85 Best Sights in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

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. 

About 6 km (4 miles) south of Playa Borrego, at the northern edge of Bahía de Matanchén, Playa Las Islitas used to be legendary among surfers for its long wave, but this has diminished in recent years. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee). Best for: surfing; swimming; walking

At the south end of the Matanchén Bay, Playa Los Cocos and Playa Miramar are both great for taking long walks and for hanging out at ramadas. Amenities: parking (no fee). Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.

Secluded and not as easy to reach, Playa Los Muertos is a great place to get away from it all and spend some quiet time in Sayulita. Watch out for the rip currents as they can be mean, and there are no lifeguards here. Amenities: water sports. Best for: swimming.

Right in the middle between La Cruz de Loreto and Chalacatepec, you’ll find this magnificent white-sand beach that stretches for miles in parallel with the Estero Majahuas formed by the Tomatlán River. Basically, you have the sea on one side and the beach and freshwater estuary on the other. This area has been targeted several times for new tourism development due to its rare beauty. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; 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.

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.

This is the main beach in Barra de Navidad, and it has a laid-back attitude just like the town. At any time but high tide you can walk between San Patricio and Barra, a distance of about 5 km (3½ miles). This is a sloping brown-sand beach where surfers look for swells near the jetty, where the sea enters the lagoon of Navidad. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); water sports. Best for: sunset; surfing; swimming.

Several kilometers of pristine beach face the hotels of Playa Nuevo Vallarta. In the fall, a fenced-off turtle nesting area provides relief for the endangered ocean dwellers. Jet Skis whiz by, kids frolic in the roped-off water nearest the beach, and waiters attend to vacationers lounging in recliners in front of their respective hotels. The wide, flat sandy stretch is perfect for long walks. In fact, you could walk all the way to Bucerías, some 8 km (5 miles) to the north. Most of the hotels here are all-inclusives, so guests generally move between their hotel pool and the beach in front. All-inclusive programs mean that only hotel guests may enter the bars and restaurants on the property. This beach recently received certification by the Mexican government as a "Clean Beach." Amenities: parking (free); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: sunset; swimming; walking.

The name means "high waves beach," but the only waves suitable for bodysurfing, boogie boarding, or, occasionally, surfing are near the Cuale River, at the north end of this small beach. Although "Olas Altas" more often refers to the neighborhood of bars and businesses near the ocean south of the Río Cuale, it is also the name of a few blocks of sand between Daiquiri Dick's restaurant and the Río Cuale. The beach attracts fewer sunbathers than Los Muertos but is otherwise an extension of that beach, and it gets lively during holidays with sunbathers and impromptu snack stands and shaded tables on the sand. There are good views of the recently renovated Los Muertos Pier and spectacular lighting at night. Facing Olas Altas Beach near Lázaro Cárdenas plaza are open-air stands selling beach accessories, small grocery stores, and beach-facing bar-restaurants. Amenities: food and drink; parking. Best for: sunset; swimming.

Beyond Matanchén Bay the road heads inland and reemerges about 8 km (5 miles) later at Playa Platanitos, a lovely little beach in a sheltered cove that also produces a fun wave for surfers right along the cove's end. Fishermen park their skiffs here and simple shacks cook up the catch of the day. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); water sports. Best for: solitude; sunset; surfing; swimming; walking.

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 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.

The surf here is inconsistent, but when it happens it is superb. The beach is adjacent to the fishing port of La Cruz, along the south side, and the area closest to the port is great for swimming even when the surf is big. Farther south it becomes nicer, but swimming gets trickier because of the rocks at the edge of the water. Amenities: water sports. Best for: solitude; surfing; swimming; 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.

There's only one beach in San Pancho, aptly called Playa San Pancho. Roughly about a mile long, it has fine sand and clean blue water, but also a strong undertow and shorebreak that can be dangerous when the swell builds up. Swimming is fantastic when the sea is calm, but do be careful if the ocean is rough. You can rent surfboards and surf the break on the south side of the beach, which tends to get busy with locals when the waves are pumping. Amenities: food and drink; parking (free); toilets; water sports. Best for: sunset; surfing; swimming; walking.

This is the main beach in town. Nowadays it's usually very busy; there are tons of restaurants and shops within walking distance, and the main surf break is right there, too, meaning it's full of surfers and surf schools. Amenities: food and drink; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; surfing; swimming.

A couple of miles north of La Peñita, a dusty road leads to this long, secluded sandy beach with excellent swimming. The rutted dirt road from the highway, although only about 4 km (2½ miles) long, takes almost a half hour to negotiate in most passenger cars. Enjoy great views of the coastline from one of nearly a dozen seafood shanties. Turtles nest here in August and September. There are rumors of a major development here in the near-ish future. Facilities: Restaurants. Best for: swimming; walking.

Some 30 km (19 miles) north of Rincón de Guayabitos, Chacala is another 9 km (5 miles) from the highway through exuberant vegetation. You can dine or drink at the handful of eateries right on the beach, take in the soft-scented sea air and the green-blue sea, or bodysurf and boogie board. Swimming is safest under the protective headland to the north of the cove; surfing is often very good, but you have to hire a boat to access the point break. The beach is long but rather narrow when the tide is in. Facilities: Food concessions. Best for: surfing; swimming.

A classic in the region's beach scene and favorite of locals, this beach stretches a few miles north of Piedra Blanca headland. It's a wide, 1½-km-long (1-mile-long) beach with powder-soft beige sand and sometimes good waves for bodysurfers and boogie boarders. It's a pretty scene with the blue mountains to the north and south and the area's ubiquitous coconut palms framing views of the sky. On weekends and holidays, vendors prepare and sell yummy barbecue-blackened shrimp and fish kebabs, fresh fruit, and ceviche. A new development called Nahui was built above the beach and it brought with it better facilities for the beach. At the north end of the beach, Punta el Burro is a popular surf spot often accessed by boat from Punta Mita. Facilities: Food concessions, bathrooms, trash bins, parking. Best for: surfing; swimming; sunset.

The most accessible beach at Punta de Mita and considered to be surf central is El Anclote, whose name means "the big anchorage." Just a few minutes past the gated entrance to the tony Four Seasons and St. Regis hotels, the popular beach has a string of restaurants—once simple shacks but today of increasing sophistication and price. This is a primo spot for viewing a sunset. The surf is calmed by several rock jetties and is shallow for quite a way out, so it's a good spot for children and average to not-strong swimmers; however, the jetties have also robbed sand from the beach. There's a long, slow wave for beginning surfers; you can rent boards and take lessons from outfitters in town. Most of the jewelry and serape sellers and fishermen looking for customers have moved—or been moved—off the beach to more official digs in buildings along the same strip or facing the Four Seasons. Accessible from El Anclote (or the adjacent town of Corral del Risco), more than half a dozen great surf spots pump year-round; most are accessible only by boat. Punta de Mita is the northernmost point of Banderas Bay, about 40 km (25 mi) north of Puerto Vallarta. Facilities: Fishing, snorkeling, surfing, paddle surfing; food concessions, showers, parking. Best for: snorkeling; surfing; sunset.