The Pacific coast is backed by rolling hills covered in vegetation varying from arid desert to Mediterranean-style scrub and luxuriant forest. Tumbling down to the shoreline, these cliffs and hills harbour many horseshoe coves and beaches of white to ochre sands. The waves on the Pacific coast have a long way to come, and these rollers are much beloved by surfers.

Along the vast length of this coastline there are areas which are highly commercialised (Acapulco, Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta). However there are also hotels and resorts with their own extensive grounds on less developed stretches of coast, especially around Manzanillo and Zihuatanejo. The Oaxaca shoreline around Huatulco and Puerto Escondido is particularly spectacular, with stretches of virgin beach. ​