Beaches

 Linda Mar Beach and beach restaurant.

 Los Muertos Beach

Los Muertos Beach is the main public beach in town and a great place to visit day or night. Here you will find all the beachfront palapa restaurants and water sports such as wave runners, banana boats, parasailing and boat charters. Puerto Vallarta's most popular beach, Playa de los Muertos is a long sandy beach on the South Side. Located just south of the Rio Cuale in Old Town, this funky and wildly popular beach is great for parasailing and lined with shops, restaurants and bars where you can grab a chair and table.

New town Pier on Los Muertos Beach.

Los Muertos Beach om Front of La Palapa Restaurant.

There is also Olas Altas area and Romantic Zone in town.

Just steps south of town is the Amapas Beach area.

Amapas Beach is a beautiful cove just south of Los Muertos beach.

Amapas Beach The Water Taxis leaves Los Muertos pier every morning at 10 and 11 am for the beautiful beaches on the south part of they bay only accessible by boat. We highly recommend visiting Las Animas Beach.

Las Animas Beach. There are several small beach restaurants here.  Can only be reached by water taxi or larger boat.

 Next going south by water taxi will be the bohemain paradise of Yelapa.

Yelapa Beach One of the most famous beaches on Banderas Bay in Puerto Vallarta Mexico. This tiny village has a very informal, laid-back ambiance. An interesting blend of a South Seas island lifestyle, an artist retreat and a hippie hangout - Yelapa's an escape from civilization and a photographer's dream!

A short hike or horseback ride will take you to the tropical forest above the village, where you can take pictures of Yelapa's 150-foot waterfall. Yelapa is as diverse as the people who live here. The most popular activity on Yelapa is doing nothing at all, but if you're feeling adventurous there are many things to see, do, and photograph. The golden sand beach is a superb place to snorkel, parasail, or take snapshots of your Vallarta beach vacation.

 Conchas Chinas beach isabout 5 minutes south of town on the Mismaloya highway.

Playa de Conchas Chinas Beach is located 3 minutes from downtown Puerto Vallarta - just south of Los Muertos Beach - Conchas Chinas starts at the water's edge and stretches up to the top of the Sierra Madre Mountains. This beautiful Puerto Vallarta beach community is one of the most prestigious in the area. Luxury homes and villas are nestled on the mountainside along Mexico's Pacific coast, offering tremendous views of the bay, the mountains and the town of Vallarta. Called Puerto Vallarta's ultimate luxury escape, Conchas Chinas offers peace, tranquility and enchanting vistas. Playa de Conchas Chinas offers gorgeous sandy strands for relaxing, ocean breezes and colorful sunsets. It is a succession of beautiful sandy beaches set in small coves separated by volcanic reefs, great for swimming and snorkeling. You can access these beaches by dining at Lindo Mar beach restaurant first, a beautiful beachfront restaurant on the south end of Conchas Chinas beach. The main entrance is on the Mismaloya highway next to El Set restaurant; they are known for their great Sunday brunch. Other public accesses to Conchas Chinas beach are found at the first entrance to lower Conchas Chinas below Casa Pedro, at the second entrance to Lower Concha Chinas below Sagitario street and at the cut off before Hotel Conchas Chinas, another downhill street that ends at the ocean, all on the Mismaloya highway. From the south end of Conchas Chinas beach near Lindo Mar, you can walk north along a beach trail all the way to Los Muertos Beach and the Olas Altas area/Romantic Zone in town.

 Garza Blanca Beach -Is located off the Barra de Navidad road on the way to Mismaloya, this small, tranquil white sand, city beach is framed with palms and crystal clear water that laps the shoreline. Garza Blanca is popular with the locals on weekends and the perfect spot for a picnic and enjoying the sand and surf. There is now a spectacular resort there that you can purchase a day pass to use the beach and restaurant facilities.

Las Caletas Beach-Las Caletas can only be reached by boat from either the marina (party boat) or any of the other beaches by taking a water taxi.  The big boats will let you off at the private dock in Las Caletas. 

 

 Mismaloya Beach.

Mismaloya Beach is located about 10 km south of Old Town. You can take the bus or taxi to the entrance of La Jolla de Mismaloya hotel, walk towards the ocean down the path that runs between the hotel and the river, it takes you all the way to the beach. Mismaloya is the main launching point for fishing and snorkeling inside the bay, site of the original film set of “Night of the Iguana” the notorious movie starring Richard Burton that put Vallarta on the map in the early 1960’s. Mismaloya is an authentic Mexican jungle village and popular beach with locals featuring rustic palapa restaurants; all major water sports available for rent. Horseback riding upriver to jungle restaurant and waterfall at “El Eden”, film set of “The Predator”.

 

 Majahuitas Beach can only be accessed by water taxi from Boca Tomatlan. Named after a yellow hibiscus-like flower that grows in this area, Majahuitas Beach is an amazing sandy white beach that descends gradually into the ocean, complemented by the backdrop of luscious palm trees swaying in the ocean breeze.

This jewel of a beach is located on the south side of Banderas Bay and truly deserves the name “tropica Paradise.” Get aboard a water taxi that will take you to Majahuitas, a beautiful sheltered cove with a white sandy beach, and crystal-clear water. This remote spot is only Accessible by boat (water taxi) and is the perfect location for the nature lover to go snorkeling, swimming, hiking, or relax on a pristine beach. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to explore and enjoy sea life, beautiful underwater worlds, and amazing tropical fish in the waters of Majahuitas.

This amazing tropical getaway is not only a great spot for those waiting to go underwater. If you prefer land over sea, go on a nature hike and look out for rare birds and other amazing local wildlife. Or discover plants and flowers you have never seen before.

 Boca de Tomatlan Beach -With a primitive feel, this small sandy cove at the edge of the jungle three miles south of Mismaloya is where the mouth of the Tomatlan River meets Banderas Bay. The last beach that is accessible by road, Boca de Tomatlan is very quiet and peaceful and is a great swimming beach. The beach offers Palapa restaurants, small seafood restaurants and taco stands that serve fresh-caught fish and Mexican fare. You can hire local pangas here to take you to Yepala, Las Animas or Quimixto. Water taxis are available to rent to cruise the south coast line and small beaches.

 Los Arcos Islands National Marine Park is actually huge rock formations located at the mouth of Mismaloya Beach cove, an excellent spot for snorkeling. You will see a dive shop on the path down to the beach to rent snorkeling gear. They can take you snorkeling, diving, fishing or just out for a pleasure cruise in their boat at very reasonable rates, cost for the boat for the day is about $2000 Pesos plus tip. Depending on the tide, you can sometimes rent boogie boards on Los Muertos Beach. You can take water taxis from town to the area.

Bucerias Beach is located about 15 minutes north of the Puerto Vallarta International airport.  Bucerias is a small town that used to be a fishing village.  Very quaint and charming.  Worth a day trip to have lunch and walk around.  North of Bucerias is the very small village of La Cruz.  Beach can be a bit rocky here and north of here many more beautiful beaches.

The closer you get to the north near Sayulita the waves get bigger for those surfers.

Sayulita.

North of Puerto Vallarta is the famous Sayulita coast line with great surfing on the north Pacific coast of Nayarit. Sayulita and San Pancho are about a hour's drive north of Puerto Vallarta with beautiful beaches.

 Marina Vallarta Beach -

Catering to those staying at the resort hotels, the wide, sandy beach of Marina Vallarta offers beautiful views of Puerto Vallarta and its mountain backdrop. Check out Nikki Beach, a sexy and cool restaurant/bar/beach club where you can eat and drink right in bed

Marieta Islands are thirty minutes off the north coast of Puerto Vallarta, halfway up Mexico's Pacific seaboard.  Marieta Islands are at the heart of a big marine national park created from what was once a naval firing range. Locals will tell you that the extraordinary natural formations here were caused, in part, by the shelling and explosions.  You can only reach islands by boat.

 Ocean Grill Beach private beach.