Beach Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco Municipality of Puerto Vallarta Banderas Bay
Calm south-shore cove below the Garza Blanca resort, sheltered by boulder breakwaters; clear water for swimming, snorkeling and paddleboarding.
From Puerto Vallarta: 15 min by car (12 km by road) How to get there ↓
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Plan your visit to Playa Garza Blanca
Where to stay near Playa Garza Blanca
Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Playa Garza Blanca.
Tours to Playa Garza Blanca
Day trips and guided outings from Sayulita often include Playa Garza Blanca; 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 Playa Garza Blanca
- From Puerto Vallarta: about 15 min by road (~12 km)
- Nearest airport: Puerto Vallarta (PVR), 41 min by car to Sayulita
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Tours from Puerto Vallarta, near Playa Garza Blanca
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About Playa Garza Blanca
Playa Garza Blanca is a small beach on the south shore of Banderas Bay, below Highway 200 a few kilometers past Puerto Vallarta's Zona Romántica on the way to Mismaloya and Boca de Tomatlán. It lies about a kilometer south of Playa Palmares, past the little coves of Las Gemelas, in front of the Garza Blanca resort that climbs the hillside above it. The name means white heron, after the egrets that come to feed in its shallow water.
A few years ago storms and swells stripped much of the sand away. Rock breakwaters were then built just offshore, and they have both brought the golden sand back and turned the water inside them calm, clear and green-blue. That makes it one of the easier beaches on this rocky stretch of coast for a swim, a paddleboard session or snorkeling around the boulders, which attract fish. Guides to the beach report that it holds Blue Flag certification, which requires clean water, toilets and bins.
Like every beach in Mexico it is public, but the only food and drink for sale comes from the resort, which caters to its own guests, so bring water and snacks if you plan to stay. There are pedestrian accesses from the highway at the north and south ends; parking is limited to a lot about 200 meters from the path and spaces at the southern access, as stopping on the access roads is not allowed. Sunsets are the big show here: the sun drops into the bay straight ahead, framed by the breakwaters and the mountains of the north shore.
How to get to Playa Garza Blanca
Drive from Puerto Vallarta: 15 min, 12 km
The beach is at about kilometer 6 of Highway 200 toward Barra de Navidad, 15 to 20 minutes from downtown Puerto Vallarta by bus, taxi or Uber. The white-and-orange buses marked Mismaloya or Boca de Tomatlán leave from the corner of Basilio Badillo and Constitución in the Zona Romántica; ask the driver for Garza Blanca and watch for the signs. The fare is about 10 pesos. By car, use the parking lot about 200 meters from the beach path, since parking on the access roads is not allowed.
Directions to Playa Garza Blanca on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Playa Garza Blanca
- Puerto Vallarta · 12 km by road, 15 min
- Autlán · about 165 km by road, ~2 h 25 min
- Tepic · 185 km by road, 2 h 30 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Before you go to Playa Garza Blanca: hours, prices and tips
- Entry
- Free; the beach is public. PuertoVallarta.net · checked Oct 2026
- Guide or tour
- No guide needed. PuertoVallarta.net · checked Oct 2026
- What to bring
- Your own food and drinks (only the resort sells any), plus snorkel gear for the rocks. PuertoVallarta.net · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Playa Garza Blanca: what to see and do
Swim in the calm water behind the rock breakwaters.
Snorkel around the boulders, where fish gather.
Try stand-up paddleboarding on flat mornings.
Watch the egrets that give the beach its name feeding in the shallows.
Stay for sunset over the bay.
Walk north to Playa Palmares, about a kilometer away.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Playa Garza Blanca
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Playa Garza Blanca.
Tours & activities
Day trips and guided outings from Sayulita often include Playa Garza Blanca; 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 40 km more to Playa Garza Blanca, 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 Playa Garza Blanca.
Travel insurance
If you plan on swimming or surfing at Playa Garza Blanca, 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 Playa Garza Blanca before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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Photos
When to go to Playa Garza Blanca warm
Playa Garza Blanca shares the climate of Sayulita, 40 km away. The best months to visit are March, April, May, and November.
Playa Garza Blanca 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 Playa Garza Blanca 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 Playa Garza Blanca, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Talpa de Allende · Jalisco · 50 km away
- Mascota · Jalisco · 50 km away
- San Sebastián del Oeste · Jalisco · 72 km away
Closest to Playa Garza Blanca
-
Cascada Palo María · Waterfall · 1 km away
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Playa Palmares · Beach · 1 km away
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La Punta Negra · Village · 2 km away
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Ecoparque El Nogalito · Landmark · 3 km away
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El Edén de Mismaloya · Landmark · 3 km away
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Los Arcos de Mismaloya · Nature reserve · 3 km away
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Mismaloya · Village · 3 km away
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Zoológico de Vallarta · Landmark · 3 km away
Near Playa Garza Blanca
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Lists with Playa Garza Blanca
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.