↑ ↓ to move ↵ to open esc to close
    Yelapa's cove and main beach, a short walk from Playa Isabel, Jalisco

    Photo by tceagle, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Sunset over Yelapa's bay, next to Playa Isabel, Jalisco

    Photo by tceagle, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Playa Isabel

    Beach Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco Municipality of Cabo Corrientes Banderas Bay

    Small, calm, shady cove a short walk from Yelapa's pier, with clear water for snorkeling and far fewer people than the main beach.

    Reached by boat from Boca de Tomatlán: 25 min each way. How to get there ↓

    Near here

    See everything nearby ↓

    Plan your visit to Playa Isabel

    Where to stay near Playa Isabel

    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Playa Isabel.

    Hotels in Playa Isabel Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Playa Isabel

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

    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Playa Isabel

    • Reached by boat from Boca de Tomatlán: 25 min each way.
    • 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 ↓

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    About Playa Isabel

    Playa Isabel is a little cove on the edge of Yelapa, the boat-only fishing village at the southern end of Banderas Bay in Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco. It lies just outside Yelapa's own horseshoe bay, a few hundred meters northwest of the village pier, where the coast turns rocky and the jungle comes down to the water. Because you have to walk to it rather than step off a water taxi, it gets only a fraction of the visitors who crowd the palapa restaurants and loungers of Yelapa's main beach.

    The beach is short and backed by trees, which keep it in shade for part of the day. The water is usually calm, with small waves, and warmer and shallower than on the main beach, so it suits children and unhurried swimmers. It is also clear enough for snorkeling over the rocks at either end, which is the main reason people make the walk. The crowd is mostly local people and those staying in Yelapa, and many visitors describe having it nearly to themselves.

    There is nothing on the sand: no restaurant, no lifeguard, no rental gear and no toilets, so bring water, food and anything you need from the village, and carry your rubbish back out. The path from Yelapa is easy to miss and directions vary between visitors, so ask in the village for the way. Some visitors have noticed rubbish washed in by the tide.

    How to get to Playa Isabel

    Drive from Puerto Vallarta to Boca de Tomatlán: 25 min, 21 km

    First get to Yelapa, which has no proper road. Take a local bus from Puerto Vallarta's Zona Romántica south on Highway 200 to Boca de Tomatlán (about 25 minutes), then a shared panga from the pier there: boats leave about hourly from 8 am to 6 pm, take 20 to 25 minutes and cost about 120 pesos each way. Water taxis also run from the Los Muertos pier in the Zona Romántica, about 45 minutes. From the Yelapa pier, follow the main path northwest out of the village to the cove; ask locally, as the trail is easy to miss.

    Reached by boat from Boca de Tomatlán: 25 min each way.

    Directions to Playa Isabel on Google Maps

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

    Where to stay Hotels in Playa Isabel Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Playa Isabel. See prices →

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    From the nearest cities to Playa Isabel

    • Puerto Vallarta · 21 km by road, 25 min to Boca de Tomatlán, then 25 min by boat
    • Autlán · about 170 km by road, ~2 h 30 min to Boca de Tomatlán, then 25 min by boat
    • Tepic · 194 km by road, 2 h 40 min to Boca de Tomatlán, then 25 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 Playa Isabel: hours, prices and tips

    Entry
    Free; the cost is the water taxi to Yelapa, about 120 pesos each way from Boca de Tomatlán. Take Me To Puerto Vallarta · checked Oct 2026
    Guide or tour
    No guide needed; the water taxi to Yelapa is how you get there, then a short walk. Away Go We · checked Oct 2026
    What to bring
    Snorkel gear, water and food: there are no restaurants, rentals or toilets at the cove. Sandee · checked Oct 2026
    Rules
    No lifeguards on duty; swim with care. Sandee · checked Oct 2026

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

    Visiting Playa Isabel: what to see and do

    Snorkel over the rocks at either end of the cove.
    Swim in the calm, warm, shallow water, good for children.
    Spend a quiet afternoon in the shade, away from Yelapa's busy main beach.
    Combine it with lunch in Yelapa and the walk to the Yelapa waterfall.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Playa Isabel

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Playa Isabel.

    See them all on Expedia Booking.com
    Vacation rentals on Vrbo Airbnb

    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Sayulita often include Playa Isabel; 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 Playa Isabel, 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 Playa Isabel.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    If you plan on swimming or surfing at Playa Isabel, check that your policy covers it: some plans leave adventure activities out.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

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

    Airalo

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    Photos

    When to go to Playa Isabel warm

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

    Playa Isabel 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

    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 Playa Isabel, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Also close to

    Closest to Playa Isabel

    Near Playa Isabel

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

    Lists with Playa Isabel

    Beaches in Jalisco · 20 Beaches near Puerto Vallarta · 40 Beaches near Sayulita · 42

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.