12 Secluded Bungalows in Mexico for Your Next Beach Vacation

Find your next slice of paradise on these Mexican beaches.

Millions of tourists flock to Mexico every year, and even though you'd think it would be hard to find a secluded place on the beach to call your own, there are still many sleepy beach towns yet to be discovered by the all-inclusive enthusiasts.

Thankfully, Mexico has over 7,000 miles of coastline to explore and some of the best beach bungalows in Mexico are hiding in discreet and unexpected destinations. Not only that, but they often also come with eco-conscious offerings you can feel good about supporting. So book your flight and let thoughts of moonlit rooms, canopied beds, sandy adventures, outdoor showers, and plunge pools lead you to your next adventure.

El Dorado Maroma Palafitos, Playa del Carmen

El Dorado Maroma has been a standout on Playa del Carmen’s beach scene for years, but the owners raised the bar even higher when they introduced 30 stilted cabins that stretch out over the Caribbean Sea. The rustic-luxe bungalows bring the overwater huts that the South Pacific is famous for to North America, along with their envy-inducing panoramas.

You’ll get the same glass flooring, ladder-access swimming, and private infinity pools that travelers across the globe brag about, but with authentic touches like Yucatán wood, traditional fabrics, and white Mexican granite.

It's adults only, so grab your lover or friends and know there won’t be any kids disturbing the peace as you gaze over the azure waters and sip on cocktails blended with local fruit and herbs. El Dorado offers an optional gourmet all-inclusive package, serving up food you actually want to eat and craft cocktails that aren’t watered down.

Verana, Yelapa

It takes a 50-minute drive from Puerto Vallarta to Boca de Tomatlan, a 30-minute panga boat ride along the coast, and finally a steep climb — advise the hotel in advance if you need mule assistance — to reach this hilltop jungle escape overlooking the hippie-chic town of Yelapa. The trek may not be for everyone, but it is worthwhile for those who value seclusion over convenience. Once there, you’ll find 10 distinct, hand-built spaces from papaya-colored casitas to open air palapa-style bungalows with cement half-walls and thatched roofs.

The eco-friendly accommodations are simple, but have everything you need to relax in comfort, and the welcoming staff is on-hand to arrange picnics, mezcal classes, and fishing adventures where you can bring back your catch and the chef will cook it for you. Verana, run by a former film-set designer and his French wife, also provides the perfect basecamp from exploring the secret beaches of the Marietas Islands.

Hotel Escondido, Puerto Escondido

Puerto Escondido is a surf hotspot that remains one of Mexico’s best beach towns and Hotel Escondido is one of the best places to stay. Just 30 minutes north of town, 16 cabins (with private pools, hammocks and sun beds) are spread out among a beach that’s ideal for surfing and swimming. The small resort is owned by Grupo Habita, so while the look and amenities are in-tune with the locale’s unspoiled setting, the hotel doesn’t lack in creature comforts or beautiful nature.

Las Alamandas, Costalegre

Parisian Isabel Goldsmith-Patiño inherited this slice of heaven on Mexico’s Costalegre from her grandfather, Bolivian tin magnate Antenor Patiño. He planned to build a mega-lodge, but when his conservationist granddaughter took over, she opted to preserve the area by minimizing the resort’s footprint. She commissioned eight unassuming yet luxe haciendas with 18 private suites, now favored by privacy-seeking celebs including Robert De Niro.

There’s no nightlife or shopping nearby, and you won’t be tempted to venture far anyway given the horse riding, surfing, salsa dancing, and spa offerings on-site. Goldsmith-Patiño celebrates Las Alamandas' location in Jalisco’s tequila country with more than 120 brands at the bar and tequila-based dishes at the inn’s restaurants.

Mahekal Beach Resort, Playa del Carmen

The family that opened this Playa del Carmen retreat started with five small bungalows set up for backpackers. Now, Mahekal has over 190 private villas and a 2,500-square-foot spa, and a restaurant where chefs resurface ancient Mayan recipes.

Despite its posh offerings, the resort maintains its low-key vibe with hand-laid stone paths separating the bungalows and enough amenities to keep you happily sequestered in your room (plunge pools, outdoor showers, terraces with hammocks).

Villas Flamingos, Isla Holbox

Villas Flamingos is a hotel located on one of the most famously mellow destinations in the Yucatan with a 26-mile long beach. There are no cars allowed on the Isla Holbox and you can only get there by ferry. Located on the far end of the beach, in the Yum-Balam Nature Reserve, you'll find nothing but peace and quiet here, especially if you opt to stay in one of the hotel's gorgeous bungalows.

Both garden-facing and ocean-view bungalows come with their own terrace plus an outdoor shower and indoor jacuzzi or plunge pool that you'll have all to yourself. However, the sky bungalows are also a strong option for honeymooners, thanks to the hammock and jacuzzi room on the top floor, where you can have a soak or a hang while looking out at the ocean.

Azulik, Tulum

Hidden among the the busy traffic of Tulum's beach road, Azulik presents a world of its own behind the driftwood facade. The 48 villas built between the jungle and the beach are glamorous and so is the spa’s temazcal (sweat lodge) experience, an ancient practice where soul-searchers sit in a heated dome structure. Every element of Azulik was designed with the intention of promoting and preserving sacred traditions.

Each villa is dedicated to a natural theme and the use of artistic elements and materials make you feel like the hotel has spawned naturally from its jungle surroundings. One of the highlights of visiting Azulik is dining out at the canopy-situated Japanese restaurant, where you'll be served delicious food in your own private nest.

Playa Viva, Juluchuca

A few hours north of Acapulco, this 19-room, modestly sized eco-lodge has a strict commitment to the local flora and fauna, meaning there’s no AC or TVs in the 100-percent solar-powered resort. But who needs any of that when you have your own perched casita with unobstructed ocean views, free yoga, and three fresh meals a day? Playa Viva also boasts five beautifully-designed treehouses. Guests can hike up the mountains to meet a local family and release baby sea turtles with the local turtle rescue group.

Hotel Xixim, Celestún

Located on the 146,000-acre protected Celestún Biosphere Reserve near Merida, where locals still live by the codes of Mayan fishing culture, Xixim touts itself as a wellness escape. Everything about the design (created in line with Mayan cosmology), mindful service, sea-to-table menus and spiritually guided programming is meant to help travelers commune with nature.

Book a cooking class, partake in a round of sunset yoga, or go on safari to spot flamingoes, songbirds, ocelots, monkeys, and sea turtles in their natural environments. In any case, you can choose do nothing at all in your room — one of 32 thatched-roof, breezy huts with canopied beds and hammocks facing the sea.

Banyan Tree Cabo Marques, Acapulco

Acapulco isn't the first place you picture when you think of a quiet, seaside retreat, but the Banyan Tree Cabo Marques gives you the best of both worlds. There’s easy access to Acapulco’s restaurants, famous cliff-diving shows, and nightlife, and a remote tropical hideaway as soon as you enter Banyan’s tranquil fortress.

Drive up a one-way road to a lush wall of palms and mangroves. Inside, bungalows etched into the cliffs reflect the beauty of the land with simple palettes and big windows that show off the coastal vistas. Villas 408 to 411 have the best views, but there really isn’t a bad seat in the house. Besides, you can always take in the sunset from the infinity pool that seems to spill out onto the sea, some 300 feet below.

Chileno Bay Resort and Residences, Cabo San Lucas

This Auberge resort in Los Cabos is not quite like its rustic-leaning companions on this list, but that’s why we like it. Opened in 2017, Chileno Bay’s modern design creates a seamless indoor and outdoor experience. Villas range from one to five bedrooms and are adorned with handmade tiles and natural wood furnishings to reflect Mexico’s heritage, as well as floor-to-ceiling windows and expansive terraces.

The H2O Cave is an activity center that makes the most of Cabo’s tranquil waters through snorkeling rentals, glass-bottom kayaking and water cycling; in the main restaurant, French Laundry alum Yvan Mucharraz shows off his know-how on Latin American dishes. If you totally fall in love, you can buy one of the villas on the property, which is also home to a Tom Fazio-designed golf course.

Four Seasons Tamarindo, Barra de Navidad

Located along the Costalegre, or "happy coast," between Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo, the Four Seasons Tamarindo is a brand new hotel that invites travelers to venture into a relatively undiscovered part of Mexico. The hotel's design incorporates traditional Mexican motifs and materials into its contemporary architecture.

Sitting on a private nature reserve, you get sweeping ocean views from almost every room and hardly anyone else around to spoil the peace. Accommodations range from the mega-bungalow beach house that can host up to nine adults to the more intimate cliffside suites that show off one of the most stunning infinity pool backdrops you've ever seen — and an outdoor shower so you don't have to stop enjoying the view for even a moment.

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