25 Best Sights in South of Puerto Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta

In 2014 Playa Palmares became the first beach in the area to get the coveted international Blue Flag certification. This certification is an eco-award designed for beaches, marinas, and boating tourism operators; recipients of the Blue Flag comply with a series of stringent environmental, accessibility, and safety requirements. Palmares is connected to Punta Negra, but its waves are smaller, which makes it a better fit for families. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming.

Since its opening in 2005, the Vallarta Botanical Gardens has become a landmark of Puerto Vallarta and with good reason. The place is spectacular, set in the middle of the Sierra Madre mountains, just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean. In its 64 acres of land you will find extraordinary biodiversity, a vanilla plantation, hiking trails, plant conservatories, a scenic restaurant, and even a river of crystal clear waters. Plan to spend at least two hours here; you can easily spend a whole day. You can buy a tour, or explore on your own by foot or bicycle. A small shop sells plants, souvenirs, and arts and crafts.

This is the first beach to be awarded the prestigious Blue Flag certification, a program run by the Foundation for Environmental Education. To get a Blue Flag a beach needs to meet 32 criteria regarding water quality, environmental education, environmental management, and safety and services. Located 6 km (3 miles) south of Puerto Vallarta’s downtown, Playa Palmares is a pristine stretch of beach, good for swimming and equipped with all the necessary services. Facilities: food concessions; restrooms, showers, parking. Best for: swimming; walking; sunset.

This small waterfall can be reached on foot or you can take a horseback ride for about 150--400 MXN ($8–$20) depending on how well you haggle. You can enter the waterfall from the lower road for free or buy a drink and snack at the restaurant on top of the hill. You can also take a swim in the cold waters below the falls, which are refreshing in summer but quite cold in the winter season.

From Mismaloya there is a trail following the river deep into the jungle and up through the mountains; it's about 4 km (2½ miles) long and it leads to a beautiful waterfall and natural pool known as El Edén. The trek can be a bit arduous for kids, but the nature around is impressive. There is a restaurant and an ecopark on-site.

Protected area Los Arcos is an offshore group of giant rocks rising some 65 feet above the water, making the area great for snorkeling and diving. Its waters are among the deepest in the area, getting to around 1,600 feet. For reasonable fees, local men along the road to Mismaloya Beach run diving, snorkeling, fishing, and boat trips here and as far north as Punta Mita and Las Marietas or the beach villages of Cabo Corrientes.

The rock formations around the Majahuitas cove hide many sea caves inhabited by marine creatures in different colors, shapes, and sizes. Moorish idols with striking black, white, and yellow bands are the most common residents of the area, but you may also spot sea cucumbers, parrot fish, puffer fish, schools of surgeonfish, eels, and many other tropical fish.

This V-shape, rocky bay lies at the mouth of the Río Horcones, about 5 km (3 miles) south of Mismaloya. Water taxis leave from Boca to the southern beaches. As far as most visitors are concerned, this is mainly the staging area for water taxis with nowhere else to hang out. However, this dramatic-looking bay lined with palm trees does have rustic appeal. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets. Best for: swimming.

For a truly romantic spot you might want to visit Playa Caballo, a spectacular secluded beach of turquoise blue waters, calm waves, lush vegetation—and nothing else. Get a water taxi at Boca de Tomatlán or, if you are up for the adventure, start walking from Boca through a small pathway across the jungle all the way to this "Horse Beach." You'll be there in hour and a half. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.

This little cove is set between two hills that seem to be closing in on a gorgeous beach that's been called Mexico's smallest (it extends for only 30 meters). Its waters vary between turquoise blue and emerald green, its sand has a golden tone, and the surrounding mountains provide it with a unique atmosphere. From Boca de Tomatlán get a water taxi or walk through the jungle for 40 minutes. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: snorkeling; solitude; swimming.

There's lots to do besides sunbathe at this beach and town 15 minutes south of Boca de Tomatlán. The brown-sand beach is named "The Souls" because pirate graves were reportedly located here many years ago. Because of its very shallow waters, Las Ánimas is a favorite of families with kids. They come by water taxi or as part of bay cruises. Some seafood eateries line the sand. Amenities: food and drink; water sports. Best for: sunset; swimming; walking.

Legend has it that director John Huston discovered this secluded beach and lived here for years. The beach is a bit rocky, but its waters are crystal clear. It's hard to find a more beautiful place. The only problem is that it's private and exclusive: to visit Las Caletas you'll need to buy a tour, which takes away some of the magic.

Playa Las Gemelas are actually two mirrored beaches separated by a wall of rocks, which makes a lot of sense as "gemelas" means twins in Spanish. Las Gemelas is a couple of wide but short golden-sand beaches with clear green water and small waves. Although it has close to no amenities, locals love to come here during the weekends, when it can get a bit crowded. Amenities: parking (no fee). Best for: sunset; swimming. 

It was in this cove that The Night of the Iguana was filmed. Unfortunately, construction of the big Hotel La Jolla de Mismaloya at the north end of the once-pristine bay has stolen its Shangri-La appeal. Nonetheless, the place retains a certain cachet. It also has views of the famous cove from two seafood restaurants on the south side of a bridge over the mouth of the Río Mismaloya. Amenities: food and drink; toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

Seldom-crowded Playa Punta Negra is a favorite among locals for its waves. Just 5 km south of Conchas Chinas, the entrance to the beach is right on the highway and there is not a lot of parking space, which limits the amount of visitors to just a few cars at a time. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: sunset; surfing; walking.

The beach slopes down to the water, and small waves break right on the shore. In high season and during holidays, there are water-sports outfitters. From here you can hike 20 minutes into the jungle to see the small Cascada Cola de Caballo (Horse Tail Waterfall), with a pool at its base for swimming. Amenities: food and drink; water sports. Best for: swimming; walking.

Between the beaches of Quimixto and Yelapa and about 35 minutes by boat from Boca de Tomatlán, this small beach is the playground of people on day tours and guests of the exclusive Majahuitas Resort. There are no services for the average José; the lounge chairs and toilets are for hotel guests only. Palm trees shade the white beach of broken, sea-buffed shells. The blue-green water is clear, and there's sometimes good snorkeling around the rocky shore. Facilities: None. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

There's lots to do besides sunbathe at this beach and town 15 minutes south of Boca de Tomatlán. Framed in oak, coconut, and pink-flowering amapa trees, the brown-sand beach is named "The Souls" because pirate graves were reportedly located here many years ago. Along the 1-km-long (½-mi-long) beach are piles of smooth, strange rocks looking an awful lot like petrified elephant poo. Because of its very shallow waters, Las Animas is often referred to as la playa de los niños (children's beach), and it tends to fill up with families on weekends and holidays. They come by water taxi or as part of half- or full-day bay cruises. Five or six seafood eateries line the sand; a few will lend their clients volleyballs to use on sand courts out front. You can also rent Jet Skis, ride a banana boat, or soar up into the sky behind a speedboat while dangling from a colorful parachute. Facilities: Banana-boat rides, boating, Jet Skis, parasailing; food concessions. Best for: swimming; walking; sunset.

Thirty-eight kilometers (23 miles) down a passable road from El Tuito, this gorgeous beach is several miles long, embraced on either end by a rocky point. The sand is grainy but clean and slopes down to meet the rough to semirough surf. Despite the slope of the beach, this is a great place for a long walk or shore fishing. In late summer and fall there's a turtle camp where volunteers protect the eggs of the black and olive Ridley turtles that nest here. The Hotel de Mayto has rooms at modest prices and offers massage; next door, the friendly folks of El Rinconcito have a small store and a few rooms to rent as well as four-wheelers and horses (200 pesos per hour for either). Facilities: ATVs, horseback riding, kayaking; food concessions, camping. Best for: solitude; walking; sunset.

On 20 acres of land 19 km (12 miles) south of town, the Puerto Vallarta Botanical Gardens features more than 3,000 species of plants. Set within the tropical dry forest at 1,300 feet above sea level, its trails lead to a stream where you can swim. You can also see palm, agave, and rose gardens; a tree fern grotto; an orchid house; and displays of Mexican wildflowers and carnivorous plants. There is free parking and a free guided tour daily at 1 pm, from December through Easter. The lovely, open-sided Hacienda de Oro restaurant serves an array of starters as well as pizza and Mexican dishes. Beverages include wine and a full bar. Visit the website to arrange a four-hour birding (via ATV) or hiking tour with lunch, for $85 per person. A taxi here will cost about $20, but for less than a dollar, you can take the "El Tuito" bus from the corner of Aguacate and Venustiano Carranza streets. Slather on insect repellent before you go, and take some with you. This is the jungle, and jejenes (no-see-ums), mosquitoes, and other biting bugs will definitely attack.

Between the sandy stretches of Las Ánimas and Majahuitas, and about 20 minutes by boat from Boca de Tomatlán, Quimixto has a narrow, rocky shoreline that attracts few bathers. Tour boats stop here, and their clients usually have a meal at one of the seafood eateries facing the beach. Horses by the dozens are standing by to take passengers to Quimixto Falls (about $13 round-trip). It's only slightly longer than the 25-minute ride to walk there. You can bathe at the base of the energetic falls; the pool is enclosed by sheer rock walls. Be careful of the current during the rainy season, when the water crashing into the pool tends to push swimmers toward the rock walls. Before proceeding to the falls, have a cool drink at the casual restaurant; consuming something is obligatory to gain access. During stormy weather or a full moon there's a fun, fast wave at Quimixto's reef, popular with surfers but, because of its inaccessibility, rarely crowded. Facilities: Horseback riding, surfing; food concessions, toilets. Best for: surfing; walking.

Just over 2 km (1 mile) from Mayto, Tehuamixtle is a sheltered cove with a few basic rooms to rent. The area is known for its oysters, which you can sample fresh from the sea at an open-air restaurant facing the fishing fleet. The surf here is very gentle and lacks currents, making it popular with local children. The pristine beach invites snorkeling and diving (bring your own equipment). Fishing boats bob at one end, below the restaurant; from here, the beach curves along in a sandy brown arch to a large green headland at the other end of the cove. Tehua, as locals call it, is about the same size as Mayto: 100 people. This fishing village has only had electricity since the turn of the 21st century. There's a beach road that connects Tehua with Cruz de Loreto, about 1½ hours to the south; otherwise go out through El Tuito. Facilities: Fishing; food concessions. Best for: swimming; surfing.

Four kilometers (2½ mi) beyond Tehuamixtle, Villa del Mar is a beautiful virgin beach on a broad sweep of bay. Several miles long, flat and sandy, it's great for long walks; turtles nest here in late summer and fall. At the south end of the beach, a huge estuary surrounded by coconut palms invites kayaking. The sandy streets in and around town and the beach are great for mountain biking, and local people will rent horses for a ride on the beach or into the countryside. Facilities: Horseback riding.