Olas Altas Beach Guide, Puerto Vallarta Romantic Zone

Olas Altas Beach (Tall Wave Beach) is one of the main beaches in the Puerto Vallarta city area because it is part of the same beach that is the most popular in town, Los Muertos Beach. Because of this, it tends not to be known or even named.

You’ll find this beach along the northern end of the Romantic Zone. It starts off by the mouth of the Cuale River and ends by the Los Muertos Pier.

You’ll also notice that the main street in the Old Town is also called Olas Altas, so it’s an important feature in town.

I must admit to have been making the same mistake for years (the video below has it burnt in the captions), I thought this beach ended at Venustiano Carranza Street, but it actually ends at Francisca Rodríguez Street and the Los Muertos Beach pier!

How do I know now? I am basing my decision on moving the Playa Olas Altas limit on the words of Mr. Carlos Munguía Fregoso, the late Official City historian (cronista) that in his 1996 book “Puerto Vallarta el paraíso escondido” states:

“The fine sands of Los Muertos Beach extend from the end of Francisca Rodríguez Street (Hotel Marsol) all the way to the rock formations known as Las Pilitas and El Púlpito.”

Because we know the northern end of Olas Altas to be the Cuale River and the southern end to be Los Muertos Beach, we have a well-defined beach of approximately 2000 ft (600 m) – depending on where the river mouth is located at a given point in time (it moves a bit from year to year).

Olas Altas Beach

As mentioned, Olas Altas and Los Muertos beaches are parts of one long stretch of sand that runs uninterruptedly from the Cuale River to the north and El Púlpito (The Pulpit) to the south. That means you have all the same services and activities available as at the main beach in town, you’ll just have to walk a little bit depending on just how far north you are.

Olas Altas has great soft golden sand, at times you’ll find parts of it with smaller rocks and this is a constant along all beaches in the Banderas Bay, it is just part of a normal beach in a bay with numerous river tributaries and strong currents. In general, it is a great beach to stroll along, and kids will enjoy wading in the water and making sandcastles and tunnels. The beach’s more family-friendly and swimmable areas are closer to the pier, where there are lifeguards and fewer waves.

Watersports & sports

Among the most common water activities to enjoy here are parasailing and jet skiing. They are located both south and north of the pier. On Olas Altas, you’ll find them between The Blue Shrimp and Pueblito Mío restaurants. They need space for take-off and landing, so you won’t find them where it’s too crowded (wouldn’t recommend it either). Another favorite is jet skiing. You’ll find various rental options up and down the beach. At the pier (the southern end of Olas Altas), you’ll find various sea activity providers, and among them, the banana boat is a fun and popular option too. What about volleyball? I’ve seen people playing just to the south of Francisca Rodríguez street, by the path to the pier, so technically it’s Los Muertos Beach, but there is an option.

Fishing

Los Muertos Beach and the beach close to the pier are not recommended for fishing, but on the pier itself and on parts of Olas Altas, you’ll find many people partaking in fishing, some for fun and some for food. If you enjoy this sport, bring your gear along. I’ve seen anglers from the Cuale River to more or less La Langosta Loca, especially early when there are fewer people around.

Exploring the area and shopping

As mentioned, the limit between Olas Altas and Los Muertos is the street and the pier (I guess that in the past there must have been a geographical feature that made them divide the beach in two; my best guess is that there was a creek there coming down from the hills to the east), so is the pier in Olas Altas or Los Muertos? ;-) Anyway, a stroll along the Los Muertos Beach Pier is a must. Grab some great photos of the area and the clear, emerald-green waters that so well represent the area. No matter what time of the day it is, it’ll be a wonderful sight. After sunset and during the night, the pier is illuminated with beautiful and changing colors.

Along the edge of the beach, you’ll only find restaurants, so if you need stores for souvenirs or other products, you’ll need to go to the parallel street, surprisingly called Olas Altas Street, where there’ll be a variety of options. For better options and prices, go to the flea market that starts on the corner of Olas Altas and Basilio Badillo, or even better, the Olas Altas Farmer’s Market each Saturday, starting the first Saturday of November to the last Saturday of April between 9:30 am and 2 pm at Lázaro Cárdenas Park, just 50 yards from the beach.

If you are in dire need of a drink, some peanuts, or nuts, there is one convenience store (OXXO) right on the corner of Francisco I. Madero street and the sidewalk that follows the edge of the Olas Altas beach, right behind La Langosta Loca.

Now here is something you won’t have to worry about. Where to eat, is more of a matter of what is the best option for me/us. There’s a long list of options along Olas Altas, from north to south.

Right by the Cuale River, under the pedestrian bridge and lookout, there are one or two stands that offer fresh seafood tostadas and raw oysters. They are not my thing, but they seem to be very popular and tasty. Then, on the corner of Aquiles Serdán street and the edge of Olas Altas, is the well-known The Sea Monkey Restaurant and Bar.

On the corner of Francisco I. Madero Street and right on the beach is La Langosta Loca, known for its seafood. Use the top deck to avoid the vendors if you are stressed out. Then you’ll find The Red Onion, Burros Bar Restaurant, Serranos Steakhouse, Canto del Mar, A Taste of Italy, The Blue Shrimp

Then there are the options along the edge of the buildings and hotels between Olas Altas street and the beach, which include Daiquiri Dick’s (that was being remodelled in Dec. 2021), Coco Tropical (gone), Mi Pueblito Restaurant-Bar, Langostino’s Restaurant and Bar, and finally, on the corner of Francisca Rodriguez and Cuates y Cuetes.

You can obviously continue south beyond the end of the Olas Altas beach and visit other restaurants along the edge of the Los Muertos beach, including Si Señor, La Palapa, and El Dorado.

All the streets south of the Cuale River, from Aquiles Serdán to Francisca Rodríguez, take you to the edge of Olas Altas beach. Getting to the beach is really easy. Another, and more specific way to get to Olas Altas is from the downtown area (called Centro), along the edge. You’ll walk from the Malecon/boardwalk southward along the Malecon extension (sometimes called Malecon II) until you reach a pedestrian bridge over the Cuale River (you can also use it to go down to the Cuale River Island). You’ll continue along with the sea and beach to your right. Once you get over it, you’ll have Olas Altas Beach on your right (the west).

Catalina Montes de Oca Contreras (late city historian) would talk about their trips to the beaches south of the Cuale River before there was a bridge (the first one for vehicles was inaugurated in October 1959) on horseback. They would have to go a bit up the Cuale River edge as the lands by the river on Olas Altas were farmed for potatoes, jicama (Mexican water chestnut) and sweet potatoes. She recounts the following in her book on their way back to town after a morning on the beach and in the sea:

“… we rode back home with a ferocious hunger, because in those days there were no restaurants or eateries on the beach. We would dismount on Olas Altas, to sit on the sand to savor the delicious grilled fish; I had never eaten it that way, so typical and primitive. The fishermen skewered them [the fish] on rods and, roasted them on bonfires made with coquito oil coconut shell embers until they took on a golden color. They were sold for 20 cents. We accompanied them with some white and warm tortillas along with their tasty sauce.

I remember that there on the beach, after eating our fish, we stayed admiring the sunset with the hope that we would see the “green flash”, the last rays that the sun gives off when it sets.”  – From “Puerto Vallarta en mis recuerdos”

Carlos Munguía Fregoso, the late city historian, recounts:

“On the hills east of the beach lived the fishermen who, every morning before sunrise. would come down with sails and oars over their shoulders to go fishing.

At the foot of the hills, there were several palapas (palm-frond huts) such as Cloro’s or Murillo’s, where coconuts, soft drinks, and the occasional glass of raicilla (local moonshine) were sold. Farther to the south, the leafy manzanilla trees provided shade for most bathers, but some unfortunate beach-goers developed a severe rash from being near the tree.

Los Muertos Beach is the most popular beach in Puerto Vallarta. Up until the 1960s, it was the favorite place of the families of Vallarta for their Sunday picnics. They would gather in the shade of a palm-frond lean-to and eat the tacos they had brought from home in straw baskets or the tacos they bought on the beach, adorned with a little shredded cabbage and seasoned liberally with Tomatlan sauce.

The adults, sitting on beach chairs or reclining on woven palm mats, chatted while the children, under the ever-vigilant eyes of their parents, played in the bay’s crystalline waters. Instead of the unpleasant odours of gasoline and sun-tan lotion, the beach was fragrant with the smells of salt air breezes and fish-on-a-stick grilling over an open fire. ” From “Puerto Vallarta el paraíso escondido”.

Unlike the Puerto Vallarta downtown area, Olas Altas and Los Muertos have quite a few hotel options.

There are a number of hotels very close to the beach or right on the beach edge. From north to south, we have, for example:

Hotel Gaviota Vallarta on Fco. I. Madero, Hotel Eloisa on Lázaro Cárdenas and Hotel Posada Lily on Basilio Badillo. Hotel Playa Los Arcos and Hotel Marsol are located on the southern end of the beach by the Los Muertos Pier. Check the map below for more options in the Romantic Zone.

Hotels in the Romantic Zone

So there you go, Olas Altas Beach, one of the main beaches in town, and certainly both well-located and well-endowed with lots of fun, lodging, and eating options, right in the middle of Puerto Vallarta, with easy access on foot to the Malecon, Cuale River Island, the sea and sunsets, beach activities, and all the action in the Romantic Zone. Enjoy!

El Malecón Beach, Hotel Rosita in the foreground (bottom left)

• Munguía Fregoso, Carlos. Puerto Vallarta el paraíso escondido. Pro Biblioteca de Vallarta AC; 1996.
• Montes de Oca Contreras, Catalina. Puerto Vallarta en mis recuerdos. 3ra edición. Puerto Vallarta al 100 Edición especial; 2018.

Article author: M. A. Gallardo