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    Boca de Tomatlán: houses on the hillside above the beach, Jalisco

    Photo by Bernard DUPONT, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Water taxis moored in the river mouth at Boca de Tomatlán, Jalisco

    Photo by Bernard DUPONT, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    The cove at Boca de Tomatlán with boats, Jalisco

    Photo by Andy Blackledge, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Boca de Tomatlán

    Village Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco Municipality of Puerto Vallarta Banderas Bay

    Fishing village at the mouth of the Horcones River where the coastal road ends and water taxis leave for Las Ánimas, Quimixto and Yelapa.

    From Puerto Vallarta: 25 min by car (21 km by road) How to get there ↓

    Near here

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    Plan your visit to Boca de Tomatlán

    Where to stay near Boca de Tomatlán

    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Boca de Tomatlán.

    Hotels in Boca de Tomatlán Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Boca de Tomatlán

    Day trips and guided outings from Sayulita often include Boca de Tomatlán; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Los Arcos Half-Day Snorkeling & 6 Hidden Beaches Tour ★ 5.0 (256) · From US$55
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Boca de Tomatlán

    • From Puerto Vallarta: about 25 min by road (~21 km)
    • Nearest airport: Puerto Vallarta (PVR), 41 min by car to Sayulita
    Rent a car at PVR Flights to PVR

    Route, map and directions ↓

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    Popular tours to Boca de Tomatlán

    Los Arcos Half-Day Snorkeling & 6 Hidden Beaches Tour ★ 5.0 (256) 4 h From US$55
    Coastal and Jungle Hiking Tour along 6 Beaches of Puerto Vallarta ★ 5.0 (105) 5 h 30 min From US$45
    Puerto Vallarta Speedboat Tour Adventure Excursion ★ 5.0 (1) 6 h 30 min From US$129

    Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.

    About Boca de Tomatlán

    Boca de Tomatlán, known locally as Boca, is a fishing village at the southern edge of Banderas Bay, about 4 km past Mismaloya, where the Horcones River comes down from the Sierra Madre and enters a small cove. It is the last point where Federal Highway 200 runs along the sea; from here it turns inland towards Las Juntas y Los Veranos and El Tuito. The village spreads over both banks of the river and had 585 inhabitants in the 2020 census; the name Tomatlán means "place of tomatoes".

    Boca matters to visitors because the road ends here and the boats begin. It is the main departure point for the water taxis (pangas) to the south-shore beaches and villages that no road reaches: Colomitos, Las Ánimas, Quimixto, Majahuitas and Yelapa. A palm-lined malecón with a pier and a reinforced breakwater for the river mouth was inaugurated on 7 April 2017, and it is where the boats load. A well-marked coastal trail also starts here, crossing the river and following the shore past Colomitos cove and small beaches to Las Ánimas, about 4 km away, and on to Quimixto; it has steep climbs and a few rope-assisted sections.

    The village itself is small and unpolished: fishing boats, seafood restaurants by the water, and a beach split in two by the river mouth, with the pier and water taxis on the north side and a quieter stretch with umbrellas on the south. The cove is sheltered and the water calm. Pelicans, egrets, herons and frigatebirds are everywhere, whale-watching trips run from November to March, and the opening scenes of Predator were shot on this beach. Boca Divers offers scuba and snorkel trips, and buses bound for El Tuito pass the Vallarta Botanical Gardens.

    How to get to Boca de Tomatlán

    Drive from Puerto Vallarta: 25 min, 21 km

    Boca is on Federal Highway 200, about 4 km past Mismaloya. White buses marked Boca leave from the corner of Basilio Badillo and Constitución in the Zona Romántica about every 20 minutes (10 pesos in January 2026), the same line that serves Mismaloya; the trip takes 20 to 30 minutes. Taxis and ride-share cars also make the trip. Water taxis from Boca reach Colomitos in about 5 minutes, Las Ánimas in 10, Quimixto in 15, Majahuitas in 20 and Yelapa in about 30.

    Directions to Boca de Tomatlán on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

    Where to stay Hotels in Boca de Tomatlán Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Boca de Tomatlán. See prices →

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    From the nearest cities to Boca de Tomatlán

    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 Tomatlán: hours, prices and tips

    Hours
    The posted Boca–Yelapa water-taxi schedule runs daily from 8:00 am to 6:30 pm (last boats back from Yelapa around 6 pm); service depends on the weather. PuertoVallarta.net · checked Oct 2026
    Entry
    The water taxi from Boca to Yelapa costs about 90 pesos per person one way (March 2026); shorter hops to Colomitos or Las Ánimas cost less. Puerto Vallarta Viarta · checked Oct 2026
    Time needed
    Water taxis take about 5 minutes to Colomitos, 10 to Las Ánimas, 15 to Quimixto, 20 to Majahuitas and 30 to Yelapa. PuertoVallarta.net · checked Oct 2026
    Best season
    Whale-watching tours run from November to March. PuertoVallarta.net · checked Oct 2026
    What to bring
    Proper shoes, not flip-flops, for the coastal trail to Las Ánimas and Quimixto. PuertoVallarta.net · checked Oct 2026
    Rules
    Swim away from the panga area northeast of the river mouth, where the water taxis come and go. PuertoVallarta.net · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Boca de Tomatlán: what to see and do

    Catch a water taxi to Las Ánimas, Quimixto, Majahuitas or Yelapa from the pier.
    Hike the coastal trail past Colomitos cove to Las Ánimas beach, about 4 km.
    Eat fresh seafood at the restaurants over the river mouth and the bay.
    Swim on the quieter south side of the beach, away from the boats.
    Go whale watching from November to March, or snorkel and dive with Boca Divers.
    Visit the Vallarta Botanical Gardens, a short bus ride inland.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Boca de Tomatlán

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Boca de Tomatlán.

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    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Sayulita often include Boca de Tomatlán; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at PVR (Puerto Vallarta): about 41 min by road to Sayulita, then 42 km more to Boca de Tomatlán, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Puerto Vallarta (PVR), about 41 min by road from Sayulita, the base for Boca de Tomatlán.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    Medical and trip cover for Mexico, by the week or month.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Sayulita: download a map of the way to Boca de Tomatlán before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

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    Photos

    When to go to Boca de Tomatlán warm

    Boca de Tomatlán shares the climate of Sayulita, 42 km away. The best months to visit are March, April, May, and November.

    See the month-by-month climate of Sayulita

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Sayulita

    Palm-shaded street of shops and stalls in the center of Sayulita, Nayarit warm
    Nayarit Sayulita

    Sayulita is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Boca de Tomatlán, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

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    Closest to Boca de Tomatlán

    Near Boca de Tomatlán

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.