Beach Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco Municipality of Cabo Corrientes Banderas Bay
A long, empty golden beach on the open Pacific south of El Tuito, with a university sea-turtle camp, a few small hotels and strong surf.
From Puerto Vallarta: 1 h 45 min by car (87 km by road) How to get there ↓
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Plan your visit to Mayto
Where to stay near Mayto
Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Mayto.
Tours to Mayto
Day trips and guided outings from Sayulita often include Mayto; 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 Mayto
- From Puerto Vallarta: about 1 h 45 min by road (~87 km)
- Nearest airport: Puerto Vallarta (PVR), 41 min by car to Sayulita
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Tours from Puerto Vallarta, near Mayto
Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.
About Mayto
Mayto is a long beach of golden sand on the open Pacific coast of Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco, at the end of a jungle road that leaves Highway 200 at El Tuito and winds down to the sea. Behind it is the small village the census spells Maito, with 167 people in 2020, and a few houses at La Puntilla de Maito. The sand runs on for kilometers, about 11 km by one count, fringed with palms, with the fishing hamlet of Tehuamixtle and its sheltered bay just to the south.
This is not a swimming beach most days. The surf is strong, so people come to walk, watch the sunset and do very little; on calm days the sea lets you in, and for gentler water you go to Tehuamixtle. The beach is also home to one of the biggest sea-turtle conservation projects in Jalisco. The Campamento Tortuguero Mayto, run by the Universidad de Guadalajara's regional high school in Puerto Vallarta since about 2005, guards nests in its incubation pens, runs a hawksbill research project and an environmental education center, and takes volunteers in summer and winter. In 2011 it protected 892 nests. Visitors can join hatchling releases in season.
Mayto has only a handful of places to stay: Hotel Mayto at the entrance to the beach, with a pool, restaurant and rooms with balconies, El Rinconcito at the south end, a few rentals, and camping on the sand. Restaurants are rustic and serve mostly fish and seafood. Local men take visitors out fishing, diving or snorkeling by the hour, and horses and ATVs can be hired. There are no banks or cash machines, so bring cash, food, water and shade. It is a long way from anywhere, which is exactly why people come.
How to get to Mayto
Drive from Puerto Vallarta: 1 h 45 min, 87 km
From Puerto Vallarta drive south on Highway 200 to El Tuito, about 40 winding kilometers, then take the road west from the crossroads down to the coast; the whole trip takes about two hours. Buses to El Tuito leave from Carranza and Aguacate in the Zona Romántica about every half hour. From El Tuito a single bus a day runs to the coast, leaving the plaza at about 2 pm for about 50 pesos and coming back around 7 am the next day; a taxi from the crossroads or the plaza costs about 450 to 500 pesos. Water taxis (pangas) from Boca de Tomatlán can also bring you around the cape by sea.
Directions to Mayto on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Mayto
- Puerto Vallarta · 87 km by road, 1 h 45 min
- Autlán · about 180 km by road, ~2 h 40 min
- Manzanillo · 254 km by road, 3 h 55 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Before you go to Mayto: hours, prices and tips
- Best season
- The turtle camp runs summer and winter volunteer programs and hatchling releases on the beach in season. PV Angels · checked Oct 2026
- Guide or tour
- No guide is needed for the beach. Volunteering or a release at the turtle camp is arranged with the camp, which has a Facebook page (Campamento Tortuguero Mayto). Tours: Viator GetYourGuide PV Angels · checked Oct 2026
- What to bring
- Services are limited: bring an umbrella, sunscreen, food and drinks, and enough cash, since there are no banks or ATMs on this coast. Food and Pleasure / Mexico Guru · checked Oct 2026
- Rules
- The surf is strong and swimming can be difficult; go in only on calm days. Keep horses and ATVs well away from turtle nests. Food and Pleasure · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Mayto: what to see and do
Walk the long, nearly empty beach and stay for the sunset.
Join a hatchling release or volunteer at the Universidad de Guadalajara's sea-turtle camp.
Go fishing, snorkeling or diving with a local boatman, priced by the hour.
Ride a horse or an ATV along the coast, keeping well clear of turtle nests.
Drive ten minutes south to swim in the calm bay of Tehuamixtle and eat its oysters.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Mayto
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Mayto.
Tours & activities
Day trips and guided outings from Sayulita often include Mayto; 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 70 km more to Mayto, 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 Mayto.
Travel insurance
If you plan on swimming or surfing at Mayto, 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 Mayto before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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Photos
When to go to Mayto warm
Mayto shares the climate of Sayulita, 70 km away. The best months to visit are March, April, May, and November.
Mayto 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 Mayto 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 Mayto, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Closest to Mayto
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Tehuamixtle · Village · 2 km away
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Villa del Mar · Village · 4 km away
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Ipala · Village · 5 km away
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Aquiles Serdán · Village · 7 km away
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La Sauceda · Village · 19 km away
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Cabo Corrientes · Nature reserve · 21 km away
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El Refugio Suchitlán · Village · 22 km away
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Ixtlahuahuey · Village · 22 km away
Near Mayto
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Lists with Mayto
Beaches in Jalisco · 20 Beaches near Puerto Vallarta · 40Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.