Beach Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco Municipality of Cabo Corrientes Banderas Bay
John Huston's former jungle hideaway between Quimixto and Yelapa, now a boat-only beach visited on Vallarta Adventures day trips and evening shows.
Reached by boat from Marina Vallarta: 45 min each way. How to get there ↓
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Plan your visit to Las Caletas
Where to stay near Las Caletas
Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Las Caletas.
Tours to Las Caletas
Day trips and guided outings from Sayulita often include Las Caletas; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Puerto Vallarta Las Caletas, Adventure Park & Lunch with Open Bar
★ 4.5 (848) · From US$109
How to get to Las Caletas
- Reached by boat from Marina Vallarta: 45 min each way.
- From Puerto Vallarta: about 5 min by road (~5 km)
- Nearest airport: Puerto Vallarta (PVR), 41 min by car to Sayulita
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Popular tours to Las Caletas
Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.
About Las Caletas
Las Caletas, "the coves", is a small beach and its rocky inlets on the south shore of Banderas Bay, in the municipality of Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco, between the village of Quimixto and Yelapa. No road reaches this stretch of coast, and the beaches of soft golden sand sit at the foot of steep jungle, sheltered from the open bay. The land belongs to the indigenous community of Chacala, and the place owes its fame to one tenant in particular.
In the 1970s the film director John Huston, whose film The Night of the Iguana had helped put Puerto Vallarta on the map, leased part of the land. He began building his retreat in 1976 and moved in in 1978, once the local designer and builder Freddy Romero had finished the main buildings in the regional "Vallarta style" of white walls, tile roofs, stone and wood. Huston lived here into the 1980s, drawn by the isolation, the wildlife and the lack of roads, and called it one of the most beautiful places in the world.
After Huston, the land was leased for tourism, and today Las Caletas is run by the tour company Vallarta Adventures. Visits come only as part of its excursions: the boats leave Marina Vallarta and take about 45 minutes. A day visit is all-inclusive, with lunch, an open bar, snorkeling, kayaking and paddleboarding in the calm, clear water, hammocks on the sand, jungle trails and animal encounters, a children's adventure park and zip lines and water rides for older visitors. In the evening the beach becomes the stage for a dinner show; torchlit beach dinners with music and dance started here in the early 1990s and grew into the Rhythms of the Night production, currently presented as ALMA. From November to March humpback whales can often be seen from the beach without binoculars.
How to get to Las Caletas
Drive from Puerto Vallarta to Marina Vallarta: 5 min, 5 km
Las Caletas has no road, parking or public transport, and public water taxis are not accepted for entry: you go on a Vallarta Adventures excursion. Boats leave from Marina Vallarta in Puerto Vallarta (check in at least 45 minutes before departure) and take about 45 minutes; some evening departures also leave from Nuevo Vallarta in Nayarit.
Reached by boat from Marina Vallarta: 45 min each way.
Directions to Las Caletas on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Las Caletas
- Puerto Vallarta · 5 km by road, 5 min to Marina Vallarta, then 45 min by boat
- Tepic · 171 km by road, 2 h 15 min to Marina Vallarta, then 45 min by boat
- Autlán · about 175 km by road, ~2 h 35 min to Marina Vallarta, then 45 min by boat
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Before you go to Las Caletas: hours, prices and tips
- Entry
- Visits are sold only as an all-inclusive excursion: the Las Caletas beach day was listed at 159 US dollars per adult (often discounted to about 111), with children 3 and under free. Bring extra cash for the dock fee. Vallarta Adventures · checked Oct 2026
- Time needed
- The beach day lasts about 7 hours including the boat ride of roughly 45 minutes each way. Vallarta Adventures · checked Oct 2026
- Best season
- From November to March humpback whales can be seen from the beach, no binoculars needed. El Universal · checked Oct 2026
- Guide or tour
- Entry is only with a Vallarta Adventures excursion, which includes the boat; public ferries and independent water taxis are not accepted, and there is no walk-up entry. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide The Ticket Fairy · checked Oct 2026
- What to bring
- Swimsuit, hat, towel, biodegradable sunscreen, insect repellent, a light sweater in winter, and cash for the dock fee, optional activities and photos. Vallarta Adventures · checked Oct 2026
- Rules
- The site is not wheelchair accessible, and the evening show has a minimum age of six. The Ticket Fairy · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Las Caletas: what to see and do
Snorkel, kayak or paddleboard in the calm, clear water.
Lie in a hammock on the sand of John Huston's old hideaway.
Walk the jungle trails and stop at the animal encounters.
Watch for humpback whales from the beach between November and March.
Come back at night for the dinner show on the beach, presented today as ALMA by Rhythms of the Night.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Las Caletas
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Las Caletas.
Tours & activities
Day trips and guided outings from Sayulita often include Las Caletas; 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 41 km more to Las Caletas, 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 Las Caletas.
Travel insurance
If you plan on swimming or surfing at Las Caletas, 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 Las Caletas before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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Photos
When to go to Las Caletas warm
Las Caletas shares the climate of Sayulita, 41 km away. The best months to visit are March, April, May, and November.
Las Caletas 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 Las Caletas 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 Las Caletas, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Talpa de Allende · Jalisco · 60 km away
- Mascota · Jalisco · 62 km away
Closest to Las Caletas
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Playa Majahuitas · Beach · 1 km away
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Quimixto · Village · 2 km away
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Playa Las Ánimas · Beach · 4 km away
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Playa Caballo · Beach · 5 km away
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Playa Colomitos · Beach · 6 km away
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Boca de Tomatlán · Village · 7 km away
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Playa Isabel · Beach · 7 km away
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Yelapa · Village · 7 km away
Near Las Caletas
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Terminal Marítima de Puerto Vallarta · Landmark · Jalisco
50 min: 45 min by boat back to Marina Vallarta, then drive -
Estero El Salado · Nature reserve · Jalisco
50 min: 45 min by boat back to Marina Vallarta, then drive -
Plaza de Armas de Puerto Vallarta · Landmark · Jalisco
50 min: 45 min by boat back to Marina Vallarta, then drive -
Malecón de Puerto Vallarta · Landmark · Jalisco
50 min: 45 min by boat back to Marina Vallarta, then drive
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Lists with Las Caletas
Beaches in Jalisco · 20 Beaches near Puerto Vallarta · 40 Beaches near Sayulita · 42 Beaches near Talpa de Allende · 17Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.