Town Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit Municipality of Bahía de Banderas Banderas Bay Riviera Nayarit
One of the biggest towns of Bahía de Banderas, a fast-growing valley town near the Ameca River whose fiesta of Saint Joseph fills the streets each March.
From Puerto Vallarta: 25 min by car (27 km by road) How to get there ↓
Near here
Plan your visit to San José del Valle
Where to stay near San José del Valle
Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in San José del Valle.
Tours to San José del Valle
Day trips around Sayulita sometimes stop in San José del Valle; 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 José del Valle
- From Puerto Vallarta: about 25 min by road (~27 km)
- Nearest airport: Puerto Vallarta (PVR), 41 min by car to Sayulita
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Tours from Bucerias, near San José del Valle
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About San José del Valle
San José del Valle is a town on the flat farmland of the Banderas valley, in the Nayarit municipality of Bahía de Banderas, close to the Ameca River and the state line with Jalisco. It lies inland from the resort coast, about 30 kilometers by road from downtown Puerto Vallarta, with El Porvenir a little over a kilometer to the northeast and San Vicente about two and a half. To the north and east the valley is closed by green hills such as Cerro Las Canoas, about 719 meters high, and Cerro Quelitán, about 558.
It is an old settlement that has turned into the biggest town of the municipality almost overnight. In 1893 San José del Valle had about 70 inhabitants, who grew maize, fished and hunted for their own needs, and it long remained a small ejido village. Its growth came with the tourist coast of Nuevo Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit a few kilometers away: the census counted about 7,200 residents in 2005, 22,500 in 2010 and 35,486 in 2020, in more than 10,000 homes, second in the municipality only to its neighbour San Vicente. New housing estates such as Fraccionamiento Santa Fe and Fraccionamiento Bahía de Banderas have grown up around the old village.
The town's big moment is the fiesta of its patron, Saint Joseph, from 10 to 19 March. Every day of the novena a different neighbourhood walks in procession to the church with floats carrying religious images, and the evenings bring cultural festivals with dance and singing contests, the crowning of a spring queen and king, and live bands and orchestras. South of town the Ameca separates Nayarit from Jalisco; an improvised dirt crossing called Paso del Guayabo links San José del Valle with Ixtapa on the Jalisco side in the dry months, but the ejido closes it when the river rises in the rainy season.
How to get to San José del Valle
Drive from Puerto Vallarta: 25 min, 27 km
From downtown Puerto Vallarta it is about 30 km and 25 to 30 minutes by car: follow Avenida Francisco Medina Ascencio and Highway 200 north past the airport, cross the Ameca into Nayarit and take the Las Varas–Puerto Vallarta highway (200D) to the Boulevard Santa Fe exit into town. Local buses to the valley towns of Nayarit leave from the transfer point by Walmart, near Marina Vallarta. Do not try the Paso del Guayabo river crossing from Ixtapa in the rainy season.
Directions to San José del Valle on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to San José del Valle
- Puerto Vallarta · 27 km by road, 25 min
- Tepic · 153 km by road, 2 h 5 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.
Map of San José del Valle
Neighbourhoods and villages of San José del Valle
Part of San José del Valle or just outside it, closest first.
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El Porvenir · Town · 2 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. -
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. -
Santa Rosa Tapachula · Village · 3 km from the centre
Small farming village of the Bahía de Banderas valley, just south-east of the municipal seat, Valle de Banderas, far from the resort coast.
Day trips and tours from San José del Valle
The closest Pueblos Mágicos and places to visit, with the drive from San José del Valle 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 José del Valle
- The nearest airport is Puerto Vallarta (PVR).
- The best months to go are March, April, May, and November.
- Everything on this page is in or close to the centre: walk, or take a short taxi ride.
- For day trips a rental car gives the most freedom; the tours above leave from San José del Valle.
Before you go to San José del Valle: hours, prices and tips
- Best season
- The fiesta of Saint Joseph runs from 10 to 19 March, with daily processions, floats and evening festivals. Wikipedia (Municipio de Bahía de Banderas) · checked Oct 2026
- Rules
- The Paso del Guayabo crossing of the Ameca to Ixtapa closes in the rainy season; the ejido warns drivers and pedestrians not to use it. Puerto Vallarta Daily News · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting San José del Valle: what to see and do
Join a procession or an evening festival during the fiesta of Saint Joseph, 10 to 19 March.
Walk the old village core around the church, surrounded by the new neighbourhoods.
Look up at the hills that close the valley, Cerro Las Canoas and Cerro Quelitán.
Head to the beaches of Nuevo Vallarta and Bucerías, about half an hour's drive.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in San José del Valle
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around San José del Valle.
Tours & activities
Day trips around Sayulita sometimes stop in San José del Valle; 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 25 km more to San José del Valle, 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 José del Valle.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Sayulita: download a map of the way to San José del Valle before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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Photos
When to go to San José del Valle warm
San José del Valle shares the climate of Sayulita, 25 km away. The best months to visit are March, April, May, and November.
See the month-by-month climate of Sayulita
Weather in San José del Valle 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 José del Valle, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Mascota · Jalisco · 53 km away
- Talpa de Allende · Jalisco · 60 km away
- Compostela · Nayarit · 63 km away
- San Sebastián del Oeste · Jalisco · 68 km away
Near San José del Valle
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.