Last updated on January 28th, 2026 at 02:55 pm
So, you’re planning a trip to Puerto Vallarta, but you’re not familiar with the beaches. I am here to help. After living here since January of 2022, I’ve done the hard research of beach hopping to find the best beaches in Puerto Vallarta (and its surrounds).
Think of this as a tell-all about which beaches fit your vacation style.
Want a beach with a party vibe? I got you.
Prefer a secluded beach with no vendors? I got you.
Like the idea of a family beach without all the tourists? Guess what? I got you.
Ready? Let’s dive into the best beaches in Puerto Vallarta!
Puerto Vallarta beaches map:
Here is a map to make this beach hopping a little easier for you.
Beaches in Puerto Vallarta
Los Muertos Beach: The best for beach clubs and all the action
Let me start by saying that this is not the beach to come to if you want a quiet, secluded, romantic kinda moment. It’s buzzy, has loads of restaurants, all the people, and the vendors to match.
- Want a beach massage? Of course you do, treat yo-self.
- Need some shrimp on a stick bathed in chili, salt and lime? Ahh, yes, please.
- A mango with Tajin? Why certainly.
- A king-sized blanket? Sounds hot, but sure.
- And then there are the ever-present sundresses, tees with sayings like, “Shut up Liver, You’re Fine,” and all the jewelry you could never wear.
- You don’t even need to apply your own sunscreen at Los Muertos Beach. There is a nice man who walks around looking like an exterminator who will aerosol you full of sunscreen like a muralist.
Los Muertos Playa is the Romantic Zone beach, where most of the beach clubs in Puerto Vallarta are found. That is my favorite way to lounge at the beach because you don’t need to bring anything. I’m lazy like that, and sometimes I want my beach days with a side of pampering. I want a lounger with a comfy pad. Clean bathrooms. And most importantly, someone to bring me a lovely lunch and an ever-flowing supply of tequila or bubbles. I’m not afraid to get bougie, and it’s easy to do at Los Muertos, especially if you head to La Palapa or El Dorado beach clubs.
However, I understand that not every day is a bougie day. That’s when I go to Swell. Be prepared though, it can get really cramped in high season, but the food is good and the service is even better.
No matter where you sit on the beach at Los Muertos, you’ll have a good view of the pier and sail, and the hundreds of boats coming and going all day long. It’s touristy, it’s busy, and it’s great people watching if you like to be part of the action.
Another thing about this great beach is that there are no rocks which makes getting in and out a breeze. The sand is soft, not Caribbean soft, but doesn’t hurt your feet and there is no need for aqua shoes like in many other beaches in the area. This is def the best beach in Puerto Vallarta for swimming.
Where is Playa los Muertos?
Right in the heart of the Romantic Zone in downtown Puerto Vallarta. If you are walking along the Malecon from Centro, walk over the Rio Cuale Bridge and pass the Lazaro Cardenas Park (Tile Park), and you’ve landed. As soon as you see the pier and sail, you know you’re in the right spot.
Tips for spending a day at Los Muertos Beach
- If you don’t like the idea of a beach club (although why wouldn’t you?), you can bring a towel and umbrella and set yourself up. Even though it gets really crowded, there is plenty of room. The beach is very long and wide enough to find a spot.
- The south end of the beach is known as the LGBTQ+ section. Once you see the Blue Chairs or Mantamar, you’ve hit the jackpot.
- There are a lot of vendors dressed in all white; it’s an official dress code, so you know they are authorized vendors. They are not pushy. They are just trying to make a living. Give them the respect you’d like to be given. It’s not their fault you have been approached by five vendors in the last 45 seconds. A courteous “no gracias” will do the trick. Better yet, do as the locals do. Simply shake your head no with a polite smile and say “gracias.”
- Buy a fedora from the vendor with a stack of 20 on his head. Or a woven blanket with a hummingbird or Catrina (Dia de los Muertos female) on it. When you get home, it’ll remind you of your Mexican vacation until you can have another one.
Playa Camarones: Best beach for a more local experience
This is my neighborhood beach, and I only live five blocks away. It’s very long and wide, and pretty rocky in areas. Not massive rocks that jut out of the water. Small, rounded, almost polished rocks by the hundreds. This makes it a bit challenging at times to get in and out of the water in certain places.
I recommend a cute pair of water shoes. They do exist (see below). And not the kind where you feel every tiny pebble through them. This isn’t the place for that. You need something with a sturdier sole.
There are a few beach clubs, my fave is Mangos. It really caters to lounging at the beach all day.
El Solar (one of my favorite bars in PV) is just down the way and is more like a bar/restaurant that offers lounge chairs if you ask. Mangos has Bali beds, so you’ll be extra comfy.
If you don’t want a beach club, you can rent a chair and umbrella for the day. Just look around for the guys at the entrance of the beach with all the chairs. They will sort you out with two chairs and a table for around 300 pesos (approx. $16).
What I love about this beach is all the families and locals who come here to spend the day. It’s far less touristy, with far fewer vendors. It’s not quiet, though, everyone is playing their own music at whatever decibel they choose, and no one cares. It’s a happy vibe all around.
Where is Camarones Beach?
If you are coming from Centro, head north toward the airport. When the malecon ends, Playa Camarones starts. You’ll see Hotel Rosita and the Los Milenios statue at the first entrance to the beach. Walk for about five minutes and you’ll hit Mango’s. A few minutes more and you’ll find El Solar and Barracuda.
Tips for visiting Playa Camarones:
- Get some water shoes. There is nothing sexy about a woman in a bikini with banged-up feet, besides a woman in a bikini with hideous water shoes. See my faves below.
2. It’s worth noting that if you are in a particularly rocky area, walk for a few minutes in either direction, and usually you’ll hit a nice big patch of sand to lie on.
Honorable mention beach at Puerto Vallarta
Conchas Chinas beach is only a few minutes south of Los Muertos Beach — about 10 minutes driving. It’s a pretty small beach cove with large jutting rocks that at low tide create tide pools full of living creatures, like crabs and tiny mollusks, so take caution and wear sturdy aqua shoes.
No vendors, no crowds and only one restaurant. You’ll need to bring everything you need for the day.
Top Beaches South of Puerto Vallarta
Las Animas: Best for a Quick Getaway
The further south you go, the nicer the beaches are. Fewer people, fewer vendors, an overall sense of calm, pure magic. But they aren’t as easy to get to as the beaches in town.
You’ll need a boat, which isn’t a big deal; it just takes more planning. Head to the Los Muertos pier with the sail and grab a water taxi. If you’re there during high season, it’s a good idea to go there and buy your ticket ahead of time.
Tickets run anywhere from 450-600 pesos round-trip, depending on the company and your negotiation skills.
The water taxi takes about 30 minutes and drops you off right at the beach or Las Animas pier.
Las Animas Playa has three or four restaurants on it, so pick one and plant yourself for the day. Get some fresh seafood, killer margaritas, and just enjoy the day.
The water is usually pretty calm here—it’s tucked into a little protected nook. And when the sun hits it just right, you can see golden mica from the sand swirling around like flecks of magic. It feels like the ocean is throwing glitter at me because it knows I deserve a grand entrance. Finally, the recognition I deserve! Honestly, I wish the world threw glitter at me all day, every day.
Where is Las Animas?
It is farther south than the coastal road goes. You’ll need to take a boat past Playa Mismaloya and Boca de Tomatlan, where the road turns inland. The easiest way is from Los Muertos Pier.
However, if you get seasick and want to avoid being on the water as much as possible, you can drive from Puerto Vallarta to Boca de Tomatlan, park your car and hop on a water taxi from there. It’s only about 15 minutes from there and will cost about 120-200 pesos round-trip.
You can also hike to Las Animas Beach from Bocas de Tomatlan. It’s a beach-hopping hike, and you’ll stop at multiple beaches before you get there. It’s not too difficult, only takes about an hour to an hour and a half, depending on your stops.
Tips for visiting Las Animas:
- Go early, especially on weekends, to have your choice of prime beach real estate.
2. Bring cash because not all the restaurants take cards.
3. There are no high-end hotels or luxury resorts, so expect rustic, not luxe.
Honorable mention beaches:
Quimixto, Majahuitas and Yelapa are fabulous beaches, not too dissimilar from Animas. They all have a Robinson Caruso feel.
Quimixto has fewer restaurants, but Charly’s is all you need. It’s quieter, and there are a couple of waterfalls you can hike to if you decide to get off your tush. I have yet to see them personally. My cielo rojo and plate of fresh seafood keep me pretty much glued to Charly’s.
Majahuitas Beach is a small cove with a very cool club of the same name that throws massive parties with a hidden beach club in paradise kind of vibe.
Yelapa is the furthest beach you can get to on the water taxis. It takes about an hour. It also has a few boutique hotels and is more of a complete village than Las Animas or Quimixto. So, if you want to stay for a couple of days and play Castaway, have at it!
Best Beaches North of Puerto Vallarta
San Pancho: Best for spending a weekend away
Drive north for about an hour from the Puerto Vallarta International Airport, and you’ll hit Sayulita and San Pancho.
Sayulita has been on the hippy surf scene for a few decades, and in my opinion, is a bit overdone. However, there are a lot of people who think otherwise, making it a very crowded small town. It is infamous for polluted ocean water because rapid development has outpaced the infrastructure.
I can’t speak to that personally, but it’s enough for me to make the journey about 15 minutes north to San Pancho for its clean water and expansive beaches.
Plus, I just like San Pancho better overall.
It’s a cooler town with less tourists and far less posturing. The beach there is glorious, clean, and vast. You can easily find your own space or choose one of a couple of beach clubs to chill at for the day. As long as you are buying drinks and snacks, you can sit all day and chill.
The beach here is dotted with drink shacks serving everything from cocktails in a coconut to micheladas and mocktails. There are also oyster carts. Order a few and they’ll get delivered right to your towel, or you can watch the guy shuck them and slurp one back before your toes even leave the shade. It doesn’t get much fresher.
Where is San Pancho?
San Pancho is about an hour’s drive north of PVR airport. It’s an easy highway-ish drive so you could make it a day trip. However, if time allows, stay for a few days in San Pancho, you won’t regret it.
Tips for visiting San Pancho:
- San Pancho is a super cute town in its own right. It has all the basic amenities you need for a day at the beach or longer. Unlike Las Animas, which has no real town to speak of, this town has very cool restaurants, a great mezcal bar called Picabu, and unique boutique hotels.
2. There are only a few ATMs, but many places do accept credit cards.
3. Watching the sunset from a beach bar is a necessity; we loved La Perla for this, but any toes-in-the-sand spot will do.
What to bring when you go to the beaches in Puerto Vallarta:
- Water shoes are not needed for all the beaches here, just for a few. Since I abhor the look of most of them, here are a few styles that are cute enough to wear when you aren’t in the water, so you can pack smarter and shop more when you get here. Click on the pic for more info.
- Finding a stylish, packable sunhat is a bit of an enigma for me. It has to have a wide brim because I’m pasty AF, but it can’t be floppy. It can’t be too tall, or you look like a nutter. And I like a fedora style. This hat has an adjustable inner drawstring to tighten it to your keppie. For me, this one is the Goldilocks of sunhats.
- This sand-free towel takes up no space in your suitcase, dries quickly, and won’t suck up a pound of sand (hence the sand-free bit).
- A Kindle, because there is no better way to travel… or read, in my opinion.
- Biodegradable reef-safe sunscreen is a must because any other kind is just dick-ish and unkind to the coral and fish in the ocean you are playing in. Make it a happy ocean.
- Mosquitos aren’t too bad in PV, but dengue fever is a thing here, and it’s no joke. I am a biting-bug magnet, and usually go for DEET, the big guns. However, the stuff melts plastic, so I’m pretty sure it can’t be good for my skin. Natural repellent? Oh please. The mosquitoes smell it on me and take it as an invitation, like a human salt lick. But lately I’ve been using picaridin bug spray. It actually works, and bonus: it won’t melt your sunglasses.
- We never travel without waterproof sleeves for our phones. They are great for snorkeling shots, in the water selfies, or just taking underwater pics of your feet. They are cheap but work like a charm to keep your expensive phones safe and water-free.
- Although it is very safe in Puerto Vallarta, we never felt like we could go in the water at the same time without asking neighbors to watch our stuff. So, after a bunch of research, we bought a small lockable safe, which we lock to the umbrella. All our valuables fit in it, and it makes life a lot easier.
- The one thing you should never travel without is travel insurance. Yes, it’s a bit of a buzzkill to think about when you are planning this epic beach vacation. Sadly, I have used it numerous times. Thankfully, for nothing major.
There was this one time in Cambodia when I was bitten by a poisonous spider. And then there was this other time in Thailand when I was given way too much tramadol by a pharmacist and ended up in the ER. And then there was this other time in Chicago when I woke up and couldn’t use my foot and needed X-rays.
I could go on, but you get the point.
Travel insurance meant I didn’t pay more than $30 for any of those things. Safety Wing is a great option for affordable short-term or yearlong coverage. Take a peek at their plans and see how they align with your insurance needs.
Beaches at Puerto Vallarta FAQ:
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Are the beaches in Puerto Vallarta swimmable?
Absolutely. Especially all the beaches on this list. Sometimes there are big waves. Some beaches are rocky. It’s the ocean, ya know, not a pool.
These are very different than the beaches in Cancun, where the water is as warm as a bathtub. This is the Pacific Ocean, and you should take it seriously. But one great thing about this coast is that we don’t get the nasty sargassum seaweed that piles up and smells like rotting eggs, making the beaches in the Caribbean side completely unusable at times.
No matter what time of year you travel to Puerto Vallarta, the beaches are gorgeous. -
Is it safe to swim in Puerto Vallarta?
Yes. But look out for the colored flags at the entrances of the most popular beaches. If the water isn’t safe at a particular time, the flags will denote it.
Green means go for it and swim until you’re pruned beyond recognition.
Yellow means the waves are a bit high or the currents may be strong.
Red means don’t do it. There could be a rip tide.
Purple means there might be some creatures in the ocean. Things like jellyfish or a crocodile sighting.If you don’t see a flag but loads of people are in the water, it’s likely ok. These flags and rules apply worldwide, not just to the beaches in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
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Are the beaches in Puerto Vallarta public?
Yes. In fact, all the beaches in Mexico are public. However, some hotels and beach clubs try to cordon off sections to make it feel more exclusive. But no one and no entity can claim the beach is theirs legally.
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What are the best beaches in Puerto Vallarta near the cruise port?
The closest beach is Playa de Oro, which is north of the Hotel Zone and just south of the port. It’s a very swimmable beach near some of the high-end hotels in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Beaches in Puerto Vallarta Wrap-Up
Well, there you have it. My list of the best beaches in Puerto Vallarta. Let me know which ones you plan to visit.
If the choice is too overwhelming, Viator and Get Your Guide have multiple tours that bring you to Animas and Quimixto and include snorkeling spots, lunch and an open bar.
Great article. I’ve been to PV quite a few times, but only stayed in a couple areas; Casa Isabel and the Marina so far. I’ve been exploring more and will stay in Amalpas in April. I recently read an article about the various beach clubs in the Los Muertos vicinity. I thought it was your, but haven’t found it again. If it was your, please reply with a link. I was thinking of La Palapa, but wouldn’t mind one of the clubs with a pool too. Traveling solo I’m hoping it may be social. I’m looking for a place where I can “rent” a chair for an agreed food and beverage spend. I’ve been to Yalapa and will go to Quimixto (probably by bus and water taxi) this next trip.
Thank you, Mark! I appreciate it so much! It was me who wrote about the beach clubs. Here is the link. https://sandinmycurls.com/beach-clubs-puerto-vallarta/
I do love La Palapa but there isn’t a pool. It’s not super social because they space out the chairs pretty well. But you can always walk over and chat. Swell, on the other hand, is very crowded so it might be easier to chat with the neighbors.
Enjoy your time here! And let me know if there is anything else you want me to write about. I always love to hear from my readers!
Kirsten
This is such a great article! Thanks for your time and research getting this together. Side note I did NOT know the vendors had official white shirts. Super interesting all around!
Thank you, Laura. Happy to research any beach. Any time. There are more to visit and I’m on a mission!
I was just on the beach here in Barcelona this morning, great timing on your article! The part of the beach I was on is clothing-optional and I admit I did partake :^)
Your article brought back the memories of PV beaches from my time there last fall, I look forward to coming down again sometime soon.
Michael you dirty little thang! I knew we were friends for a reason! I’m so glad you are enjoying all Barcelona offers!