    Reply
    • Michele Peterson

      March 26, 2023 at 7:58 am

      Hi Marilyn Thanks for your update on the sargasso seaweed problem (and the nachos!) Unfortunately, this type of seaweed is originating from the Atlantic and being washed in by ocean currents to Caribbean beaches. 2023 is a particularly bad year as it’s arrived months earlier than it usually does and in much larger quantities. On windy days ( such as the day you visited) it will be much worse. Sea turtles don’t eat sargassum (they eat sea grass that grows on the ocean bottom) so they’re also being threatened by the large seaweed mats. The best bet to escape it is on the leeward side of Cozumel and Isa Mujeres.

  2. isabella

    September 16, 2016 at 9:58 pm

    Funny! I am just writing a blog right now on the same subject! it is one of my favourite beaches! great pictures!

    Reply
    • Michele Peterson

      September 17, 2016 at 12:17 pm

      Great! Looking forward to reading your post!

  3. Diane

    June 03, 2016 at 7:26 pm

    Really lovely beach and somewhere we will definitely visit in the future. We’re considering Playa as a home base for summer next year … This certainly adds another interesting place to check out! By the way… I think you may have miscalculated your exchange rate a bit.. “ceviche is 330 pesos (418 USD)” 🙂

    Reply
  4. Rossana

    May 21, 2016 at 12:23 pm

    Ph… to enjoy an entire month! Lovely! The beach looks incredible – and the ceviche, yum! Perfect place to get away from it all!

    Reply
  5. Anne

    May 21, 2016 at 8:50 am

    These pictures are so raw and beautiful! I would love to visit Playa del Carmen someday 🙂

    Reply
  6. Billie Frank

    May 18, 2016 at 11:17 pm

    Great timing! Our son and DIL are heading to Playa del Carmen in July- I’ll share Xpu-ha with them. There aren’t too many undiscovered beaches in Mexico these days.

    Reply
  7. Grey World Nomads

    May 18, 2016 at 5:48 pm

    That’s the kind of advice I like. I’m sure it’s not that easy to find quiet beaches in Mexico. Xpu-ha looks stunning!

    Reply
  8. Wendy

    May 18, 2016 at 12:46 pm

    Looks beautiful! We love Akumal because of the beach, the turtles and the snorkeling. Now that I know more about Xpu-Ha, we’ll have to visit the next time we go to Riviera Maya. We used the Colectivo to travel to Tulum and Dos Ojos (the fresh water caves for snorkeling and diving). Colectivos are very inexpensive way to travel and you get closer to the locals.

    Reply
  9. Jen Morrow

    May 18, 2016 at 12:07 pm

    East coast Mexico is full of great beaches and activities, I never get tired of it! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  10. Sue Reddel

    May 18, 2016 at 11:55 am

    Xpu-Ha looks like a great find. We love going to beaches that aren’t that crowded yet you can still get a great lunch and a cold cerveza. We’ll check it out next time we’re in Playa.

    Reply
  11. Rachael

    May 18, 2016 at 8:55 am

    Xpu-Ha Beach looks like a place I would love to visit…and the ceviche looks so amazing!!

    Reply
  12. The GypsyNesters

    May 17, 2016 at 7:10 pm

    Absolutely gorgeous, and looks to be so much less crowded than many of the other beaches along the Riviera Maya. Great info!

    Reply
  13. Sand In My Suitcase

    May 17, 2016 at 11:39 am

    Xpu-Ha Beach looks so pretty! We visited the Riviera Maya late last year — but unfortunately didn’t make it to Xpu-Ha. It’s great you mention taking a colectivo to get there. We caught many of them to travel up and down that highway (e.g., from Playa down to Tulum). Soooo much less expensive than taking a taxi, which really isn’t necessary.

    Reply
  14. Cristal

    May 17, 2016 at 11:14 am

    Great article! I was recently in the Riviera Maya and couldn’t find much info on the smaller beaches so will definitely have to check it out next time I’m there.

    Reply
  15. Anita

    May 17, 2016 at 5:06 am

    Never been to those places in Mexico. Looks like a gorgeous beach. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  16. Voyager

    May 17, 2016 at 2:31 am

    I love these kind of relatively unspoilt kind of beaches, they have sucha a pure beauty associated with them, just like a piece of paradise.

    Reply
  17. Sheena

    May 16, 2016 at 8:07 pm

    Really enjoyed this article because we love searching for undiscovered and hidden gems when we travel as well (: Xpu-ha looks like the perfect beach to while and relax the day away! Kinda wish we were there now :p

    Reply
  18. Denis Gagnon

    May 16, 2016 at 5:29 pm

    I found your article about the beach at Xpu-ha (did I pronounce it correctly?) very interesting, although I tend to prefer city beaches to remote beaches. But the ease of access via the colectivo and the beautiful picture of the shrimp ceviche with the bucket of beers may make me think again! Thanks for a great posting!

    Reply
  19. Janice Chung

    May 16, 2016 at 9:12 am

    I wouldn’t have even tried to say “Xpu-ha” so thanks for providing the pronunciation! I’ve heard that it’s in Mexico where the beaches are simply lovely and this place has them too. Getting away in the winter to somewhere warm with fresh food is what I need to do next year!

    Reply
  20. Donna Janke

    May 16, 2016 at 8:55 am

    I love the white sand at Xpu-ha. It looks like a place I’d enjoy relaxing for the day. I too am not a swimmer, but enjoy being by the water and playing in it. I imagine I’d have a few giggles trying to pronounce it though.

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Michele! Welcome to A Taste for Travel, one of the world’s top culinary travel blogs, welcoming over 1.5 million readers annually! 

Along with a team of expert travel writers, enthusiastic eaters and skilled photographers, we help readers plan incredible adventures and make delicious global recipes at home.

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