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    The curved beach of Yelapa with palapas and boats below jungle-covered hills, Jalisco

    Photo by Vaquemami, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Houses of Yelapa village climbing the green hillside above the bay, Jalisco

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

    The Yelapa waterfall dropping down a rock face in the jungle, Jalisco

    Photo by terri_bateman, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Yelapa

    Village Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco Municipality of Cabo Corrientes Banderas Bay

    A car-free fishing village on a horseshoe cove at the south end of Banderas Bay, reached by water taxi, with a waterfall a short walk up the hill.

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

    Near here

    See everything nearby ↓

    Plan your visit to Yelapa

    Where to stay near Yelapa

    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Yelapa.

    Hotels in Yelapa Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Yelapa

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

    Yelapa & Secluded Private Beach ALL INCLUSIVE Adventure ★ 4.8 (2,559) · From US$135
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Yelapa

    • 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 ↓

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    Popular tours to Yelapa

    Yelapa & Secluded Private Beach ALL INCLUSIVE Adventure ★ 4.8 (2,559) 6–7 h From US$135
    Puerto Vallarta, Yelapa Waterfall, BBQ & Open Bar at Majahuitas ★ 4.4 (794) 7 h From US$79
    Yelapa and Majahuitas Snorkeling Cruise in Puerto Vallarta All Inclusive ★ 3.9 (94) 8 h From US$88
    Yelapa Escape & Snorkeling in Puerto Vallarta by Speedboat ★ 4.9 (36) 4 h From US$109
    Private Boat Tour to Yelapa with Snorkeling and Village Hike ★ 4.9 (24) 5 h 30 min From US$220

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

    About Yelapa

    Yelapa is a fishing village in the municipality of Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco, tucked into the southernmost cove of Banderas Bay, roughly 22 kilometers across the water southwest of Puerto Vallarta. Its name is usually explained as an indigenous phrase meaning "where two rivers meet the sea", and the village really does sit where a river comes down out of the jungle-covered hills into a horseshoe-shaped bay. The 2020 census counted 882 people, which makes it the second-largest town in the municipality after El Tuito.

    There is no proper road. A single rutted dirt track does reach it from the inland side, but it is only for four-wheel drives and the adventurous; everyone else arrives by boat, which has shaped the place. Cars are a rare sight, the lanes are cobbled or sandy footpaths, and electricity only arrived in the early 2000s. In the 1960s the village became a hideaway for travelers, musicians and artists from the United States, and the foreigners who settled here have lived alongside the fishing families ever since.

    Most day-trippers stay on the main beach, a curve of golden sand lined with palapa restaurants, loungers and boats pulled up on the shore, where you can swim, snorkel, paddleboard or eat grilled fish and ceviche. The village proper sits a little inland along the river, with houses on both banks, a suspension bridge, a kindergarten and a small rodeo ring. Yelapa is also known for its pies: local bakers make coconut, banana, lime, chocolate and corn pies, and their family members walk the beach selling slices.

    A signed path leads from the village to the Yelapa waterfall, about 15 to 20 minutes' walk, a ribbon of water some 30 meters high with a pool at the bottom where people swim. A second, more remote waterfall is about an hour's hike into the hills. The falls are fullest in the rainy season, from mid-June to mid-October, and can shrink to a trickle by late spring. There are small hotels and rental houses for those who stay the night, but no banks, so bring cash.

    How to get to Yelapa

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

    Yelapa is reached by water taxi. The quickest route is to take a local bus from Puerto Vallarta's Zona Romántica south on Highway 200 to Boca de Tomatlán (buses run every 10 to 15 minutes, 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 leave from the Los Muertos pier in the Zona Romántica a few times a day (in 2025 at 11:00, 11:45, 15:00 and 17:00), take about 45 minutes and cost roughly 400 to 500 pesos return. The last public boats back leave Yelapa in the late afternoon, so check the time when you arrive. A rough dirt road reaches the village from the El Tuito side, for four-wheel drives only.

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

    Directions to Yelapa on Google Maps

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

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

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    From the nearest cities to Yelapa

    • 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 Yelapa: hours, prices and tips

    Hours
    Shared water taxis from Boca de Tomatlán run about hourly from 8 am to 6 pm; from the Los Muertos pier there were four departures a day in 2025 (11:00, 11:45, 15:00, 17:00). Return boats from Yelapa usually leave by about 5 pm. Take Me To Puerto Vallarta · checked Oct 2026
    Entry
    No entrance fee to the village. The shared panga from Boca de Tomatlán costs about 120 pesos each way. Food and Pleasure · checked Oct 2026
    Best season
    Rainy season runs from mid-June to mid-October, with most rain from July to September, usually as a few hours of heavy rain in the evening. July to September is also very hot and humid. Wikipedia · checked Oct 2026
    Guide or tour
    No tour needed: public water taxis from Boca de Tomatlán or Los Muertos pier get you there, and the waterfall path is signed from the pier. Organized boat tours from Puerto Vallarta also stop here. Take Me To Puerto Vallarta · checked Oct 2026
    What to bring
    Cash in pesos: tickets at the pier and most places in the village are cash only. Get to the pier 20 to 30 minutes early on weekends and holidays. Take Me To Puerto Vallarta · checked Oct 2026

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

    Visiting Yelapa: what to see and do

    Walk 15 to 20 minutes up the signed path to the Yelapa waterfall and swim in the pool at its foot.
    Hike about an hour into the hills to the second, quieter waterfall.
    Spend the afternoon on the main beach with grilled fish, ceviche and a swim, snorkel or paddleboard.
    Buy a slice of Yelapa's famous homemade pie from the vendors on the beach: coconut, banana, lime or corn.
    Cross the suspension bridge and wander the car-free village along the river.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Yelapa

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Yelapa.

    See them all on Expedia Booking.com
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    Tours & activities

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

    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 Yelapa before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

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    Photos

    When to go to Yelapa warm

    Yelapa 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 Yelapa, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Also close to

    Closest to Yelapa

    Near Yelapa

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

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.