These beaches near Merida are some of the best in all of Mexico.

As the closest coastal town to Merida, Puerto Progreso is extremely popular, and with good reason.

Rent a kayak or paddleboard, or try an organized tour for a more in-depth experience.

People in a square surrounded by beautiful architecture in Paris

Visitors will feel like they’ve found their own private island paradise.

“It’s my favorite beach in the entire Yucatan, hands down,” says Martinez.

“It’s so perfect I almost hesitate to share about it.”

Waterfront Park Fall skyline bridge boats in Louisville, Kentucky

Thankfully, Celestun is unlikely to lose its charm any time soon.

The protected lands around Sisal also make it an incredible destination for eco-tourism, including wildlife spotting.

Guided kayak and paddleboard excursions are also popular ways to explore.

Ketchikan, Southern Panhandle, Southeast Alaska

Along the shore, palapas and palms punctuate stretches of sand ranging from bustling to nearly barren.

It retains an untouched feel, its shady shoreline dotted with villas and beach houses along sandy streets.

Both are worth a visit, giving visitors even more reason to stick around for an extended stay.

Top deck pool area

Blissfully untouched beaches draw surprisingly few visitors to the small fishing village known for its uniqueojo de aguafreshwater spring.

View of Mallorca coast from helicopter

The Belmond Eastern & Oriental train in Malaysia

Streets of Old Montreal during fall season in Quebec, Canada.

Ocmulgee National Monument Park

Scenic view of Arenal Volcano in central Costa Rica at sunrise

beautiful view of the town of Positano from antique terrace with flowers, Amalfi coast, Italy. balcony with flowers

The deep valleys of the wine-making region of the Douro Valley in Portugal

Oslo opera house lit up at night

treet level view of Cartagena’s colonial walled city

View of the South coast with a lush jungle on Dominica

Kansas City panorama with Union Station building. Kansas City, Missouri, USA.

Aerial view of people at the Ediacara Fossil Site Nilpena

A bench overlooks a lake surrounded by mountains in New Zealand

Vineyards and hills of Sonoma County with a glimpse of the San Francisco Bay in the background.

Long horns in Fort Worth Stockyards

Cityscape view of Old Town

Pair of photos from India, one showing a boy at a hotel, and one showing a pink palace exterior

Catholic church in Warsaw old town on a sunny morning, Poland

Rocky coastline of Hawaii

Tourists enjoying a beautiful sunny day on Manatee Beach on Anna Maria Island, a barrier island on the Florida west coast.

Roof Terrace Spa Pool at Mollie Aspen

View of woman swinging on white sand beach relaxing and sunbathing by the lagoon in Mexico

Classic Montana landscape of horses, fields and mountains

The exterior of the Queen Anne

View of woman swinging on white sand beach relaxing and sunbathing by the lagoon in Mexico

Credit:Mystockimages/Getty Images

Tourists enjoy the beaches of Puerto Progreso on the Yucatan Peninsula

Mariana Gutiérrez/Eyepix Group/Future Publishing via Getty Images

Mexican beach houses with boat and sea grass under bright blue sky with clouds

Susan Vineyard/Getty Images

Waves hitting the shore

Waves hitting the beach in Chuburná.javier/Adobe Stock

Aerial view of Celestun area

Itzel Garrido/Travel + Leisure

Beach bar - Tiki thatch umbrellas on sandy beach with white plastic chairs underneath and the turquioise sea and very blue sky on background

Susan Vineyard/Getty Images

Beach, sea and sky of the Yucatecan coast in Chicxulub

Aerial view of the Chicxulub coastline.Julio Alcocer/Getty Images

Aerial view of Telchac Puerto

Itzel Garrido/Travel + Leisure

A beach chair on a pristine beach.

A beach chair on a white sand beach.Image Source/Getty Images

A walking bridge leads to the ocean in the town of Dzilam de Bravo

A walking bridge leads to a Dzilam de Bravo beach.Gundlock/Bloomberg via Getty Images