Playa Santa Teresa / La Lora
Playa Santa Teresa is the name given to a whole set of beautiful sandy beach areas north of the beaches of Playa Carmen. There are many road accesses, although some are footpaths only.
People often wonder where Playa Carmen ends and Santa Teresa begins. Most people consider that Santa Teresa’s beaches start around Punta Coco rental villas, which is the actual rocky point that has both sandy beaches on either side (making is a great rental location of course.)
The town center of Santa Teresa also has the first beach access, which is at Brunella’s hotel/hostel. After that, heading north, you’ll find a series of accesses to white sand beaches. Some are more sandy than others. Once you get to the La Lora Amarilla beach access, the beach really turns into a postcard, which perfect white sand, and the best surf-able waves. This also includes the Suck Rock point break, at the north end of La Lora.
Somewhere around Florblanca hotel, the rocks begin again, and you’ll find a huge towering rock known as “El Peñon”, which is where the Playa Hermosa beach area begins. It doesn’t turn sandy again for perhaps a mile. This section of the beaches is great for exploring various tidepools, and there are a handful of secret surf spots known only to long-time locals, who know how to navigate through the fields of rocks and boulders to get out to these reef breaks.
Jungle Beaches of Santa Teresa
Near the beach on some of these paths you can find some gigantic ancient Pochote trees. You can see one of the largest by going down the road at Brunellas, which is 450+ years old and named “Abuelo” which means “Grandfather”. It looks like something out of a horror movie, all twisted and covered with spikes.
There are many hotels, private homes for rent, and restaurants located along this beach, although most are on the road, not on the beach, since the first 50m of oceanfront property is the public zone, and can’t be built upon. Probably the best beachfront restaurant right now is Habanero’s at Playa Cielo, which is truly on the beachfront and has great gourmet Mexican food and service. Highly recommended! We should also mention that technically, Habaneros is on Playa Carmen, the beach just south of here. Consider walking down the beach to it. If you don’t want to walk, then head to Roca Mar, another beachfront spot at the north part of Playa Santa Teresa.
More about Santa Teresa
Santa Teresa – Our page on Santa Teresa town and culture.
Santa-Teresa.com – Tourism website about St Teresa and Mal Pais.