Do you love going to the beach and want to start planning a trip? If you aren’t sure where to go, why not book a Puerto Vallarta vacation? Located in Banderas Bay and surrounded by the Sierra Madre mountains, Puerto Vallarta has some of the best beaches in Mexico. In terms of where to stay, book your accommodations at Garza Blanca Resort. Located just south of PV on one of the best private beaches in the area, Garza Blanca has luxurious beachfront suites, world class amenities, and the best services, too. They also have an exclusive vacation club membership, too. Plus, they have a great beach that is private for resort guests so you can swim, snorkel, paddle, or kayak during your vacation. In the meantime, keep reading below to learn our pics for some of the top beaches to visit in Puerto Vallarta.
#1 Playa Los Muertos
If you enjoy people watching and don’t mind crowds, head to the city’s main beach which is Playa Los Muertos. Located right next to the Puerto Vallarta pier, this beautiful beach is also within walking distance to excellent restaurants, shops, and bars in Old Town.The Puerto Vallarta pier was designed to look like a sailboat, and comes alive at dusk with its brilliant lights that create a romantic evening atmosphere. Playa Los Muertos is Puerto Vallarta’s main beach, with lots of restaurants with chairs and tables right on the sand. You can enjoy the pretty views and have lunch or drinks, too. Plus, the beach has jet skis for rent, you can go parasailing, or a fun ride on a banana boat. On Saturday mornings, there is a Farmers Market in the Lazaro Cardenas Park which is just a few blocks away from the beach.
#2 Conchas Chinas
Secondly, Conchas Chinas is a pretty small beach situated a few minutes south of Old Town Puerto Vallarta. While the beach is a bit off the beaten path, the ocean waters are a mesmerizing turquoise blue with soft, white sands. It can also be great for swimming as the water is clear and inviting, but sometimes there are strong undercurrents so stay alert. Also, kids will love exploring the shallow tide pools at the southern edge of Conchas Chinas beach that contain crabs and fish. Plan ahead and bring a picnic in case you want a nibble while you are enjoying the relaxing ocean sounds and cool breezes as there are no restaurants or bathrooms on the beach. Public porta potties are found just at the top of the stairs off the beach. Conchas Chinas beach is ideal for picture perfect beach day if relaxation is on your want list.
#3 Playa Palmares
Next, another one of the top beaches in Puerto Vallarta is Playa Palmares located south of Conchas Chinas. Found next door to the beachfront condominium complex by the same name, visitors can take the public access stairs off the highway straight down to the beach. There is now a restaurant at the top of the hill so you can grab food and drinks during your beach day, too. The wide and pretty beach is ideal for swimming as the water at Playa Palmares is crystal clear and the sand is very fine and soft. If you like to go snorkeling, this beach is a good spot as the beach is very wide and shallow so you can easily snorkel along the shore without having to go too far in.
#4 Boca de Tomates
For people that want to check out one of the local’s favorite beaches, the Boca de Tomates Beach is an unusual black sand beach that many tourists are not familiar with. It is found just minutes north of the Puerto Vallarta Airport runway. To get there, you have to drive along a dirt road for a few miles in order to reach your destination. The area is home to local wildlife including crocodiles and iguanas,and the beach has quite dark sands. There, each year sea turtles come to this beach to lay their eggs and there is a sea turtle facility located there as well to help protect sea turtle eggs from predators. They also regularly release baby sea turtles to sea which is a fun activity for the whole family. In addition, there are many great seafood restaurants at Boca de Tomates beach so you can have an authentic meal or drinks during your beach day. Boca de Tomates is regarded as having the best pescado zarandeado and shrimp ceviche in all of Puerto Vallarta.
#5 Playa Colomitos
Last but not least, Playa Colomitos beach is only accessible by a boat or by hiking along the shore from Boca de Tomatlan village about half hour south of downtown PV. Playa Colomitos beach is really tiny, but so beautiful. In recent years, a casual restaurant and bar was added so that visitors can enjoy some food and drinks during their stay. In order to reach Playa Colomitos, first take a taxi to Boca de Tomatlan which is about half hour south of Old Town Puerto Vallarta. From Boca de Tomatlan, you can either take a water taxi to the beach or hike south along the coastline that takes you into the Sierra Madre jungle on the way to Las Animas beach. Playa Colomitos has very soft, white sand and the spectacular blue-green waters that are perfect for swimming. If you want to really splurge, make reservations at the Ocean Grill restaurant found next to this tiny beach and offers delicious cuisine and stunning ocean views.
As you can see, it’s easy to find a great beach to visit in Puerto Vallarta. In addition to our choices listed above, there are also amazing beaches in Nuevo Nayarit, Bucerias, Punta Mita and Sayulita which are coastal towns located north of PV. Remember, in terms of where to stay, book your room at Garza Blanca Resort. Owned and operated by the prestigious Tafer Hotels & Resorts, Garza Blanca has incredible beachfront residences and outstanding amenities including multiple pools, jacuzzis, a spa, fitness center, room service, and delicious onsite restaurants. Also, ask to learn more about their exclusive vacation club membership for paradise. Prospective members can attend a timeshare presentation to learn more about their points-based system that allows qualified travelers to save money on vacation costs while always having perfect vacation experiences, too. Contact them today to book your Puerto Vallarta vacation!
