Playa Esmeralda lies a few kilometres west of Guardalavaca along the same stretch of coast, separated from its busier neighbour by a small headland. The beach is narrower but the setting is arguably more beautiful — a horseshoe of white sand enclosed by low green hills, with the same clear turquoise water and good snorkelling as Guardalavaca but without the resort infrastructure.
Access is less straightforward than at Guardalavaca; most visitors arrive with one of the large hotels that sit on the headland above the beach. Independent travellers who make the effort to get here, however, will generally find a quieter stretch of sand. The water is calm and shallow near the shore, deepening gradually to the reef.