Puerto Vallarta’s Beaches

Puerto Vallarta is a popular resort city located on Mexico’s Pacific coast. Air travel from Mexico City takes just under an hour, and Puerto Vallarta can also be visited on cheap holidays from destinations throughout North America and Europe. Puerto Vallarta is best known for its beaches, and there are lots of them to choose from. More than 42km (26 miles) of coastline stretches around the Bay of Banderas extending in both directions north and south of the city.

Puerto Vallarta’s beaches are as beautiful as they are diverse.

• Playa Los Muertos (also known as Playa Olas Atlas) is the only beach that is easily accessible from the city center. It’s popular and often crowded – especially on the weekends. On the southern end of the beach is a stretch of sand known as Blue Chairs – one of Puerto Vallarta’s most famous gay beaches.
• Playa Mismaloya is a small sheltered cove located roughly 10km (6 miles) south of the city center. The movie Night of the Iguana was filmed at Playa Mismaloya and today, visitors to Mismaloya can dine at a restaurant constructed on the restored film set.
• Boca de Tomatlán is a small seaside village located 4km south of Mismaloya. The beach is lined with palapa restaurants and is a nice laid-back place to relax for the day.
• Playa Las Animas, Quimixto and Yelapa are the most secluded of the southern beaches. Situated along the southern side of the bay, they are only accessible by boat. A jungle waterfall can be reached via a half-hour hike from the beach at Quimixto. Yelapa is busiest mid-day when it is visited by cruise ships.
• Playa Camarones, Playa Las Glorias, Playa Los Tules, Playa Las Palmas and Playa de Oro are all located north of the city center in Puerto Vallarta’s zona hotelera, or hotel zone.

There are a variety of organized boat tours on offer in Puerto Vallarta including sunset cruises, deep-sea fishing, snorkeling, swimming and diving excursions. One of the most popular day trip destinations is the uninhabited Marietas Islands located 30-45 minutes by boat off the northern shore of the Bay of Banderas – a great spot for bird-watching, snorkeling and exploring hidden beaches. Whale-watching season in Puerto Vallarta runs from late November through mid-March.

You may come for the beaches, but at some point you’ll have to head back into town. Fortunately, there’s plenty to see and do. Shoppers can browse the Mercado de Artesanías, Bazaar Artes Indias, Artesanías Flores and the shops along the malécon, while active travelers can enjoy horseback riding, parasailing, canopy tours, kayaking and golf. Art lovers can admire the sand sculptures and take in the Artwalk – a tour of Puerto Vallarta’s downtown art galleries.

Puerto Vallarta has one of the most exceptional dining scenes of any resort town in Mexico, and after dark the city offers a fantastic selection of restaurants, bars and nightclubs.

Work up an appetite wandering the cobblestone streets of the downtown area then head out to sample some of the country’s best cuisine. There’s something for every taste and budget from small, family-run eateries to high-end restaurants serving up elegant international cuisine. Be sure to try the local fare, fresh seafood and regional dishes. A concentration of nightspots lies along Calle Ignacio L. Vallarta and along the malécon.

Puerto Vallarta enjoys a year-round warm climate and the city’s varied offerings have made it an enjoyable destination for everyone. The temperature ranges from 25-35 degrees C (75-95 degrees F) throughout the year. June-September are the hottest and rainiest months. Evening temperatures can dip down into the upper teens (60-70 F) during the winter months.

Photo credit: via flickr

This post is supported by On The Beach.