TOP 30 Beaches in Jalisco: From Hidden Coves to Popular Shores

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TOP 30 Beaches in Jalisco: From Hidden Coves to Popular Shores

The beaches in Jalisco, Mexico, meet the expectations of all its visitors, boasting pristine beaches for more privacy and sandy ones surrounded by beautiful vegetation to observe and enjoy nature.

Mexico’s Pacific beaches are beautiful, but some are more spectacular, comfortable, and famous.

There are both flat and calm waves and big waves perfect for surfing.

In today’s list, I will share most of them with you to decide your next destination.

Top 30 best Beaches in Jalisco, Mexico

1. Playa Las Gemelas in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco

Playa Las Gemelas, the twins, are two beaches separated by rocky outcrops.

One has calm waves and the other a more wild sea, but both have crystalline waters and golden, fine sand.

Each beach is almost 100 meters long, and although there are no services, they are some of Jalisco’s most welcoming virgin beaches. You should bring umbrellas, drinks, and food.

The main activities on the quieter beach, the one closest to the private condominiums, are kayaking and swimming. Kids also have fun looking for crabs among the rocks.

You can enjoy both by crossing the rocks or taking a short detour around a small hill.

2. Majahuitas Beach

Majahuitas is an “almost” virgin beach of Cabo Corrientes with turquoise blue waters and clear sand, which can only be reached by boat.

Its characteristics make it perfect for snorkeling and diving among reefs and underwater caves, where pufferfish, parrotfish, trumpet fish, and other colorful species swim.

Majahuitas Beach is embedded in the jungle, mixing the sounds of the ocean with green nature, which during the low season, is left for the pleasure of a few visitors.

The community provides essential services. The departure pier is 35 minutes from Puerto Vallarta.

3. Boca de Iguanas Beach

This gorgeous Costalegre beach is about a 3-hour drive from Puerto Vallarta on km 14 of Federal Highway 200, ideal for visiting on the weekend.

You can rest, walk along the sand, swim, snorkel, dive, surf, and ride horseback, boat, and catamaran rides.

You can also practice adventure sports such as climbing and mountain biking.

The main resort is the Chantli Mare Hotel, with modern contemporary-style suites and some rustic but comfortable cabins a few steps from the water.

4. Costa Careyes: One of the most exclusive beaches in Jalisco

This hidden beach in Jalisco, 3 and 2 hours from Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo, respectively, is characterized by calm waves.

It is so-called because hawksbill turtles come to this beach to lay their eggs.

Careyes Beach is a cove with a crescent-shaped profile, emerald to turquoise waters, and soft brownish-brown sand. Its only restaurant serves simple but tasty food.

This area has exclusive villas, like the famous Casa del Sol y Casa del Oriente.

The sandy area is 100 meters from the turnoff to the Plaza de Los Caballeros del Sol, the best place to park.

5. Los Tules Beach, Puerto Vallarta

Los Tules is a wide beach of soft sand surrounded by hotel complexes such as the Fiesta Americana, Hola Vallarta, Holiday Inn, Villas del Sol Los Tules, and Villa del Palmar excellent complexes.

The hotels in front of the sandy beach have built small piers that divide the beach into sectors.

Playa Los Tules is in the North Hotel Zone of Puerto Vallarta, next to Playa de Oro.

The Plaza Caracol Shopping Mall, one of the most emblematic in Puerto Vallarta, is very close to various stores and events, including shows, sports, and other entertainment activities.

6. Cocinas Island in Punta Perula

Isla Cocinas is a small island in Punta Perula, Chamela Bay, with an almost virgin beach of calm waves and crystalline waters for swimming, snorkeling, and enjoying with the family.

Its characteristics also make it a good setting for a romantic day at the beach, where you should bring an umbrella, food, drinks, sunscreen, and any other items you may need.

The drive from Puerto Vallarta is 2 hours, and the trip between the coast and the small island takes 20 minutes.

7. Garza Blanca Beach in Jalisco

Garza Blanca Beach has the “Blue Flag Mexico” distinction, awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education to Mexican beaches with the cleanest waters and best environmental conditions.

It is one of the 55 beaches with this recognition.

The beach is 1 km from Palmares on the road to Barra de Navidad and has warm, calm waters and soft sand, ideal for swimming and water sports.

It is named after the white herons (garza blanca) that come to the beach searching for fish.

The 5-star Garza Blanca resort is on the shore of the beach.

8. Cuitzmala Beach

A beach in the Jalisco municipality of La Huerta that in 1986 was protected as a Cuitzmala Beach Sanctuary.

In 2002 was recategorized and included in the Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve, with an area of 13,140 hectares.

The Cuitzmala River flows through the reserve, forming estuaries and coastal lagoons with mangroves and lowland forests, home to resident and migratory birds and other species, such as the endangered swamp crocodile.

The cozy Cuitzmala beach is a nesting site for several sea turtles, which is vital for their preservation.

The tropical forests of the biosphere reserve are home to pumas, jaguars, ocelots, coatis, peccaries, crocodiles, and geckos, among other species.

9. El Tecuan Beach

El Tecuan is a Virgin beach of golden sand and intense waves, perfect for surfing and resting in nature because it has no infrastructure or services.

Playa Tecuan is 10 km from the Tenacatita – Costa Careyes highway.

El Tecuán beach is reached through a rocky path that crosses a mango, coconut, and cattle ranch.

In front of the sea is an old but ambitious hotel that used to have an airstrip. The complex was a location for the horror movie I Still Know What You Did last summer.

10. La Cruz de Loreto

La Cruz de Loreto is a small town on the southern edge of the El Tuito jungle, with a diversity of flora and fauna that will delight nature lovers.

The town is in Tomatlan, 39 km from Villa del Mar.

It is known in Jalisco for the pilgrimage on November 24 to the temple of San Juan de la Cruz, the local patron saint.

The beach and other natural spaces are perfect for environmentalists and kayaking through mangroves, estuaries, and lagoons, observing the fauna and flora.

11. San Patricio Beach (Melaque)

San Patricio is a coastal town in Bahía de Navidad, 4 km from Barra de Navidad.

It forms Melaque and Villa Obregón, a conurbation of 3 villages called, Melaque.

The town has traditionally been a tourist place supported by its hotels, restaurants, and artisanal fishing activity.

San Patricio is between Melaque and Villa Obregón. The three form the largest community on the coastal strip from Puerto Vallarta to Manzanillo.

In the center of San Patricio, a picturesque plaza and several retail stores cater to the town’s needs and tourists.

Villa Obregón is to the east, and its profile is more residential, while Melaque, to the west, has the best-known beach.

12. Punta Peñitas Beach

Punta Peñitas Beach, in the municipality of Tomatlán, is striking for its beauty with the blue sea, the green of the tropical jungle, and the estuaries where sea birds flutter.

It is of medium-grain sand and lacks services in the low season, although it becomes a small village with provisional facilities during Holy Week.

Rocky outcrops frame the beach, hence its name. It is an unusual place because, besides the beauty of the beach, there are petroglyphs of the Nahua people who inhabited the Tomatlan region.

13. Los Muertos Beach in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco

Los Muertos is one of the favorite beaches of locals and tourists for its beauty, proximity, and ease of access.

It is located in the romantic zone of Puerto Vallarta between the New Malecon and the Cuale River.

It forms the pair of beaches of the city’s Romantic Zone with Los Muertos Beach. It is also one of the favorite beaches of the gay community in Jalisco.

Los Muertos Beach has excellent services, including hotels, restaurants, bars, and water and sand sports.

Very close to the beach is the Lázaro Cárdenas Park, where cultural and entertainment activities are held.

The commercial offerings on the beach include street stalls selling tacos, upscale restaurants, craft stores, and art galleries.

14. Playa Caballo

Playa Caballo is a semi-isolated beach south of Puerto Vallarta that is excellent for sunbathing, building sandcastles, snorkeling, and enjoying as a couple.

Its small size makes it exclusive only to visitors who reach it by water taxis leaving from the pier of Playa Los Muertos and Boca de Tomatlan.

The beach club is also small, so you must make reservations or arrive early.

15. Los Arcos National Marine Park

One of the most spectacular places in Puerto Vallarta for diving, snorkeling, and paddleboarding is between the beaches of Mismaloya and Las Gemelas, south of Banderas Bay.

The park is formed by marine spaces and two islets with up to 480 meters of deep water.

Its impressive caves and tunnels make the practice of underwater sports an extraordinary experience.

Divers can see fish, spotted stingrays, dolphins, and even the great whale shark, the largest fish on the planet, which is harmless and playful despite its size.

Los Arcos National Marine Park is one of the favorite destinations in Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit for its excursions from the main coastal towns.

16. Sayulita beach

Although it is not in Jalisco but Nayarit, this beach is so famous that it is included in many tours departing from Puerto Vallarta and other towns in Jalisco.

It is also one of the most popular surfing beaches in Mexico.

Sayulita is located in Banderas Bay, 40 km northwest of Puerto Vallarta and 35 km from the international airport.

The large influx of national and international surfers to the beach has stimulated the development of essential infrastructure services, including hotels, restaurants, cafes, bars, discos, stores, and surf schools.

17. Destiladeras Beach

Flat white sand beach and warm water characterize Destiladeras; its beauty is compared with the shores of the Mexican Caribbean in Quintana Roo.

Destiladeras Beach belongs to the Nuevo Vallarta area, 16 km north of Puerto Vallarta, with access through the old road between Bucerías and Punta de Mita, in front of Banderas Bay.

It is frequented by locals, especially during Easter and summer vacations. Foreign tourists visit between October and March, especially from the USA and Canada.

18. Playa Las Glorias

Las Glorias is a resort complex near downtown Puerto Vallarta with a turquoise blue water beach and golden sand.

It is an excellent choice for visitors with families and large crowds.

The beach is shaded by palm trees and surrounded by magnificent hotels, a perfect place to sip a tropical cocktail, practice sand sports, and ride a boat to see the beautiful Banderas Bay.

You can watch the marine fauna, especially the whales that migrate from the cold north between December and March.

In the Hotel Zone of Puerto Vallarta, several lodgings are near this and other beaches, such as Playa de Oro, Playa Tranquila, Playa Los Tules, and Playa Camarones.

19. Punta Negra Beach

The water on this beach is crystal clear, perfect for resting, swimming, fishing, and spending quality time. The sand is fine and soft, like the beaches of Cancun.

Punta Negra is located in El Nogalito, a Puerto Vallarta town 14 km south of the city, near Playa Garza Blanca and Playa Palmares.

20. Las Estacas Beach

A beautiful 600-meter-long beach of smooth sand, emerald-colored waters, and calm waves. It is in front of the 5-star Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta all-inclusive resort.

Activities at Playa Las Estacas include water skiing, parachute flights, boat rides, and sport fishing, especially in November when national and international anglers come to Puerto Vallarta for the sailfish fishing festival.

The hotel has an outdoor swimming pool, spa, wellness center, four a la carte restaurants, and one buffet restaurant.

21. Conchas Chinas Beach

Conchas Chinas is one of the seven beaches in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, with the Mexican Blue Flag certification, a recognition the Foundation for Environmental Education granted to beaches that comply with punctual environmental conditions.

The beach is also one of the most fascinating in Puerto Vallarta due to its marine beauty and attractive coastal relief.

It is very close to the Romantic Zone with an abundant infrastructure of villas, hotels, restaurants, and other establishments that ensure the satisfaction and comfort of tourists.

22. La Manzanilla Beach in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle

This charming beach of calm waves and medium-grain sand is located in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, a Nayarit fishing village 27 km northwest of Puerto Vallarta.

Its palapas provide food and beverage services.

La Cruz has hotels and restaurants of different categories. It is also the place many foreigners choose to make their summer homes.

23. Playa El Salado

Hotels and luxury condominiums, restaurants, and other attractive places surround this beach near Marina Vallarta.

There’s also the Marina Vallarta Golf Course and the El Salado estuary, a 169-hectare Protected Natural Area, mostly covered with mangroves.

Some hotels have separated the beach areas in front of their buildings with jetties, but at the end of Paseo Bocanegra, there is public access to the sandy beach.

The way to the beach is from the north of the Hotel Zone, along the street that borders the north side of the Plaza Marina Shopping Center.

On the way to the beach, a mural by artist Natasha Moraga is made with mosaics and colored glass.

24. Palmares Beach

Playa Palmares has crystal clear water, calm waves, and fine sand; it is the first beach in Jalisco to obtain the Mexican Blue Flag.

It is located 6 km south of Puerto Vallarta between Punta Negra Beach and Garza Blanca, although it could be considered part of the former.

It is a clean sandy area with sanitary services, animal access control, and facilities for people with mobility difficulties.

25. The Marietas Islands

The Marietas Islands are 36 km west of Puerto Vallarta by the sea in Banderas Bay.

Isla Larga and Isla Redonda form the small volcanic archipelago. It is home to Playa Escondida, also known as Playa del Amor, one of the most spectacular beaches in Mexico.

As an environmental protection measure, access to Playa Escondida is restricted to only 100 visitors per day, who cannot be there for more than 30 minutes.

The trip by sea between Puerto Vallarta and Islas Marietas takes one hour.

Another way to go to this beautiful archipelago is to travel 43 km by land between Puerto Vallarta and Punta de Mita (Nayarit) and board a boat that makes the trip in 15 minutes.

26. El Tamarindo Beach

El Tamarindo has spectacular landscapes in the Tenacatita Bay of Costalegre.

There are three beautiful beaches presided over by El Tamarindo-Four Seasons Beach & Golf Resort, a hotel located on a property of 825 hectares at 212 km and 50 km from the airport of Puerto Vallarta and the airport of Manzanillo, respectively.

The complex comprises casitas in 3 spaces (sea, garden, and forest) with an 18-hole golf course with superb panoramic views of the rocky coastline.

The casitas have air conditioning, a private pool, a terrace, and a minibar. One of the hotel’s charming details is a daily bowl of fresh fruit for each casita.

The restaurant specializes in Mexican seafood cuisine, and the beach club hosts romantic dinners overlooking the ocean.

Kayaks, boats, and snorkeling equipment are complimentary.

27. Los Angeles Locos: One of the most private Beaches in Jalisco

Tenacatita Bay, home of Los Angeles Locos, is a unique corner of Jalisco at the junction of the ocean and the estuary La Vena.

A boat ride on the sandy beach leads to Boca de Los Gorriones or Boca de la Vena, where a lagoon joins the sea through a natural channel of crystalline waters.

This is the starting point for the boats that cross Marisma La Zacatosa, a lagoon with mangroves where the vegetation has formed tunnels populated by crabs, coots, pelicans, and other birds.

28. Las Alamandas Beach

An extensive beach of intense waves and fine golden sand with Las Alamandas, a 5-star hotel of rustic and ecological beauty at the foot of the sandy beach.

This gorgeous boutique resort comprises villas with tile roofs, white tiled floors, and shaded terraces decorated with details of Mexican fabrics and handicrafts.

The resort has an outdoor pool with whirlpool jets, an ocean-view restaurant, a beach bar, a gym, a children’s club, a store, and surfing, diving, and boogie-boarding facilities.

Las Alamandas is a beach in Chamela Bay near the Jalisco community of Quémaro on the Costalegre.

29. Costa Sur Puerto Vallarta Hotel Beach

Costa Sur Resort & Spa is a charming 4-star property in Puerto Vallarta at km 4.5 on the Mismaloya highway, with a small beach converted into a natural pool with a breakwater.

The semi-enclosed water has turned the beach into a lagoon of turquoise-blue translucent waters, which several species of marine fauna have made their habitat.

Hotel guests can swim, kayak, paddleboard, and snorkel in this lovely saltwater pool.

All rooms have an ocean view, sensational from November to March because you can see dolphins and whales without leaving the room.

The beach has areas of white sand and others of pebbles.

30. Playa Amapas

Virgin, romantic and quiet beach, with emerald green waters, soft waves, and yellow sand, with a shore shaded by trees south of Old Vallarta.

It is one of the seven beaches in Jalisco with Mexican Blue Flag certification.

It is next to Los Muertos Beach, and at one of its ends is El Púlpito, a rocky promontory well-known in the city.

Although it is not advisable for people with walking limitations, a staggered path goes up to the hill and the beach. At the other end of the beach is Conchas Chinas.

Top 30 Beaches in Jalisco: Conclusion

As you’ve learned today, Jalisco has some of the most stunning beaches in the Mexican Pacific, each with unique features and attractions.

From the lively and vibrant beaches of Puerto Vallarta and Sayulita to the more secluded and tranquil beaches of Costa Careyes and Tenacatita, there is a beach for everyone to enjoy.

With crystal-clear waters, golden sands, and breathtaking sunsets, a visit to Jalisco’s beaches is an experience that should not be missed.

Whether you are looking for adventure or relaxation, the top 31 beaches in Jalisco offer something for everyone.

They will leave you with unforgettable memories of your trip to this beautiful region of Mexico.