Mexican Riviera from Long Beach (Los Angeles), CA

Long Beach is a coastal city and port in Southern California. Moored in its Queensway Bay, RMS Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner and museum ship. The waterfront Aquarium of the Pacific features touch tanks and a shark lagoon. Modern and contemporary works are on display at the Museum of Latin American Art. Rancho Los Cerritos is a 19th-century adobe home and museum set in expansive gardens.

Where the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains meet the Pacific Ocean, you’ll find a charming resort town that boasts an incredible natural bounty: nine bays and so many beaches — dozens! — that the idea of a crowded beach become an impossibility. While Huatulco is well-equipped to welcome visitors, much of the area has been critically set aside for nature reserves… in this rainforest-rich destination you’re never far from the best of either of these worlds. The nearby Copalita River and its over 200 species is a birdwatcher’s paradise, plus there’s relics dating back to 500 B.C. still being uncovered at an archaeological site. The nearby artisanal town of La Crucecita features a verdant plaza-park that’s a local crossroads, and a church that’s home to an impressive edge-to-edge ceiling mural. Regional Oaxacan cuisine is among Mexico’s most iconic culinary exports — think tamales and tortillas — and you’ll find it’s well-worth enjoying these fresh from the source.

Acapulco, which is virtually synonymous with luxury, is a place where the rich and famous come to escape. Take the scenic highway for a striking panoramic view of the beaches and mountains, and note the beautiful homes and lush gardens as you pass through Las Brisas. And make sure you take time to see the thrilling cliff divers plunge into the turbulent waters of Le Quebrada.

Although Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo are right next to each other, they couldn't be more different. Ixtapa is a lively, modern infrastructure comprised of luxury resorts and residential areas residing on beautiful beaches along the Pacific coast. A photo stop at Playa Quieta, where you will be able to view the magnificent island of Ixtapa, is a must. Zihuatanejo, an Indian word meaning "river of the yellow water," is a small bay and resort discovered by tourists in 1940. At the time, the only access to the village was by the sea. Your visit to this small town will provide you with some of the most breathtaking sights, including the beautiful Sierra Madre mountains as a backdrop.

Highly praised for its diverse dive sites and exciting sportfishing, Manzanillo, Mexico, is a resort town of wide, soft-sand beaches and groves of palm trees. With its balmy weather, year-round ocean breezes and verdant mountains rising along the shoreline, this is a perfect spot for vacationers looking to relax by taking in a round of golf, doing some deep-sea fishing or just basking in the warmth of a sun-kissed beach.

Whether you’re seeking quality beach time or action-packed adventures, cruises to Puerto Vallarta will deliver the vacation you’ve been craving. Reigning over Banderas Bay and bordered by the tropical forests of the Sierra Madre Mountains, Puerto Vallarta, is both a modern beach resort and an eco-adventure launching pad. On Mexico cruises to Puerto Vallarta, scuba dive with manta rays, spot dolphins playing in the waves, and hike to jungle cascades. Admire contemporary Latin American art in this breezy seaside city on your Carnival cruise to Puerto Vallarta.

Go from the opera house to the lighthouse with Carnival cruises to Mazatlán, Mexico. This city’s 17-mile-long beach has rolling swells for surfers and calm waters for swimmers. Thatch-roofed shacks serve the freshest seafood and beach bars pour crisp cervezas with lime. On cruises to Mazatlán, don't forget to head out beyond the bustling beach scene to experience the charming colonial core of Viejo Mazatlán, complete with ornate churches and photogenic Spanish mansions.

If you’re looking for a beautiful cruise destination to call your own, cruises to Cabo San Lucas should be at the top of your list. You’ll return home with spectacular vacation photos that get all the Likes! Cabo San Lucas makes its home on the Baja California peninsula, the second longest in the world, sitting pretty down at the south end. Tucked between golf courses and desert mountains, Cabo San Lucas straddles two oceans — the calm turquoise Sea of Cortez and the crashing blue Pacific. With 18 pristine miles of coastline connecting your port to colonial San José del Cabo, you get two seaside cities in one on a Cabo San Lucas cruise. But, along with water-based activities like fishing, paddling and swimming, you can also add action — or maximum relaxation — to your itinerary. Cruises to Cabo San Lucas offer a huge variety of things to do, from riding ATVs in the desert to sipping margaritas on the beach. Try one or try it all!

Long Beach is a coastal city and port in Southern California. Moored in its Queensway Bay, RMS Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner and museum ship. The waterfront Aquarium of the Pacific features touch tanks and a shark lagoon. Modern and contemporary works are on display at the Museum of Latin American Art. Rancho Los Cerritos is a 19th-century adobe home and museum set in expansive gardens.