Banderas Bay

Pueblos Mágicos in Banderas Bay

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Nayarit Sayulita

Map

Places to visit in Banderas Bay 164

164 places with their own page, grouped by kind.

Villages · 63 Beaches · 43 Landmarks and museums · 27 Towns · 16 Nature reserves · 6 Islands · 4 Waterfalls · 2 Cities · 1 Mountains · 1 Viewpoints · 1

Villages

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  Altavista · Village · Nayarit
  Hillside farming village in the Sierra de Vallejo, set among mango groves, and the gateway to the Altavista petroglyphs and La Pila del Rey.
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  Aquiles Serdán · Village · Jalisco
  Tiny farming and fishing ranchería on the open Pacific coast of Cabo Corrientes, a few kilometers north of Mayto beach.
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  Aután · Village · Nayarit
  A farming village of about 1,650 people on the flat coastal plain north of San Blas, two kilometers from Guadalupe Victoria.
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  Boca de Tomatlán · Village · Jalisco
  Fishing village at the mouth of the Horcones River where the coastal road ends and water taxis leave for Las Ánimas, Quimixto and Yelapa.
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  Boca del Asadero · Village · Nayarit
  A small fishing village by the mouth of the Río Grande de Santiago, north-west of San Blas, at the end of a road through farmland and shrimp ponds.
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  Chacala · Village · Jalisco
  Hill village of Cabo Corrientes about 600 m up, on the dirt road from El Tuito to Yelapa; not the Nayarit beach town of the same name.
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  Chacalilla · Village · Nayarit
  Ejido village of about 540 people north of San Blas, built over a Postclassic Aztatlán town where archaeologists found ten sacrificed skulls.
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  Chimo · Village · Jalisco
  Remote fishing village on the south shore of Banderas Bay, west of Yelapa, where a dirt road from the sierra finally meets the sea.
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  Chula Vista · Village · Nayarit
  A small, growing village on Highway 200 next to Villa Morelos, at the junction with the toll road from Puerto Vallarta, below the Sierra de Vallejo.
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  El Capomo · Village · Nayarit
  A farm village between La Peñita and Las Varas whose name also covers Costa Capomo, wide empty beaches backed by wetlands with crocodiles.
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  El Capomo · Village · Nayarit
  A farming hamlet of about 160 people on the bean fields of the northern San Blas plain, at the end of a dirt road off the Guadalupe Victoria highway.
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  El Carleño · Village · Nayarit
  A farming village of about 350 people just north of Guadalupe Victoria, on the bean-growing plain of the Río Grande de Santiago delta.
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  El Coatante · Village · Nayarit
  A rural village of about 320 people on the old road to Puerto Vallarta, in the quiet northeast corner of Bahía de Banderas far from the beaches.
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  El Colomo · Village · Nayarit
  A farming village on the Ameca River, once the heart of the Maisterrena hacienda and in 1935 the first ejido of the Banderas Bay region.
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  El Colorado · Village · Jalisco
  Farming village of about 1,150 people on Highway 544 in the Ameca valley, just south of Las Palmas, on the Las Palmas bus route.
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  El Espino · Village · Nayarit
  A hamlet of 75 people in the wooded hills of southern San Blas, about 3 km south of Jolotemba and 2 km off the road to Ixtapa de la Concepción.
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  El Guamúchil · Village · Nayarit
  A fast-growing roadside village in the hills on Highway 200 between Bucerías and Sayulita, about 280 m up, with schools and everyday life.
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  El Limón · Village · Nayarit
  Village of about 460 people near the mouth of the Río Grande de Santiago, the westernmost of the Laureles y Góngora ejido, about 4 km from the sea.
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  El Llano · Village · Nayarit
  A crossroads village on the Tepic road, two and a half kilometers before Santa Cruz de Miramar, with cenadurías, taquerías and a gas station.
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  El Madrigaleño · Village · Nayarit
  Growing farm village of about 830 people right next to Guadalupe Victoria, on the bean-growing delta plain north of San Blas.
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  El Monteón · Village · Nayarit
  A highway village south of Los Ayala where a 2 km jungle path leads to Punta Raza, an untouched beach with a turtle sanctuary.
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  El Ranchito · Village · Jalisco
  Valley village of about 1,400 people on the Mascota River beyond Ixtapa, at the end of the El Ranchito city-bus line from Puerto Vallarta.
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  El Refugio Suchitlán · Village · Jalisco
  A ranchería of under 200 people at about 620 m in the Cabo Corrientes sierra, in raicilla country, reached by a long dirt road from El Tuito.
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  Guadalupe Victoria · Village · Nayarit
  Farming town of about 3,000 on the coastal plain north of San Blas, known locally as La Virocha, among bean fields, estuaries and shrimp farms.
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  Huaristemba · Village · Nayarit
  Farming ejido of about 700 people inland from San Blas, on a branch road off the Tepic highway; in 1857 it marked the road from Tepic to the north.
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  Ipala · Village · Jalisco
  Fishing and farming hamlet by a small estuary on the open Pacific coast of Cabo Corrientes, next to Villa del Mar and 3 km from Tehuamixtle.
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  Isla del Conde · Village · Nayarit
  Farming village of about 400 people on the south bank of the lower Río Grande de Santiago, among bean fields and shrimp ponds north of San Blas.
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  Ixtapa de la Concepción · Village · Nayarit
  A farming village at the end of the road north of Zacualpan, named for a salty river and its patron, the Immaculate Conception.
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  Ixtlahuahuey · Village · Jalisco
  A mountain ranchería of about 250 people at 640 m in the Cabo Corrientes sierra, where a family still distils raicilla the old way.
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  Jolotemba · Village · Nayarit
  A roadside village of about 300 people south of Santa Cruz de Miramar, on the way to Playa El Limoncito, whose public access the ejido has fought for.
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  La Bajada · Village · Nayarit
  A hill village of about 450 people above La Palma, inland from Matanchén Bay; its forest and plantations are a stop on the San Blas Christmas Bird Count.
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  La Chiripa · Village · Nayarit
  A village of about 370 people on the San Blas to Guadalupe Victoria road, among shrimp ponds and farmland 20 minutes north of the port.
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  La Libertad · Village · Nayarit
  A foothill village of about 1,650 people off the San Blas road, some 13 km inland from the port and a short drive from Singayta.
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  La Palma · Village · Nayarit
  An inland village of about 1,200 people two kilometers behind Aticama, on the bus route to Playa Los Cocos south of San Blas.
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  La Puerta de la Lima · Village · Nayarit
  Roadside farming village on Highway 200 between La Peñita and Las Varas, the nearest village to the Altavista petroglyphs.
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  La Punta Negra · Village · Jalisco
  Tiny roadside settlement and beach on Vallarta's south shore, where the road up to El Nogalito leaves Highway 200; a stop on the Mismaloya bus.
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  La Sauceda · Village · Jalisco
  A hamlet of about 140 people at 560 m in the hills of Cabo Corrientes, on the dirt roads linking the sierra ranchos behind Yelapa's coast.
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  Las Juntas y los Veranos · Village · Jalisco
  Ejido village in the Horcones River valley on Highway 200 south of Vallarta, home of the Los Veranos zip lines and the botanical garden.
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  Las Palmas · Village · Nayarit
  A farming village of about 180 people on highway 74 between Tepic and San Blas, an old ejido of the Navarrete hacienda lands.
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  Laureles y Góngora · Village · Nayarit
  Ejido village of about 550 people, also called El Ciruelo, half a kilometer from the lower Río Grande de Santiago north of San Blas.
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  Lima de Abajo · Village · Nayarit
  A farming village of about 930 people just off Highway 200 north of La Peñita, with a road west to the beach at Boca del Naranjo.
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  Los Ayala · Village · Nayarit
  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.
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  Los Llanitos · Village · Jalisco
  Mountain hamlet at about 750 m in the sierra behind Puerto Vallarta, at the end of the road past the Jorullo suspension bridge.
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  Los Sauces · Village · Nayarit
  A hamlet of about 270 people in the remote northeast of Bahía de Banderas, three kilometers beyond El Coatante, with schools and little else.
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  Mezcalitos · Village · Nayarit
  A small community on Boulevard Nuevo Vallarta, between Valle Dorado and Mezcales, a couple of kilometers from the resorts of Nuevo Vallarta.
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  Mismaloya · Village · Jalisco
  Village and calm cove beach where The Night of the Iguana was filmed in 1963, with Los Arcos offshore and the El Edén river jungle up the valley.
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  Otates y Cantarranas · Village · Nayarit
  A farming village of about 800 people on the coastal plain north of Ixtapa de la Concepción, near the turtle beaches of Las Tortugas and Platanitos.
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  Pimientillo · Village · Nayarit
  A small village on the south bank of the Río Grande de Santiago in the north of San Blas, near Guadalupe Victoria (La Virocha).
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  Pizota · Village · Jalisco
  Tiny boat-only fishing village past Yelapa on the south shore of Banderas Bay, with Playa Manzanilla, a jungle waterfall and no resorts.
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  Playa de Ramírez · Village · Nayarit
  Despite the name, an inland hamlet of about 100 people on the farm plain of northern San Blas, 1.5 km from the Río Grande de Santiago.
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  Quimixto · Village · Jalisco
  A small fishing village with no roads between Las Ánimas and Majahuitas, known for the waterfall half an hour's walk up the La Puerta River.
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  Reforma Agraria · Village · Nayarit
  A village of about 580 people, also called La Colorada, among irrigation canals on the low plain about 16 km northeast of San Blas.
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  San Ignacio · Village · Nayarit
  A fast-growing village on Highway 200 beside the Sayulita River, about 5 km by road from Sayulita, with fondas and taquerías.
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  San Isidro · Village · Nayarit
  A small farming village on the road from Zacualpan to Ixtapa de la Concepción, on the way to the turtle beaches of Platanitos and Las Tortugas.
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  San Quintín · Village · Nayarit
  A small hamlet on Highway 200 a few kilometers inland from Sayulita, which more than tripled in size between 2005 and 2020.
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  Santa Rosa Tapachula · Village · Nayarit
  Small farming village of the Bahía de Banderas valley, just south-east of the municipal seat, Valle de Banderas, far from the resort coast.
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  Tebelchia · Village · Jalisco
  A growing village of about 660 people, also called El Roble, in the low country of northern Puerto Vallarta municipality near El Colomo.
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  Tehuamixtle · Village · Jalisco
  A fishing hamlet of about 120 people on a calm little bay south of Mayto, known for its huge oysters and an old wreck on the seabed.
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  Tondoroque · Village · Nayarit
  A small roadside community on Highway 200 between Mezcales and Bucerías, next to the Flamingos golf course and a few minutes from the beach.
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  Villa Morelos · Village · Nayarit
  A growing village between Highway 200 and the Puerto Vallarta toll road, at the foot of the Sierra de Vallejo, 2 km inland from Lo de Marcos.
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  Villa del Mar · Village · Jalisco
  Seaside hamlet south of Tehuamixtle with rustic cabins on a low bluff, sunsets over the open Pacific and sea-turtle conservation stays.
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  Yelapa · Village · Jalisco
  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.
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  Úrsulo Galván · Village · Nayarit
  A village on Highway 200 right next to Lo de Marcos, on the Compostela side of the municipal line, a short walk from Lo de Marcos beach.

Beaches

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  Boca de Tomates · Beach · Jalisco
  A beach of seafood ramadas behind Puerto Vallarta's airport, by the Ameca river mouth: come for pescado sarandeado, not a swim, as crocodiles live here.
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  Las Caletas · Beach · Jalisco
  John Huston's former jungle hideaway between Quimixto and Yelapa, now a boat-only beach visited on Vallarta Adventures day trips and evening shows.
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  Litibú · Beach · Nayarit
  A long sandy bay on the north side of the Punta de Mita peninsula, next to Higuera Blanca, with a Greg Norman golf course and beach resorts.
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  Mayto · Beach · Jalisco
  A long, empty golden beach on the open Pacific south of El Tuito, with a university sea-turtle camp, a few small hotels and strong surf.
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  Playa Amapas · Beach · Jalisco
  Small rocky cove just past the south end of Los Muertos, reached over the El Púlpito rock; amber sand, green water, no lifeguards.
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  Playa Boca de Chila · Beach · Nayarit
  A long, empty beach of pale sand at the mouth of the Chila river, with mangroves, water birds and a sea-turtle camp, west of Zacualpan.
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  Playa Caballo · Beach · Jalisco
  A quiet beach right next to Las Ánimas on the jungle coast trail from Boca de Tomatlán, home to a small hotel and beach club.
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  Playa Camarones · Beach · Jalisco
  Downtown beach of the 5 de Diciembre neighborhood, just north of the Malecón: named for shrimp fishermen, now loved by local families.
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  Playa Careyeros · Beach · Nayarit
  A quiet, almost undeveloped beach between Punta de Mita and Higuera Blanca, with clear turquoise water and a rough, poorly signed dirt road in.
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  Playa Colomitos · Beach · Jalisco
  A tiny emerald cove in the jungle west of Boca de Tomatlán, reached on a 30 to 45 minute coastal trail or a short water-taxi ride.
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  Playa Conchas Chinas · Beach · Jalisco
  A string of small rocky coves just south of the Zona Romántica, with shell sand, clear water, tide pools and snorkelling around the rocks.
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  Playa Destiladeras · Beach · Nayarit
  A long, wide sweep of fine pale sand on the road to Punta de Mita, with seafood palapas, shallow water and waves for surfing and boogie boarding.
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  Playa El Anclote · Beach · Nayarit
  Punta de Mita's town beach: long, gentle waves for beginner surfers, a row of seafood palapas and the pangas that run to the Marietas.
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  Playa El Borrego · Beach · Nayarit
  San Blas's town beach: almost 3 km of soft sand at the end of Calle Azueta, with seafood palapas, beginner surf and sunsets.
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  Playa El Naranjo · Beach · Nayarit
  Long, empty beach north of La Peñita at the far end of Jaltemba Bay, with a sea-turtle camp where you can camp and help release hatchlings.
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  Playa Garza Blanca · Beach · Jalisco
  Calm south-shore cove below the Garza Blanca resort, sheltered by boulder breakwaters; clear water for swimming, snorkeling and paddleboarding.
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  Playa Isabel · Beach · Jalisco
  Small, calm, shady cove a short walk from Yelapa's pier, with clear water for snorkeling and far fewer people than the main beach.
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  Playa La Lancha · Beach · Nayarit
  A wild sand beach and point break east of Punta de Mita, reached on foot: lefts and rights for longboarders, best on winter swells.
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  Playa La Manzanilla · Beach · Nayarit
  La Cruz de Huanacaxtle's family beach: a mile-long crescent of grey sand with calm, shallow water and palapa restaurants on the sand.
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  Playa Las Cuevas · Beach · Nayarit
  A little-visited surf beach about 2.5 km south of Chacala, under the volcanic hill of Cerro de las Cuevas; strong waves and almost no one around.
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  Playa Las Cuevas · Beach · Nayarit
  A small cove of white sand and weathered boulders north of Sayulita, reached by a jungle path, with a rock arch to Playa Malpaso at low tide.
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  Playa Las Estacas · Beach · Jalisco
  A sheltered cove just south of Conchas Chinas, fronted by the Hyatt Ziva resort; the sand is public, the land behind it is not.
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  Playa Las Glorias · Beach · Jalisco
  Hotel-zone beach of nearly a kilometer between Los Tules and Playa Tranquila, lined with resorts and condos, about 3 km north of the Malecón.
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  Playa Las Minitas · Beach · Nayarit
  A small, secluded beach southwest of Lo de Marcos at the end of the Camino a Las Minitas, between the main beach and Playa Los Venados.
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  Playa Las Ánimas · Beach · Jalisco
  A 600-meter beach of palapa restaurants on the south shore, the first water-taxi stop from Boca de Tomatlán and the end of the coastal hike.
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  Playa Los Muertos · Beach · Jalisco
  The busy town beach of the Zona Romántica: palapa restaurants, beach clubs, the sail-shaped pier for south-shore water taxis and the original seahorse statue.
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  Playa Los Tules · Beach · Jalisco
  Hotel-zone beach of soft amber sand and gentle waves next to Playa de Oro, busy with parasailing, jet skis and banana boats.
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  Playa Los Venados · Beach · Nayarit
  A small, quiet bay just south of Lo de Marcos where big waves break into curtains of spray and the south end is calm, with a lookout on the hill.
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  Playa Majahuitas · Beach · Jalisco
  A sheltered, boat-only cove of white sand and reef between Quimixto and Yelapa, the snorkel-and-lunch stop on many bay tours.
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  Playa Malpaso · Beach · Nayarit
  A wild, mile-long beach between Sayulita and San Pancho, reached on foot by a jungle trail; strong rip currents make swimming dangerous.
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  Playa Olas Altas · Beach · Jalisco
  Zona Romántica beach from the Cuale River mouth south to the Los Muertos pier: calmer than Los Muertos and a favorite with Mexican families.
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  Playa Palmares · Beach · Jalisco
  Puerto Vallarta's south-shore public beach: the first Blue Flag beach in Jalisco, with lifeguards, ramps, showers and a city beach club.
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  Playa Patzcuarito · Beach · Nayarit
  A tiny wild beach of dark sand southwest of Sayulita, reached by scrambling over the rocks from Carricitos; few people and big sunsets.
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  Playa Punta Raza · Beach · Nayarit
  A wild beach of about 3 km below the Punta Raza headland, reached on foot from El Monteón; strong surf, a turtle camp and no services.
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  Playa Pátzcuaro · Beach · Nayarit
  A quiet, unsigned local favorite on the open coast just southwest of Sayulita, reached by a dirt track and a creek off the Punta de Mita road.
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  Playa Rosita · Beach · Jalisco
  The narrow, stony beach below the Malecón, named after the 1948 Hotel Rosita; for sunsets and watching fishermen, not for swimming.
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  Playa de Barro · Beach · Nayarit
  A remote jungle-backed beach north of San Pancho with a small natural mud bath and rock pools, reached by a long hike or a rough 4x4 road.
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  Playa de Oro · Beach · Jalisco
  Kilometer-long golden beach of Vallarta's northern hotel zone, between the cruise port and the Pitillal River, with three public accesses.
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  Playa de las Tortugas · Beach · Nayarit
  A long, nearly empty turtle-nesting beach just south of Platanitos, with coconut palms, surf, a mangrove estuary and a Conanp turtle camp.
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  Playa del Amor · Beach · Nayarit
  The Hidden Beach of the Marietas: a patch of sand inside an open hollow in the rock, reached by swimming through a short sea tunnel.
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  Playa del Beso · Beach · Nayarit
  A small cove among rocks just past Los Ayala, also called Playa Frideras, reached by a 15-minute jungle path or along the shore at low tide.
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  Playa del Toro · Beach · Nayarit
  A tiny cove of golden sand under a cliff-top lookout on the Punta Raza headland, about an hour's jungle walk from Los Ayala.
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  Punta Monterrey · Beach · Nayarit
  A secluded, jungle-backed point and beach between San Pancho and Lo de Marcos, reached by a dirt road; camping is not allowed.

Landmarks and museums

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  Aquaventuras Park · Landmark · Nayarit
  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.
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  Cerro de la Contaduría · Landmark · Nayarit
  The hill above San Blas with the ruined 18th-century fort and counting house, old cannons, and the roofless church of La Marinera.
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  Chico's Paradise · Landmark · Jalisco
  Open-air riverside restaurant at km 20 on the road to El Tuito, on the Horcones River boulders, with cliff divers, river pools and zip lines.
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  ChocoMuseo · Landmark · Jalisco
  Free little chocolate museum and tasting bar a block above the Malecón, with hands-on bean-to-bar, truffle and mole workshops.
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  Ecoparque El Nogalito · Landmark · Jalisco
  Jungle ecopark above the village of El Nogalito, 20 minutes south of Vallarta: zip lines and a riverbed walk to a waterfall and swimming pool.
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  El Edén de Mismaloya · Landmark · Jalisco
  Jungle ecopark on the Mismaloya River where Predator was filmed in 1987: swimming holes, rock slides, a riverside restaurant and zip lines.
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  El Pitillal · Landmark · Jalisco
  The old farming town swallowed by Puerto Vallarta, with a twin-towered church, a bandstand plaza and the evening taco stands that food tours come for.
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  Faro de Matamoros · Landmark · Jalisco
  Retired 1932 lighthouse on the hill above downtown Vallarta, now a free lookout with a spiral staircase and an Elizabeth Taylor mural.
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  Gringo Gulch · Landmark · Jalisco
  Hillside lanes above the Cuale River where Hollywood names settled in the 1950s and 60s; Burton and Taylor's houses and their bridge are here.
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  Malecón de Puerto Vallarta · Landmark · Jalisco
  Puerto Vallarta's car-free seafront promenade, lined with bronze sculptures and pebble mosaics, and the city's favourite place to watch the sunset.
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  Marina Vallarta · Landmark · Jalisco
  The yacht harbour and planned district between the airport and the cruise port: a waterside boardwalk, a lighthouse, and the docks where many bay tours start.
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  Mariposario Jardín Mágico · Landmark · Jalisco
  Banderas Bay's only butterfly sanctuary, a shaded garden in Campo Verde where guides explain the life cycle and visitors release a butterfly.
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  Mercado Municipal Río Cuale · Landmark · Jalisco
  Downtown Vallarta's riverside craft and food market, in a 1970s building by Alejandro Zohn; open daily for souvenirs and market lunches.
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  Muelle de Playa Los Muertos · Landmark · Jalisco
  The sail-topped pier of the Zona Romántica, opened in 2013 and rebuilt in 2023, where water taxis leave for Yelapa and the south shore.
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  Museo Histórico Naval de Puerto Vallarta · Landmark · Jalisco
  The Mexican Navy's museum on the Malecón: ship models, cannons, uniforms and the story of the Manila galleons, in 14 rooms since 2006.
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  Museo del Arte en Piel · Landmark · Jalisco
  A small private museum on Calle Juárez in the Centro showing historical dress recreated in leather by artisan Alfonso Nuño Romero.
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  Museo del Cuale · Landmark · Jalisco
  Small INAH archaeology museum on Isla del Río Cuale with pre-Hispanic pottery and shaft-tomb finds from West Mexico; temporarily closed in 2026.
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  Paradise Village Marina · Landmark · Nayarit
  A 200-berth marina in a sheltered estuary inside the Paradise Village resort in Nuevo Vallarta, base of the Vallarta Yacht Club.
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  Parque Lázaro Cárdenas · Landmark · Jalisco
  Seafront park at the south end of the Malecón, being covered in tile-and-mirror mosaics by Vallarta artist Natasha Moraga since 2017.
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  Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe · Landmark · Jalisco
  Puerto Vallarta's brick parish church with the crown-topped bell tower that defines the city skyline; the goal of the December 1-12 pilgrimages.
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  Plaza de Armas de Puerto Vallarta · Landmark · Jalisco
  The town's main square by the Malecón, with its bandstand, Ignacio Vallarta statue and danzón on Thursday and Sunday evenings.
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  Puente Jorullo · Landmark · Jalisco
  A 470 m suspension bridge hung 150 m over the Cuale River canyon in the hills behind Vallarta, crossed on foot or by ATV in the ejido's River Park.
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  Puente del Amor · Landmark · Jalisco
  The little covered bridge over Calle Zaragoza that joined Elizabeth Taylor's and Richard Burton's houses, now part of the Casa Kimberly hotel.
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  Terminal Marítima de Puerto Vallarta · Landmark · Jalisco
  Puerto Vallarta's cruise port, three berths on the harbour beside Marina Vallarta where about 170 cruise ships a year tie up for the day.
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  VidantaWorld · Landmark · Nayarit
  Vast resort complex at the south end of Nuevo Vallarta: golf, the PGA Tour Mexico Open, Cirque du Soleil's LUDŌ and the new BON theme park.
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  Zona Romántica · Landmark · Jalisco
  Puerto Vallarta's old town south of the Río Cuale: cobbled streets, Los Muertos beach and pier, cafés, galleries and the heart of the city's gay scene.
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  Zoológico de Vallarta · Landmark · Jalisco
  Family-run jungle zoo up the river road behind Mismaloya, where visitors hand-feed many of the animals; open every day of the year.

Towns

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  El Porvenir · Town · Nayarit
  A working town of about 6,000 people in the farming valley of Bahía de Banderas, between San Vicente and San José del Valle.
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  El Tuito · Town · Jalisco
  The quiet, ochre-walled seat of Cabo Corrientes, up in the pine-and-agave hills an hour south of Vallarta: plaza, Sunday market, local cheese and raicilla.
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  Ixtapa · Town · Jalisco
  Puerto Vallarta's second town, 11 km inland in the valley: home of the University of Guadalajara's coast campus and once a banana hacienda.
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  La Peñita de Jaltemba · Town · 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.
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  Las Jarretaderas · Town · Nayarit
  The first town in Nayarit after the Ameca River bridge, an old ejido beside Nuevo Vallarta known for seafood joints and its surf-fishing tournament.
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  Las Juntas · Town · Jalisco
  Fast-growing town on Highway 200 near Vallarta's airport and the Ameca bridges, where the mountain road to Mascota and San Sebastián begins.
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  Las Palmas de Arriba · Town · Jalisco
  Ejido town on the Ameca River in the far north of Puerto Vallarta municipality, on Highway 544 on the way up to San Sebastián del Oeste.
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  Las Varas · Town · Nayarit
  An inland farm town and road junction near Chacala, with a community museum of local archaeology and a carnival of masked mojigangas.
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  Mezcales · Town · Nayarit
  Busy working town on Highway 200 between Nuevo Vallarta and Bucerías, one of the largest in Bahía de Banderas; taquerías, cenadurías and local life.
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  Nuevo Vallarta · Town · Nayarit
  Planned resort town just across the Ameca River from Puerto Vallarta: long beach, big hotels, canals, marinas and golf. Officially Nuevo Nayarit since 2022.
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  San Clemente de Lima · Town · 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.
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  San José del Valle · Town · 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.
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  San Juan de Abajo · Town · Nayarit
  Farming town in the Banderas valley, below the Sierra de Vallejo: a twin-towered parish, evening taco stands and a big May fiesta for Saint John.
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  San Vicente · Town · Nayarit
  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.
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  Valle de Banderas · Town · Nayarit
  The farming town that gave Banderas Bay its name, now seat of Bahía de Banderas: a quiet plaza, an old church and fields below the Sierra de Vallejo.
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  Zacualpan · Town · Nayarit
  A farming town north of Las Varas known for its devotion to the Divino Niño, a ten-day Santa Cruz fair and the turtle beach at Chila.

Nature reserves

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  Cabo Corrientes · Nature reserve · Jalisco
  The rocky cape that closes Banderas Bay to the south, crowned by a lighthouse from 1903, reached on foot from the remote fishing village of Corrales.
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  Estero El Salado · Nature reserve · Jalisco
  Protected mangrove estuary in the middle of Puerto Vallarta's hotel strip, with biologist-led boat tours, a watchtower and wild crocodiles.
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  Jardín Botánico de Vallarta · Nature reserve · Jalisco
  A hillside botanical garden at km 24 south of Puerto Vallarta, famous for its orchids, jungle trails, birding and swims in the Horcones River.
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  Los Arcos de Mismaloya · Nature reserve · Jalisco
  Five granite islets with sea arches off Mismaloya, a marine refuge since 1975 and the bay's favourite snorkel stop, under ten minutes by boat from the beach.
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  Rancho Primavera · Nature reserve · Jalisco
  Restored 200-acre ranch 3 km from El Tuito that has become a birding hotspot, with feeders, ponds and trails; day birders welcome.
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  Sierra de Vallejo · Nature reserve · Nayarit
  The jungle-covered coastal range behind Sayulita and the Bahía de Banderas valley, home to jaguars, 261 bird species and shade-grown coffee.

Islands

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  Isla Cangrejito · Island · Nayarit
  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.
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  Isla del Coral · Island · Nayarit
  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.
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  Isla del Río Cuale · Island · Jalisco
  A shady river island between downtown and the Zona Romántica, with craft stalls, riverside restaurants, a small archaeology museum and iguanas.
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  Piedra Blanca · Island · Nayarit
  White sea rock off Isla del Rey, crowned by San Blas's sailors' Virgin and held by the Wixárika as Tatéi Haramara, where life emerged from the sea.

Waterfalls

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  Cascada Palo María · Waterfall · Jalisco
  The waterfall closest to Puerto Vallarta: a 30 to 45 minute river walk from the Palo María bridge on Highway 200 to a jungle pool, free to visit.
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  Cascadas de Mismaloya · Waterfall · Jalisco
  A chain of three jungle waterfalls high in the hills behind Mismaloya, up to about 75 m tall, reached only on a long, hard hike.

Cities

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  Puerto Vallarta · City · Jalisco
  Jalisco's big beach city on Banderas Bay: a cobbled old town, a sculpture-lined Malecón and the boats to every beach of the south shore.

Mountains

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  Cerro del Mono · Mountain · Nayarit
  Monkey Mountain: a rocky 320 m summit above Higuera Blanca, between Punta de Mita and Sayulita, with a 360-degree view of the Pacific coast.

Viewpoints

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  Mirador Cerro de la Cruz · Viewpoint · Jalisco
  Lookout around the cross on the hill above downtown, reached by steep lanes and stairs from the Malecón, with a 360° view from Los Arcos to Punta Mita.

Top tours in Banderas Bay

Mercado Municipal Río Cuale Winner 2026 Downtown Vallarta Food Tour with Vallarta Food Tours ★ 5.0 (3,971) 3 h 30 min From US$59

Mercado Municipal Río Cuale Puerto Vallarta Extreme Adventure: Wildest Bridge, ATV & Ziplines ★ 4.9 (3,357) 6 h From US$69

Playa Los Venados Yelapa & Secluded Private Beach ALL INCLUSIVE Adventure ★ 4.8 (2,559) 6–7 h From US$135

Mercado Municipal Río Cuale Puerto Vallarta Zipline, Rappel, Water Slide & Speedboat tour ★ 4.9 (2,144) 6 h 30 min From US$69

Mercado Municipal Río Cuale Puerto Vallarta Rhythms of the Night, Dinner Cruise and Alma Show ★ 4.5 (2,093) 5 h From US$119

Mercado Municipal Río Cuale Food & Mixology Tour:Tequila,Tacos, Mezcal and Agave Cocktails ★ 5.0 (1,949) 4 h From US$98

Puerto Vallarta Private Tour: Puerto Vallarta ATV Adventure ★ 5.0 (1,133) 3 h From US$109

Las Caletas Puerto Vallarta Las Caletas, Adventure Park & Lunch with Open Bar ★ 4.5 (848) 7 h From US$109

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Neighbouring regions