emrsmith

I am considering Ensenada, La Paz, Puerto Vallarta, Sayulita, Puerto Escondido and Cozumel, but I am open to other recommendations close to these regions. I currently live in Querétaro and have gotten a little bored and would like to be on the beach.

The most important characteristics for me:
1. Lots of young people, both locals and foreigners, without it being too touristy like somewhere such as Playa del Carmen so I can still improve my Spanish. This is the most important thing to me as I want to be able to make friends with Mexicans/speak Spanish but wouldn't mind being in a more touristy place than Querétaro.
2. Outdoor activities like biking paths, walking/hiking paths/trails, tennis courts, scuba diving...etc.
3. Good internet is important since I work online.
4. That it and its surroundings are safe.
5. Not too expensive - Ideally I would be able to live comfortably with $1500 a month or less. Something comparable to Querétaro or less expensive would be great.


I would appreciate any recommendations!

baldone

Well, I must say your potential areas certainly covers a lot of territory. I'm not sure you'll be able to tick all your boxes with any of those options. So I'm going to make a suggestion that comes pretty close. Veracruz. Regular readers here probably tire of me singing its praises, but hear me out.
1. Not a retired snowbird destination at all like PV or Sayulita. It's a Mexican tourist destination, so very few gringo tourists. Plus, Xalapa, a university city is nearby so Veracruz attracts students on holiday or for the weekend. Many study English and would be happy to chat you up in an interchange kind of way. It's also the closest beach destination for Puebla. So you may meet a few Germans since VW has a massive plant there.
2. Surprisingly, Veracruz has arguably the 2nd best diving sites behind Cozumel but at a fraction of the cost. Coral reefs and centuries old wrecks. Very little worthwhile diving in the other areas you mentioned. Veracruz state has plenty of hiking options, some within an hour or so, others, such as hiking Mexico's highest peak, Orizaba, a bit further afield. As is Perote. Waterfalls & White water rafting too.
3. Good internet is often a neighborhood specific crapshoot. But as a major port city, it certainly has plenty of bandwidth serving the city.
4. Safe.
5. Affordable. Probably with the exception of Ensenada, Veracruz will be the most affordable city on your list. Of course, all of the places you mention have their lower cost areas. But they may not be terribly appealing to live in. Or have the value that Veracruz offers. I think $1500 a month would be far easier to do there than the other cities you mentioned.
Other factors: Veracruz is the only Mexican coastal city that has a true colonial center besides Campeche. If you like history, the centro is a vibrant area. If you want more modern, as in high rises, fancy clubs, etc, then the Boca Del Rio zone is an option. Veracruz will be hot & humid in the summer months. But so will your other cities except Ensenada. Not what you're used to in Queretaro, that's for sure. Coffee country nearby in Coatepec & Xico. More history than any of the other cities mentioned.
Anyway, it's one of my favorite Mexican cities. As you can tell.
PS We lived in Queretaro for a year, in the El Refugio neighborhood. Up the hill from Antea and near the new Paseo Queretaro. Which wasn't finished yet when we were there. Now we live on the outskirts of San Miguel, about 30 minutes from Juriquilla. Where are you located?

Daniel_Williams

Baldone— I don’t tire of you singing the praises of Veracruz; in fact, I think your stating your appreciation of the city may have wedged in my brain somehow and made me think I should linger there a bit in 2019. Which I was glad I did, as the city has a festive energy and appealing architecture around the Zocalo. I mostly explored historical sites like San Juan de Ulúa and restaurants while there, but related to the beach question of the OP, I remember there were half-day excursions from the Centro of Veracruz to the beach at what they call Cancuncito. The pictures of Cancuncito looked lovely in the brochure but was wondering if you had first-hand experience?

emrsmith— I studied Spanish in Qro. in the summers of 2015-2016. I love many places in Mexico (don’t know the beachy places too well though funny enough) but Queretaro has a place in my heart. Loved the nightly dancing in Jardin Zenea and the festive ambience on weekends.

suze

I doubt Puerto Vallarta would be less expensive but it fits everything else on your list. If you find one part "too touristy" just move into the more local neighborhoods around the city. It's a good sized city (~250,000) so had lots of variety. Besides north-of-the-border tourists, it's popular with Mexican nationals for family beach vacations.

La Paz was very nice the one time I visited years ago, but isn't really much like what you describe wanting unless it has changed significantly since I was there.

Not Sayulita. It has continuing problems with water, health concerns, is certainly "touristy", and a bit isolated.

Since you already live in Mexico, can you take some weekends and visit the top picks? See more for yourself how you feel about them?

mlgb

Question on the climate, since all but Ensenada and other towns on the Baja Peninsula would be unbearable for a lot of the year for me. Can you manage the humidity and heat? Would a larger city not far from the coast be a possibility, such as Mérida? Then you may not have to worry so much about snowbird season apartment rates.

I wonder if you just Googled "nicest beaches in Mexico".

I liked Mazatlan at least as much as Puerto Vallarta although it is popular with the cruise ship/snowbird crowd, it still felt less overrun.

And there is also Acapulco, beautiful beaches but far less popular with cruise ships than Puerto Vallarta.

jubilada

would you mind elaborating on your experience in Qro? Thinking of language school there and it sounds very appealing.

Daniel_Williams

Hi jubilada—I was at the Ole Institute in Queretaro. They have different options—half-day group classes, full day, private tutoring, staying with families. I did an extended stay at a B&B though. I did both years some group classes, as I liked the socializing.

Queretaro is a sizeable city, between 1 and 2 million; some may prefer somewhere smaller. I liked the location for the proximity to other places I wanted to see: San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí and La Peña de Bernal, but there are plenty of other excursions. I really loved the energy of Queretaro’s center—I went most evenings to the Plaza de Armas or Jardin Zenea, always wanted to linger and enjoy the dancing and other entertainers. Queretaro has a rich history which I enjoyed learning about when I didn’t have too much homework . Best wishes, Daniel