Town Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit Municipality of Bahía de Banderas Banderas Bay Riviera Nayarit
Young valley town next to Mezcales that grew from a hamlet of under 200 people to nearly 10,000 in fifteen years; named for Saint Clement.
From Puerto Vallarta: 20 min by car (19 km by road) How to get there ↓
Near here
Plan your visit to San Clemente de Lima
Where to stay near San Clemente de Lima
Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in San Clemente de Lima.
Tours to San Clemente de Lima
Day trips around Sayulita sometimes stop in San Clemente de Lima; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
Tours from Bucerias
City tour express, Butterfly, tequila, river and beach (free kids)
★ 4.6 (238) · From US$22
How to get to San Clemente de Lima
- From Puerto Vallarta: about 20 min by road (~19 km)
- Nearest airport: Puerto Vallarta (PVR), 41 min by car to Sayulita
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Tours from Bucerias, near San Clemente de Lima
Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.
About San Clemente de Lima
San Clemente de Lima is a town on the farmland of the Banderas valley in Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit, just inland from Highway 200 and the resort coast. It lies about a kilometer and a half from Mezcales, the busy highway town through which most people reach it, a little over two kilometers from San Vicente and about five from the municipal seat, Valle de Banderas. The road toward El Colomo runs through it, and the beaches of Nuevo Vallarta are under twenty minutes away by car.
Its name honours its patron saint, Saint Clement of Rome. Few places around the bay have changed as fast. In 2005 San Clemente de Lima was a hamlet of 172 people; by 2010 it had about 1,000, and the 2020 census counted 9,561 living in some 3,000 homes, up from fewer than 900 ten years earlier. Services caught up with the growth: the share of homes with piped water rose from under 80 percent in 2010 to nearly all of them in 2020. More than half of the residents over twelve are in work, and about seven in ten are Catholic.
There are no sights in the usual sense, but it is a good place to see how the valley behind the hotel strip lives today. Along the main road and Avenida Paraíso are small family businesses: seafood stands, tostada and antojito places, a cenaduría or two and a little hotel with a sports bar. Combine it with a meal in Mezcales or a visit to the plazas of San Vicente and Valle de Banderas.
How to get to San Clemente de Lima
Drive from Puerto Vallarta: 20 min, 19 km
From downtown Puerto Vallarta follow Avenida Francisco Medina Ascencio and Highway 200 north past the airport and across the Ameca River to Mezcales, then turn inland through Mezcales on Avenida Emilio M. González: about 21 km and 25 minutes. The ATM regional buses from Puerto Vallarta stop in Mezcales on the highway, a short taxi ride or walk away.
Directions to San Clemente de Lima on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to San Clemente de Lima
- Puerto Vallarta · 19 km by road, 20 min
- Tepic · 148 km by road, 2 h 10 min
- Autlán · about 185 km by road, ~2 h 45 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
What to see in San Clemente de Lima 1
Sights with their own page, closest to the centre first.
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Aquaventuras Park · Landmark · 3 km from the centre
Water park on Highway 200 at the entrance to Nuevo Vallarta, ten minutes from the airport: slides, a lazy river, zip line and a dolphin and sea lion habitat.
Map of San Clemente de Lima
Neighbourhoods and villages of San Clemente de Lima
Part of San Clemente de Lima or just outside it, closest first.
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Mezcales · Town · 1 km from the centre
Busy working town on Highway 200 between Nuevo Vallarta and Bucerías, one of the largest in Bahía de Banderas; taquerías, cenadurías and local life. -
Mezcalitos · Village · 3 km from the centre
A small community on Boulevard Nuevo Vallarta, between Valle Dorado and Mezcales, a couple of kilometers from the resorts of Nuevo Vallarta. -
San Vicente · Town · 3 km from the centre
The most populous town of Bahía de Banderas, a valley town named for Saint Vincent Ferrer, with a church, a kiosk plaza and lively food streets. -
Tondoroque · Village · 3 km from the centre
A small roadside community on Highway 200 between Mezcales and Bucerías, next to the Flamingos golf course and a few minutes from the beach. -
El Porvenir · Town · 4 km from the centre
A working town of about 6,000 people in the farming valley of Bahía de Banderas, between San Vicente and San José del Valle. -
Nuevo Vallarta · Town · 4 km from the centre
Planned resort town just across the Ameca River from Puerto Vallarta: long beach, big hotels, canals, marinas and golf. Officially Nuevo Nayarit since 2022.
Day trips and tours from San Clemente de Lima
The closest Pueblos Mágicos and places to visit, with the drive from San Clemente de Lima 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 San Clemente de Lima
- The nearest airport is Puerto Vallarta (PVR).
- The best months to go are March, April, May, and November.
- 2 of the places on this page are more than 3 km from the centre: take a taxi, a ride-hailing app or a local bus.
- For day trips a rental car gives the most freedom; the tours above leave from San Clemente de Lima.
Visiting San Clemente de Lima: what to see and do
Eat seafood or tostadas at the family places along the main road.
Walk over to Mezcales, a kilometer and a half away, for its taquerías and cenadurías.
Visit the plaza and church of neighbouring San Vicente.
Drive to the beaches of Nuevo Vallarta, under twenty minutes away.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in San Clemente de Lima
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around San Clemente de Lima.
Tours & activities
Day trips around Sayulita sometimes stop in San Clemente de Lima; 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 23 km more to San Clemente de Lima, 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 San Clemente de Lima.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Sayulita: download a map of the way to San Clemente de Lima before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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When to go to San Clemente de Lima warm
San Clemente de Lima shares the climate of Sayulita, 23 km away. The best months to visit are March, April, May, and November.
See the month-by-month climate of Sayulita
Weather in San Clemente de Lima 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 San Clemente de Lima, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Mascota · Jalisco · 55 km away
- Talpa de Allende · Jalisco · 61 km away
- Compostela · Nayarit · 68 km away
- San Sebastián del Oeste · Jalisco · 72 km away
Near San Clemente de Lima
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.