The winner is Playa Carmen

And the runners up are....

Cancun, Quintana Roo

Beautiful white sand beaches, although 2005 hurricane stole sand

Tulum, Quintana Roo

There are many lovely Caribbean beaches around Tulum and the Costa Maya.

Cozumel, Yucatan

Windward sides has long, lonely beaches; several lovely beaches on leeshore.

Huatulco, Oaxaca

A variety of beaches, with and without services, on 9 pretty bays.

Zihuatanejo, Guerrero

Beautiful beaches on and around Zihuatanejo bay

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco

In town, outside town, beaches for every mood

Mazatlan, Sinaloa

Lots of great beaches for swimming, surfing; motorized water sports

Acapulco, Guerrero

This is a beach resort; beaches to suite most tastes in town and along the big bay.

San Blas, Nayarit

Lovely, long beaches; Matanchen Bay to the south. Las Islitas is the best - buggy but beautiful.

Guayabitos, Nayarit

This is a grainy-sand beach on a beautiful enclosed bay, with offshore island that can be visited by sight-seeing boats. Family-oriented and good for swimming; hawkers sell drinks, fresh fish and fruit.

Ixtapa, Guerrero

Playa del Palmar is faced with moderately priced highrise hotels; more beaches on pretty Zihuatanejo and surrounding areas

Sayulita, Nayarit

Nice beach in town; beautiful bay; beaches north and south to explore

Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca

Lots of beaches in town, up and down coast to explore

Manzanillo, Colima

Long stretches of brown, grainy sand near town; pretty coves around Las Hadas Resort and the peninsula separating Manzanillo and Santiago Bays.

Los Cabos, Baja California Sur

Plenty of beaches, Pacific Ocean and Sea of Cortez

Isla Holbox, Quintana Roo

This small island off the northeast coast of the Yucatan Peninsula is a serene and pretty place.

Teacapan, Sinaloa

Long stretches of wide deserted sandy beaches.

Loreto, Baja California Sur

San Carlos, Sonora

A dramatic coast with lots of bays and inlets, but few sandy beaches

LA Bay, Baja California Sur

Many lovely, isolated beaches and offshore islands are accessible by boat

San Francisco (San Pancho), Nayarit

Several kilometers between a headland to the north, around Playa Azul, and town where palapas sell refreshments