Beach Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco Municipality of Puerto Vallarta Banderas Bay
A beach of seafood ramadas behind Puerto Vallarta's airport, by the Ameca river mouth: come for pescado sarandeado, not a swim, as crocodiles live here.
From Puerto Vallarta: 20 min by car (14 km by road) How to get there ↓
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Where to stay near Boca de Tomates
Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Boca de Tomates.
Tours to Boca de Tomates
Day trips and guided outings from Sayulita often include Boca de Tomates; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Tours from Puerto Vallarta
Winner 2026 Downtown Vallarta Food Tour with Vallarta Food Tours
★ 5.0 (3,971) · From US$59
How to get to Boca de Tomates
- From Puerto Vallarta: about 20 min by road (~14 km)
- Nearest airport: Puerto Vallarta (PVR), 41 min by car to Sayulita
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Tours from Puerto Vallarta, near Boca de Tomates
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About Boca de Tomates
Boca de Tomates is a beach and cluster of open-air seafood restaurants on the northern edge of Puerto Vallarta, behind Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport and next to the mouth of the Ameca River. A dirt road runs a couple of kilometres from the highway to the shore, which is surrounded by mangroves, where a line of ramadas, palm-roofed eateries with tables on the sand, look south across the bay towards the hotel zone and the mountains behind the city.
People come here to eat. The ramadas are known for pescado sarandeado, whole fish split open, marinated and grilled over wood, and they also serve shrimp, octopus, scallops, crab, lobster and oysters. It is a relaxed, local place, tucked away yet popular, and the view of the city from the beach is one of its draws.
It is not a swimming beach. The river mouth and the Estero Boca Negra, a small coastal wetland just behind the shore fed by an arm of the Ameca, are home to American crocodiles, which researchers have studied nesting there, and they regularly move towards the sea. In September 2026 Puerto Vallarta's civil protection office said the red and purple warning flags at Boca de Tomates would stay up permanently because of them. The surf is also strong here, and the river washes trees and debris onto the sand, especially in the rainy season from June to October, when the estuary fills. Keep to the ramadas, watch the birds over the mangroves, and leave the water to the crocodiles.
How to get to Boca de Tomates
Drive from Puerto Vallarta: 20 min, 14 km
From downtown Puerto Vallarta, follow Highway 200 (Boulevard Francisco Medina Ascencio) north past Marina Vallarta and the airport towards Tepic, then turn off onto the Camino a Boca de Tomates, an unpaved road of a few kilometres to the beach. The whole trip is about 16 km and roughly 20 to 30 minutes by car or taxi, depending on traffic.
Directions to Boca de Tomates on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Boca de Tomates
- Puerto Vallarta · 14 km by road, 20 min
- Tepic · 172 km by road, 2 h 25 min
- Autlán · about 180 km by road, ~2 h 40 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Before you go to Boca de Tomates: hours, prices and tips
- Best season
- The rainy season runs from June to October, when the Ameca and the estuary rise and the river carries trees and debris onto the beach. Wikipedia (Boca de Tomates) · checked Oct 2026
- Rules
- Do not swim: Puerto Vallarta civil protection keeps red and purple flags flying here permanently because crocodiles move from the estuary to the shore (September 2026). Azteca Jalisco · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Boca de Tomates: what to see and do
Eat pescado sarandeado, grilled over wood, at one of the beachfront ramadas.
Order a seafood spread of shrimp, octopus, oysters or crab with your feet in the sand.
Look south across the bay to Puerto Vallarta's hotel zone and the mountains behind it.
Watch herons and other birds over the mangroves of the Estero Boca Negra, from a safe distance.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Boca de Tomates
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Boca de Tomates.
Tours & activities
Day trips and guided outings from Sayulita often include Boca de Tomates; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at PVR (Puerto Vallarta): about 41 min by road to Sayulita, then 28 km more to Boca de Tomates, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Puerto Vallarta (PVR), about 41 min by road from Sayulita, the base for Boca de Tomates.
Travel insurance
If you plan on swimming or surfing at Boca de Tomates, check that your policy covers it: some plans leave adventure activities out.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Sayulita: download a map of the way to Boca de Tomates before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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Photos
When to go to Boca de Tomates warm
Boca de Tomates shares the climate of Sayulita, 28 km away. The best months to visit are March, April, May, and November.
Boca de Tomates is best for swimming and time on the water in the warmest months (June, July, and August); in the rainiest ones (July, August, and September) expect storms in the afternoon.
See the month-by-month climate of Sayulita
Weather in Boca de Tomates now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
The closest Pueblo Mágico: Sayulita
Sayulita is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Boca de Tomates, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Mascota · Jalisco · 53 km away
- Talpa de Allende · Jalisco · 57 km away
- San Sebastián del Oeste · Jalisco · 72 km away
- Compostela · Nayarit · 74 km away
Closest to Boca de Tomates
-
VidantaWorld · Landmark · 1 km away
-
Las Jarretaderas · Town · 2 km away
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Marina Vallarta · Landmark · 3 km away
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Paradise Village Marina · Landmark · 3 km away
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Aquaventuras Park · Landmark · 4 km away
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Estero El Salado · Nature reserve · 4 km away
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Nuevo Vallarta · Town · 4 km away
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Playa de Oro · Beach · 4 km away
Near Boca de Tomates
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Lists with Boca de Tomates
Beaches in Jalisco · 20 Beaches near Puerto Vallarta · 40 Beaches near Sayulita · 42 Beaches near Mascota · 16 Beaches near Talpa de Allende · 17Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.