15 Best Sights in Costalegre, Puerto Vallarta

Since its opening in 1990, the Costa Careyes Polo Club has received players from all over the world. For $500 you can play in one of their two regulation-size fields with greens fees and horse rental included.

This beach of fine gray-blond sand is wide and flat, and it stretches for several kilometers. Gentle waves make it suitable for swimming, boogie boarding, and snorkeling, but beware the undertow. It's a great place for jogging or walking on the beach. The place goes completely bananas every year during one weekend in August when the International Beach Festival Boca de Iguanas takes place. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: partiers; snorkeling; surfing; swimming.

This beach is named for the careyes (hawksbill) turtles that lay eggs here. It's a lovely soft-sand beach framed by headlands. When the water's not too rough, snorkeling is good around the rocks, where you can also fish. There's a small restaurant at the north end of the beach, and often you can arrange to go out with a local fisherman (about $20 per hour). Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

The main beach in the Chamela Bay area is long and wide, with several hotels and restaurants scattered here and there. Lounge chairs and palapas are available for rent on the beach. The sea is good for kids and for swimming, as the islands in front of the coastline soften the surf in the bay. Boat trips to the islands are available. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

This small beach has the honor of being the first inclusive beach in the Mexican Pacific. You'll see plenty of "floating chairs" for people who need assistance getting into the sea. There are also many nonmotorized water sports options such as kayaks, pedal boats, or snorkeling. The surrounding mountains give it a touch of mysticism. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

Also on Bahía de Chamela, this lovely beach is fringed in lanky coconut palms and backed by blue foothills. There are camping and RV accommodations and plenty of opportunities for shore fishing, swimming, and snorkeling. Almost every pretty beach in Mexico has its own humble restaurant; this one is no exception. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

Informal hotels and restaurants are interspersed among small businesses and modest houses along the town's main street. The bay is calm and beautiful. At the beach road's north end, gigantic, rubbery-looking crocodiles lie heaped together just out of harm's way in a mangrove swamp. The fishing here is excellent; boat owners on the beach can take you out for snapper and sea bass for $20 an hour. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: sunset; swimming; walking.

Near the north end of Playa Tenacatita, this pretty stretch of sand has a coral reef close to the beach, making it an excellent place to snorkel. Local fishermen take interested parties out on their boats, either fishing for tuna, dorado, or bonito or searching for wildlife such as dolphins and turtles. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

This long, coarse-white-sand beach is beautiful and has gentle waves. Restaurants, small hotels, homes, and tall palms line the beach, which slopes down to the water. Fishermen here will take anglers out in search of dorado, tuna, swordfish, and mackerel. The best swimming and boogie boarding are about half the length of town, in front of El Dorado restaurant. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); water sports. Best for: snorkeling; surfing; swimming.

The handful of islands just off lovely Bahía de Chamela protects the beaches from strong surf. The best place on the bay for swimming is wide, flat Playa Punta Pérula. Fishermen here take visitors out to snorkel around the islands (about $40 for up to 10 people) or to fish ($20 per hour for one to four people); restaurants on the sand sell fresh fillets and ceviche. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

This small cozy beach is a favorite among frequent visitors of Costa Careyes. Its waters have a gorgeous emerald green color and almost no waves, making it perfect for families with kids. Playa Rosa has three little islands and a couple of caves can be visited by boat, offering something different from other beaches in the area. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: swimming.

Playa Tehuamixtle is a small stretch of beach, especially when compared with other beaches of the region. What makes it interesting is the oceanfront restaurant and its dock, from where fishing boats take visitors on day trips to completely isolated beaches not reachable by car. Everything here is affordable, as locals are just happy to get visitors. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

Dozens of identical seafood shacks line the shore; birds cruise the miles of beach, searching for their own fish. The water is sparkling blue. There's camping for RVs and tents at Punta Hermanos, where the water is calm and good for snorkeling, and local men offer fishing excursions ($40–$50 for one to four people) and tours of the mangroves ($20). Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

This beautiful, 2-km-long (1-mi-long) beach is little more than a kilometer (half a mile) in from the highway, near the southern edge of Bahía de Tenacatita, 193 km (120 mi) south of PV and 25 km (15½ mi) north of Barra de Navidad (at Km 14). Informal hotels and restaurants are interspersed with small businesses and modest houses along the town's main street. Rocks dot the gray-gold sands and edge both ends of the wide beach; facing the sand are attractive, unpretentious vacation homes favoring a Venetian palate of ochre and brick red. The bay is calm. At the beach road's north end, gigantic, rubbery-looking crocodiles lie heaped together just out of harm's way in a mangrove swamp. The fishing here is excellent; boat owners on the beach can take you out for snapper, sea bass, and other pescado for $20–$25 an hour. Facilities: Fishing; food concessions. Best for: swimming; walking; sunset.