It’s no secret that the Mexican Caribbean has numerous stunning beaches lining its white sand coast, but two of them stand out above all the rest.
Those beaches are Cancun’s Playa Delfines, also known as Dolphin Beach, and Playa Norte, on the island of Isla Mujeres, which sits just off the coast of Cancun.
These two Cancun beaches are among the top 20 in the world according to TripAdvisor.
TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards
Every year TripAdvisor rates the best beaches in the world in the Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards.
Along with beaches, awards are also given to the top destinations, the best hotels, the top things to do, and the best restaurants in the world as well.
A total of 25 beaches around the world were ranked, and the two Cancun beaches that made the list both fell within the top 20.
How TripAdvisor Chooses The Best Of The Best
Awards given out in the Travelers’ Choice Awards are given based on traveler reviews on TripAdvisor.
The 2025 awards are based on reviews given between the months of November 2023 and December 2024.
The beaches, destinations, hotels, activities, and restaurants that make the Best of the Best list are those that receive a large number of “above-and-beyond” reviews from real travelers.
Read on to find out more about how and why Playa Delfines and Playa Norte ranked so high.
Playa Delfines – Ranked #16 Worldwide
Playa Delfines was ranked #16 out of 25 on the list of the Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Beaches in the World.
The ranking is based on 5,663 reviews given during the specified timeframe, which resulted in a 4.5 overall review score on TripAdvisor.
Some of the reasons Playa Delfines is so highly rated are the soft white sand, the clear water, the lack of hotels along the beach, the size of the beach, and the presence of bathrooms and showers.
Playa Delfines’ Location
Playa Delfines is easy to visit if you’re going to be vacationing in Cancun because it’s centrally located in the Cancun Hotel Zone.
When staying in Cancun your hotel will likely be in some part of the Hotel Zone.
If you’re not within walking distance of Playa Delfines you can take public transportation to get to it if you’re set on visiting the 16th best beach in the world.
Playa Norte – Ranked #19 Worldwide
Playa Norte was ranked #19 out of the 25 beaches that made the list of TripAdvisor’s best beaches in the world.
Playa Norte also has an overall review score of 4.5 but its rating is based on a total of 8,293 reviews, 6,162 of which gave it a rating of “excellent.”
Some of the things that make Isla Mujeres’ Playa Norte so special are the calm shallow clear water, the soft white sand, the fact that it’s free to enter, and the wide range of nearby beach clubs, cantinas, and restaurants to choose from.
How To Get To Playa Norte
Playa Norte is a little bit harder to get to, but not much. You have to take a ferry from Cancun to make the roughly 20-30-minute trip to Isla Mujeres.
Tickets start at around $15 each way and ferries run all day long.
The beach is located on the north end of the island and is less than half a mile from the ferry dock.
Getting To Cancun
If you’ll be traveling from the U.S. to Cancun you’ll have plenty of options thanks to the great connectivity.
Direct flights to the destination depart from more than 40 U.S. airports.
Once in Cancun, there are several transportation options that you can use to take the 20-30 minute trip to the Hotel Zone or ferry port so that you can enjoy one of the area’s two beaches that are considered some of the best in the world.
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