Town Compostela, Nayarit Municipality of Compostela Banderas Bay Riviera Nayarit
The working town of Jaltemba Bay: a palm-lined main street to the beach, a big Thursday street market, and Guayabitos just across the river.
From Puerto Vallarta: 1 h 5 min by car (81 km by road) How to get there ↓
Near here
Plan your visit to La Peñita de Jaltemba
Where to stay near La Peñita de Jaltemba
Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in La Peñita de Jaltemba.
Tours to La Peñita de Jaltemba
Day trips around Sayulita sometimes stop in La Peñita de Jaltemba; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
Tours from Sayulita
Yelapa & Secluded Private Beach ALL INCLUSIVE Adventure
★ 4.8 (2,559) · From US$135
How to get to La Peñita de Jaltemba
- From Puerto Vallarta: about 1 h 5 min by road (~81 km)
- Nearest airport: Puerto Vallarta (PVR), 41 min by car to Sayulita
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Tours from Sayulita, near La Peñita de Jaltemba
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About La Peñita de Jaltemba
La Peñita de Jaltemba is the largest of the three towns on Jaltemba Bay, the curve of coast that runs from Punta Raza in the south to the mouth of the Naranjo river in the north, in the municipality of Compostela, Nayarit. It had 10,593 people in the 2020 census. The town sits at kilometer 90 of Highway 200, about 64 km north of Puerto Vallarta, and only a narrow river separates it from Rincón de Guayabitos, the holiday resort next door. Local tradition, repeated by the state tourism board, says the Mexica founded it while on their long migration from Mexcaltitán to Tenochtitlan.
Where Guayabitos is hotels and bungalows, La Peñita is where people actually live and shop. It has the banks, supermarkets, produce markets, library and post office for the whole bay, and the farms around it grow pineapple, banana, mango and other fruit. Its spine is La Avenida, a palm-lined street with benches, shops and restaurants that runs from the highway down to the beach; two blocks south of the beach end is a large, shady plaza. Every Thursday a street market about four blocks long takes over the town, selling fresh fruit and vegetables, seafood, clothes, hardware, housewares and crafts.
The town beach is about 1.5 km long with generally calm water, good for swimming, and in the early morning fishermen spread their nets on the sand while pelicans wait for scraps. A rocky islet sits just offshore, and boats from the bay go out to Isla del Coral for snorkeling. Five minutes away by car, El Playón is a much longer beach, about 8 km, good for long walks. Many foreigners own second homes here, and service clubs run by residents, such as the local Rotary club and Los Amigos de Jaltemba, are active. Carnival in February is the big party of the year.
How to get to La Peñita de Jaltemba
Drive from Puerto Vallarta: 1 h 5 min, 81 km
La Peñita is on Highway 200 at kilometer 90, about 64 km north of Puerto Vallarta; the newer Las Varas–Puerto Vallarta toll road (200D) also runs past the bay. Buses to and from Puerto Vallarta stop in town every 20 to 30 minutes. Shared colectivo vans link La Peñita with Rincón de Guayabitos and Los Ayala, and a taxi from Guayabitos costs a few dozen pesos.
Directions to La Peñita de Jaltemba on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to La Peñita de Jaltemba
- Puerto Vallarta · 81 km by road, 1 h 5 min
- Tepic · 94 km by road, 1 h 20 min
- Guadalajara · 232 km by road, 2 h 50 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
What to see in La Peñita de Jaltemba 2
Sights with their own page, closest to the centre first.
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Isla Cangrejito · Island · 3 km from the centre
A grass-topped rock islet in Jaltemba Bay, also mapped as Isla Cerotero, between the beaches of Guayabitos and Los Ayala and Isla del Coral. -
Isla del Coral · Island · 3 km from the centre
A small jungle-topped island off Rincón de Guayabitos, a 15-minute panga ride away, with a sheltered beach, easy snorkelling and an underwater Virgin.
Map of La Peñita de Jaltemba
Neighbourhoods and villages of La Peñita de Jaltemba
Part of La Peñita de Jaltemba or just outside it, closest first.
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Rincón de Guayabitos · Town · 2 km from the centre
A busy family beach town on Jaltemba Bay with calm water and boat trips to Isla del Coral; roughly 1 h 15 min by car. -
Los Ayala · Village · 4 km from the centre
The smallest, quietest village on Jaltemba Bay: a calm, almost waveless beach, a jungle path to Playa del Beso and boats to Isla del Coral.
Day trips and tours from La Peñita de Jaltemba
The closest Pueblos Mágicos and places to visit, with the drive from La Peñita de Jaltemba and tours that leave from it.
Times marked ~ are estimated from the distance. Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Before you go: getting to and around La Peñita de Jaltemba
- The nearest airport is Puerto Vallarta (PVR).
- The best months to go are March, April, May, and November.
- 1 of the places on this page is more than 3 km from the centre: take a taxi, a ride-hailing app or a local bus.
- Isla del Coral: reached by boat or on foot, not by road (each page says from where).
- For day trips a rental car gives the most freedom; the tours above leave from La Peñita de Jaltemba.
Before you go to La Peñita de Jaltemba: hours, prices and tips
- Best time of day
- Come on a Thursday for the street market, which stretches about four blocks with produce, seafood, clothes, hardware and crafts. Wikipedia · checked Oct 2026
- Best season
- Carnival is held every February with music and parades. The dry season runs from November to May; June to October is the hot, very humid rainy season. Riviera Nayarit · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting La Peñita de Jaltemba: what to see and do
Shop the Thursday street market, about four blocks of produce, seafood, clothes and crafts.
Stroll La Avenida from the highway to the beach and sit in the shady plaza nearby.
Swim off the town beach and watch the fishermen bring in their nets in the early morning.
Take a boat to Isla del Coral to snorkel.
Walk the long sand of El Playón, five minutes away.
Come for Carnival in February, with music and parades.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in La Peñita de Jaltemba
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around La Peñita de Jaltemba.
Tours & activities
Day trips around Sayulita sometimes stop in La Peñita de Jaltemba; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at PVR (Puerto Vallarta): about 41 min by road to Sayulita, then 28 km more to La Peñita de Jaltemba, 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 La Peñita de Jaltemba.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Sayulita: download a map of the way to La Peñita de Jaltemba before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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Photos
When to go to La Peñita de Jaltemba warm
La Peñita de Jaltemba shares the climate of Sayulita, 28 km away. The best months to visit are March, April, May, and November.
See the month-by-month climate of Sayulita
Weather in La Peñita de Jaltemba 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 La Peñita de Jaltemba, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Compostela · Nayarit · 42 km away
- San Blas · Nayarit · 56 km away
- Mascota · Jalisco · 74 km away
- Ahuacatlán · Nayarit · 79 km away
Near La Peñita de Jaltemba
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.