Introduction
The main natural attractions that make Puerto Vallarta a truly magical place are three:
- The Sierra Madre mountain range.
- Rivers flowing down from the mountains,
- The Pacific Ocean, its tropical beaches, and the Banderas Bay.
They can all be found and enjoyed in Vallarta, making it an astounding and picturesque travel destination.
Complete List of Beaches (N to S)
Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco
Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco
El Chimo
Corrales
Nayarit
Hermosa
Rincón de Guayabitos
Los Ayala
Los Venados
San Francisco “San Pancho”
Los Muertos Beach (Playa de Los Muertos)
Lobos
Punta Negra (Carrilleros)
Part of the beauty and fun of traveling to a new place is having the opportunity to enjoy the beauties the local nature offers.
In the case of Vallarta, one of the main attractions are the beaches in the area. Many of them offer a suite of activities to partake in, from scuba diving and snorkeling to just strolling down the golden sands.
Where you have a view you can enjoy the frolicking humpback whales and dolphins in the bay, meditate to the soothing and relaxing sound of the waves or enjoy one of the beautiful and romantic sunsets.
Here we list the best ones in the area and it’s up to you to choose the one that is best based on your taste and interests.
Beach Location Maps for PV & Banderas Bay
North Zone Beaches from Lo De Marcos to Destiladeras
North Zone Beaches between La Manzanilla and Marina Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta Beaches from Boca de Tomates to Las Estacas
Puerto Vallarta Beaches from Los Muertos to Los Arcos
Puerto Vallarta South Zone from Los Arcos to Colomitos
Puerto Vallarta South Zone from Los Arcos to Yelapa
We have a separate section with the Top 5 Beaches in PV, and another list with the Top 10 Beaches in Puerto Vallarta and the surrounding area.
Featured Beaches from North to South
Lo De Marcos
Lo De Marcos Beach Panorama
Between Rincón de Guayabitos and San Francisco (San Pancho) you’ll find the humble town of Lo De Marcos, quite nice and picturesque, the town is quiet, relaxed and quite nice. The cobblestone streets lead you to the beach, a nice wide clean beige colored beach about 2.5 kilometers long (1.5 miles). There are a few small palapa bar-restaurants by the beach and mostly private vacation homes and bungalows you can rent, line the edges of Lo De Marcos.
The water is fine, waves are not too large, but they break really close to the edge, so we’re guessing it’s not a great surfing spot, closer to the southern end of the beach waves break further in the sea, it might be a better place to surf.
Destiladeras Beach
Playa Destiladeras, Nayarit, México
You’ll find Destiladeras Beach west of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, on the road to Punta de Mita in the Banderas Bay, this is the Pacific Ocean coast of the state of Nayarit in Mexico.
It is 30 minutes from Nuevo Vallarta, approximately on the Km. 7 on the old road that goes to Punta Mita. It is also 23 miles from Puerto Vallarta’s main square, which is about 50 to 60 minutes from the downtown PV area.
The beach offers hotels and restaurants but still is a nice natural beach not so affected by human development.
It is one of the most popular beaches among the locals, they know it is a wide, shallow water beach, something that makes it incredibly kid-friendly. Little by little it’s becoming less of a secret and is now also visited by tourists from the US and Canada.
Bucerías
Bucerias is a small attractive town located in the Banderas Bay in the state of Nayarit between La Cruz de Huanacaxtle to the north and Nuevo Vallarta to the south and is part of what is now called Riviera Nayarit.
The locals are simple, sincere and kind people, they are proud of their town and their clean beautiful beach. The 5-mile long beach itself offers soft sand and calm waves.
Among the various attractions and sightseeing landmarks in Bucerias, we could mention the Iglesia a la Señora de la Paz (Our Lady of Peace Church) and the remodeled main plaza, the local beach, is a great place to relax, take walks, take a trip on horseback or an ATV, especially when you do so in the afternoon and can enjoy the impressive sunsets that are a part of the bay panorama, during the summer afternoons the sun sets behind the hills that surround the western edge of the bay and not the sea.
Playa de Oro Beach
Playa de Oro (De Oro Beach / Gold Beach) Puerto Vallarta Hotel Zone
It’s located north of downtown P.V. in the hotel zone, Playa de Oro (literally Gold Beach) is an enjoyable, safe, and sandy place to enjoy the sea, flanked by rocks at each end they create a little bay that is distinctive and welcoming at the same time.
Surrounded by an arc of hotels and resorts, you’ll enjoy a variety of recreational activities and water sports that include parasailing, water skiing, and popular for swimming too. Playa de Oro is one of the many fine beaches in Vallarta, both for residents and visitors.
Olas Altas Beach & Los Muertos Beach
Los Muertos Beach, Old Town, Puerto Vallarta
Probably the most famous, most visited, and most popular beaches in town, Los Muertos Beach and Olas Altas are located on the south side of the Malecon and Cuale River Island, quite a few international hotels and resorts serve as its background, great for people watching, families and it’s fine for swimming and other seaside activities.
Olas Altas starts off where the bridge over from the Malecon II, by the Cuale River, and ends on Francisca Rodríguez Street (where the pier is), from there on, the beach is called Los Muertos.
Olas Altas and Los Muertos offer an impressive selection of restaurants, bars, galleries, clothing stores, and souvenir shops, among other attractions, not to mention plenty of locals and foreigners.
Add to this formula the recently remodeled Los Muertos Pier, a great stroll, a place to take the water taxis north and south, plus a beautiful place to enjoy the sunsets.
Complete article on Los Muertos Beach – Complete Olas Altas Beach Guide
Conchas Chinas Beach (Playa Conchas Chinas)
Conchas Chinas Beach, south of Los Muertos Beach, Puerto Vallarta
Conchas Chinas (which can be translated as Chinese Shells or in more colloquial Mexican-Spanish: Curvy Shells), is one of the fascinating beaches you are likely to find in the area, located in the Romantic Zone, only a few minutes south of downtown Pto. Vallarta, flanked by lush mountains on one side and aquamarine waters lapping at the clean, sandy yellow beach.
Enjoy natural tide pools formed by the encircling rocks, a fried fish on a stick, relax and enjoy yourself as you rarely have before. The transparent waters offer you a clear view of the depths where you’ll see a wide array of fish and other sea animals that are found in the area, an experience you will likely never forget. Proof that it is one of the cleanest Pto. Vta. town beaches available.
More on (full article) Conchas Chinas Beach
Garza Blanca Beach (Playa Garza Blanca)
Garza Blanca Beach
Don’t write Garza Blanca Beach off your list just yet. There is still public access if you follow the northern and southern edges of the development there are paths that lead to the shore.
It is a small and unobtrusive stretch of sand located on the 7th kilometer (4 miles) on the Pacific Coast Highway, south of Las Gemelas in the south zone. Its pristine white sand and aquamarine waters will delight your senses.
Visit it and relax, breathe and feel the tranquility of this nice location.
Read the complete Garza Blanca Beach article
Las Gemelas Beach (Playa Las Gemelas)
Downtown PuLas Gemelas Beach south of Puerto Vallartaerto Vallarta
Las Gemelas (Twin Beach as it would be translated), are two beaches, which are approximately 100 yards in length each, made notable by their fine white sand, clear water, and gentle waves on the shore.
On both of them, you’ll find a number of water activities to choose from. Swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, hiking, you can also climb the rocks that divide both the two sand stretches and search for crabs and minnows, finally, you can just relax enjoying the sun under a group of palm trees.
Los Arcos National Marine Park
Los Arcos de Mismaloya (The Mismaloya Arches), Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
This amazing marine park is located between Las Gemelas and Mismaloya. Don’t miss the opportunity to boat, snorkel or dive through the deep tunnels, caves, colorful reefs and arches of these wonderful islands. Acquaint yourself with the many forms of marine life and birds that live at and around Los Arcos. These islands appear to float on the surface of some of the deepest waters of the Pacific.
If you enjoy scuba diving, the area around Los Arcos has many beautiful fish, the sea bottom has some interesting pipefish that poke out of the sand too. So don’t forget to visit these islands and water parks, as their unforgettable image will come to mind every time you think of PV in the future.
Mismaloya Beach (Playa Mismaloya)
Mismaloya Beach, Puerto Vallarta
Located at the southernmost point of the south of Puerto Vallarta, Mismaloya is at the foot of the mountains and offers a beautiful blue-green bay for your day trip. If you want some of the best views the area has to offer, plus beautiful attractions along the way, luxurious hotels, great restaurants, and terraces over the beach take a slower trip down the coast to Mismaloya.
The beach itself is very famous for having been the one chosen by John Huston to film Tennessee Williams’ “The Night of the Iguana” in 1962-63. The ruins of the movie set remain at the far end to the South on the hill. In the rainy season, the beautiful river that feeds the bay swells up, offering a wide variety of flowers, fauna and colorful birds for the visiting bird watchers.
Boca de Tomatlan Beach (Playa Boca de Tomatlán)
Boca de Tomatlán Beach, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
Between small hills, trees, and palm trees, where the sweet waters of a river mix with the sea, lies a small fishing village called Boca de Tomatlan, this is the last beach to the South of Vallarta that is accessible from the highway before it curves inland. On its shores are several small rustic restaurants.
This is a great place to hire the famous pangas or water taxis that can take you to “island” style beaches & towns of Yelapa and Quimixto. After you enjoy the calm beach, the estuary, and the calm you can get on board your panga and zoom off to discover more of the Pacific Ocean beaches to the south.
Colomitos Beach (Playa Colomitos)
Colomitos Beach, Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco, Mexico
Located 1000 yards (5 minutes in water taxi) to the west of Boca de Tomatlán (11 miles / 17 km from Puerto Vallarta’s main square), Colomitos Beach (Playa Colomitos) is a small little clear-sand beach located between the clear emerald sea waves, rounded rocks and a small creek and waterfall that sneaks out of the lush tropical jungle.
There are two ways to get to the beach and cove, one, the easiest and recommended, for those that are not into hiking through the jungle and going up and down slopes, is by the sea in one of the local “pangas”, water taxis that depart from the pier in Boca de Tomatlan (they charge a few dollars per person for the ride).
Caballo Beach (Playa Caballo)
Caballo Beach (Playa Caballo or Playa El Caballo) north of Las Animas, Jalisco, Mexico
Playa Caballo (or El Caballo, I’ve seen it mentioned both ways – Horse or The Horse) is a beautiful, relatively isolated, beach just north of Las Animas Beach in the South Zone of the Banderas Bay.
You can get there directly by water taxi (panga) just ask to be left off at Playa Caballo, if you are not looking to get wet, maybe it’s best to arrive at the pier at Las Animas walk northeast along the beach, take the path to Hotelito Mio and to the right of the hotel is Caballo Beach, if you continue northeast you’ll get to Casitas Maraika, that has a small nice beach just to the right of it too.
Las Animas Beach (Playa Las Animas)
Las Animas is distinguished by its golden sands, to the right of the division by a line of stones is the tourist area, on the left is a much more private location called Playa Caballo (Horse Beach).
Behind it stand the imposing mountains and in front of it is the Pacific Ocean, colored a light blue because of the shallows and low depth, making it perfect for swimming, snorkeling, diving, and kayaking. Or if you just want to relax, sunbathe on one of the folding chairs in front of their many restaurants after you have had a delicious meal of fresh fish and shellfish.
Quimixto Beach (Playa Quimixto)
Quimixto Beach, Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco, Mexico
You can only get to Quimixto by boat or panga, those of you who are looking for new stories and adventures, you’ll find the little village of Quimixto, with a population of approximately 250 inhabitants. Visitors to this beach can either walk or ride a rented horse into the jungle where you’ll eventually find a large waterfall with a deep big lagoon for swimming or snorkeling. Afterward, you can return to the beach and enjoy a home-style meal at any of the Mexican seafood restaurants that are there.
To discover and enjoy the sea life on Quimixto, don’t forget to dive into its welcoming waters, where you’ll be amazed by a new world of tropical fish, sea turtles, coral, and much more.
Read more on Quimixto, Cabo Corrientes
Majahuitas Beach (Playa Majahuitas)
West side of Majahuitas Beach, Puerto Vallarta South Zone
This small colorful location offers a small beach with fine white sand, Majahuitas lies at the foot of a lush jungle, accompanied by the sounds of the jungle fauna, lapped by the soft blue waters of the bay.
Wander around in this spectacular place, with its transparent waters and a sunken canyon that you should see for yourself. Climb aboard for an adventure on a kayak, or simply stroll along the beach enjoy the sound of the waves, listen to the birds and try to catch a glimpse of iguanas or lizards.
Yelapa
Yelapa’s main beach, Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco, Mexico
Want to go to a place where waters meet and swirl. This is the original meaning of the name Yelapa, a picturesque beachside village, which opens its doors for you to explore its landscape, about 40 minutes away from Boca de Tomatlan by water taxi. This is a place distinguished by its colorful surroundings, its tradition, its kind, and gentle people, who for the most part, dedicate their lives to fishing and tourism. As it’s a traditional village, you must try their Mexican food dishes, fresh fish, and lobster.
Yelapa, due to its distance from normal civilization makes you feel as if you were on a tropical island, free from the normal stress, far from it all, you suddenly start feeling, hearing, enjoying all the new things that surround you, the big ground crabs, the silent flight of the bats, the romantic glow of the fireflies that come out at dusk, it’s a natural symphony just waiting for you to relax and listen in.
Cabo Corrientes
Pizota, Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco, Mexico
Mayto Beach
Continuing along the bay you’ll soon arrive at Mayto Beach, where you’ll encounter an impressive diversity of plants and animals, including the largest sea turtle conservation/release camp in the state of Jalisco.
Campamento Tortuguero / Sea Turtle Protection Camp: https://www.facebook.com/campamentomayto
Rancho Sol y Mar http://www.ranchosolymar.com
Mayto Beach, Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco, Mexico
Mayto Beach Location
Tehuamixtle Beach
Tehuamixtle, Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco, Mexico
If you are hungry, don’t miss out on Tehuamixtle beach, which is known for its large oysters and shrimp at very accessible prices, it is also a small beach 600 ft. (200 meters) long.
Not far from there lies Villa Del Mar, where the waves become agitated and vivid green imposing vistas abound. There is an estuary here where you can enjoy kayaking, or if you stay on land, just enjoy the diversity of locally grown crops, including tropical fruits.
Conclusion
The variety, nature, blessed weather and clean ocean, are a cornucopia for you to enjoy and cherish. Memories for a lifetime are carved into your mind by beauty, fun, and love, we hope you’ll find them in abundance here in Puerto Vallarta and the surrounding areas. Enjoy!
FAQ
- What is the safest part of Puerto Vallarta to stay in?
The Marina and the Romantic Zone are considered some of the safest areas to stay in Puerto Vallarta. Both areas are popular among tourists and offer a variety of accommodations, restaurants, and attractions. The Marina is known for its upscale atmosphere, luxury resorts, and high-end shops and restaurants. It has a very secure, controlled environment with 24/7 security personnel. The Romantic Zone offers a more authentic Mexican experience with cobblestone streets, colorful colonial buildings, and a vibrant mix of galleries, cafes, and bars. As a central tourist area, it also has a strong police presence and is considered very safe.
- Where do locals go in Puerto Vallarta?
Locals in Puerto Vallarta enjoy spending time at the city’s beautiful beaches, scenic parks, and lively local markets. Popular beach spots include Playa de Oro, Playa Las Animas, and Playa Camarones for their soft sand and calm waters. Many locals visit the Vallarta Botanical Gardens to enjoy the lush vegetation and hiking trails. They also frequent authentic local food venues like Birrieria las 3 Regiones taco stand, cafes like Cafecito Vallarta, and neighborhood bars like La Cerveceria Union. The downtown Lazaro Cardenas market is a favorite for produce, spices, crafts.
- Is Downtown Puerto Vallarta nice?
Yes, downtown Puerto Vallarta is an exceptionally nice and popular area, celebrated for its vibrant mix of historic Mexican charm and a lively beach town atmosphere. It features a picturesque historic center with cobblestone streets, colorful buildings, and the iconic Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe church. The downtown seamlessly blends into the scenic Malecón, a beautiful oceanfront boardwalk lined with fascinating sculptures, shops, and restaurants, making it perfect for strolling and enjoying the stunning ocean views.
The area offers an excellent variety of dining, from upscale restaurants to authentic street food, along with fantastic shopping in boutiques and art galleries. Adjacent to the main center is the popular Zona Romántica (Romantic Zone), known for its trendy vibe and energetic nightlife. The entire downtown is considered safe and is very walkable, allowing visitors to easily explore its captivating blend of culture, cuisine, and coastal beauty on foot.
Tip: For an unforgettable experience, head down to the Malecón or any beachfront spot about 30 minutes before the scheduled sundown to watch the spectacular sunset over the bay.
- What is considered old town in Puerto Vallarta?
Old Town, also known as the Romantic Zone or Zona Romántica, is considered the historic heart of Puerto Vallarta. It is characterized by its picturesque cobblestone streets, classic whitewashed buildings, red-tiled roofs, and a lively mix of shops, galleries, restaurants and bars. Nestled between the Sierra Madre mountains and Banderas Bay, Old Town has a traditional Mexican village charm with its colonial architecture and slower pace compared to the rest of Puerto Vallarta. Its romantic ambience comes from the area’s natural beauty, outdoor cafes, and charming boutique hotels. Old Town offers visitors a taste of an authentic Mexican neighborhood.
Book tours & support us
- Best prices
- 100% Local Support
- 2 decades+ of experience in Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta news, tips & content
- New info every two weeks
- Free content, news, videos
- Unsubscribe at any time
Contact us via WhatsApp
- Talk with our reservations expert
- Real local and human support
- Book tours, hotels, transfers, and more.
Share this article, choose your favorite option!
