Puerto Vallarta's most beautiful beaches are the ones without road access. South of the city, the Sierra Madre drops directly into Banderas Bay, creating a coastline of tiny coves, jungle-backed inlets, and fishing villages reachable only by water or trail. These are the beaches you remember years later — turquoise water, no pavement, no traffic, no crowds.
Playa Colomitos
Colomitos is a sliver of sand wedged between jungle-covered cliffs in a turquoise cove roughly twenty minutes south of Puerto Vallarta by water. No buildings, no vendors, no music. Just clear water, smooth sand, and jungle right to the waterline.
Three ways to reach it: a 30–45 minute hike from Boca de Tomatlán, a five-minute water taxi from Boca (about 100 pesos round trip), or by jet ski from Marina Vallarta. Arrive before 11 a.m. on weekdays and you may have it to yourself. Bring your own water and snacks — there are no services.
Playa Las Animas
Las Animas is the social counterpart to Colomitos — a wide sandy beach lined with palapa restaurants serving fresh ceviche, whole grilled fish, and cold beer directly to your beach chair. Fishing boats pull up on the sand alongside kayaks and snorkeling gear. The water is calm, shallow near shore, and ideal for families.
Reach it by water taxi from Boca de Tomatlán (fifteen minutes), by boat tour, or as the final destination on the full-day hidden beaches hike. Children play in the shallows while adults eat under thatched roofs and local fishermen prepare the day's catch on the beach.
Majahuitas
If Colomitos is small, Majahuitas is empty. This pristine cove between rocky points has some of the clearest snorkeling water in Banderas Bay. No village, no restaurant, no pier — just sand where private boats anchor and passengers swim to shore.
Best reached by private boat charter, which lets you arrive before anyone else. Rocky reef edges teem with parrotfish, damselfish, and occasional sea turtles in the turtle grass beds. Also a stop on several multi-beach boat tours.
Yelapa
Yelapa is the southernmost village on Banderas Bay — colorful buildings climbing a hillside above a river delta, reachable only by boat. No roads in or out. Fishing boats leave before dawn, pie sellers walk the beach in the afternoon, and the electricity has only been connected for a few decades.
Beyond the wide beach with restaurants and coconut palms, a trail follows the river upstream to a larger waterfall — a popular swimming spot. Yelapa is the most complete day-trip destination: arrive by boat, swim, hike to the waterfall, eat grilled fish, and return by late afternoon.
Hidden Beach — Marietas Islands
The most famous hidden beach in the region is inside a collapsed volcanic crater on the Marietas Islands, thirty minutes by boat from Punta Mita. The beach is enclosed by rock walls with a circular opening to the sky. You reach it by swimming through a short water tunnel.
Access is strictly regulated — limited daily permits, dependent on tide and weather. Book well in advance, particularly December through April. The experience of swimming through the tunnel and emerging inside a sunlit volcanic cathedral is unlike any other beach in Mexico.
How to Get There
| Beach | By Boat | By Hike | By Jet Ski |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colomitos | Water taxi from Boca — 5 min | Boca trail — 30–45 min | Marina tour — 15 min |
| Las Animas | Water taxi — 15 min | Boca trail — 1.5 hrs | Not typical |
| Majahuitas | Private boat — 40 min | No trail access | Not typical |
| Yelapa | Water taxi — 30 min | No practical trail | Not typical |
| Hidden Beach | Private boat from PM — 30 min | No access | No access |
The departure point: All south-coast hidden beaches depart from Boca de Tomatlán. Water taxis run every 15–30 minutes starting around 9 a.m. You can also reach all beaches by private boat charter.
For Punta Mita guests: Your concierge arranges transport to Boca or books a private boat. For the Marietas Hidden Beach, boats depart directly from the Punta Mita area — no drive to PV needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Every Beach Needs a Villa to Come Home To
Villa Experience villas include a dedicated concierge who books boats, arranges water taxis, packs beach bags, and makes sure you find the right cove on the right day.
