Just under 40 kilometers (24 miles) from Tapachula sits the beach of Barra de Cahoacán, literally the end of the road with a long stretch of private homes and seaside shacks. It’s a wide expanse of beach with soft brown sand and rough surf, a place that’s packed on weekends with Tapachulans looking to escape from the heat, and sublimely empty on weekdays.

Beachfront umbrellas and palapas are available for rent (US$8.50 per day, including four chairs) from any number of beachfront eateries, and there are public restrooms and showers just steps away.

Laguna Pozuelos

With five different varieties of mangrove trees, Laguna Pozuelos (Barra de Cahoacán, tel. 962/605-1404, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. daily, US$34–50 up to 6 people) is a good place to take a bird-watching tour, especially in the morning when you’re more likely to see snowy egrets, kingfishers, and neotropic cormorants. Tours last about 1.5 hours and often include a quick dip where the ocean meets the lagoon.

Playa Linda

If you’re looking for total R&R, Playa Linda is a windswept and almost always empty beach next to Barra de Cahoacán. It’s accessible from the main road via andadores, small alleys between private homes that lead straight to the ocean, or just by walking north along the beach from Barra de Cahoacán. It’s a wonderful place to spend a day, searching for shells or just lying on your towel with a good read.

Note: There are no services on Playa Linda so bring your own food, water, and shade.

Getting to Barra de Cahoacán

Combi service from Tapachula to Barra de Cahoacán is provided by Servicio 12 de Octubre (13a Calle Pte. near 4a Av. Nte., every 15 mins 7 a.m.–9 p.m., 1 hr, US$1.25). If you’re not staying the night at the beach, be sure to catch the last combi back, which leaves at 5:30 p.m. daily.