Do you enjoy discovering hidden and secluded beaches and searching for hidden coves? If you do, then Mother Nature has a gift for you as Puerto Vallarta’s South Shore Beaches. During your stay on Banderas Bay you can enjoy searching for the best beaches in Puerto Vallarta.

Continue to read on to see how you can do go beach hopping on Puerto Vallarta’s South Shore beaches.

Puerto Vallarta’s South Shore Beaches

Puerto Vallarta’s “South Shore Beaches” are located on the southern end of the Los Muertos Beach through to Cabo Corrientes, Banderas Bay’s most southern tip. Puerto Vallarta’s South Shore Beaches are very easy to access. You can rent a car or jump on the public transportation that is affordable to see these amazing beaches. The South Shore Beaches can be got to from Carretera de Barra de Navidad (the main highway).

Conchas Chinas Beach

From downtown Puerto Vallarta, Conchas Chinas Beach can be reached within seven minutes. Once you get on the Barra de Navidad main highway you will want to turn on Easy Street, then continue to drive downwards on the cobblestone road. There are many different coves with soft, white sands on Conchas Chinas Beach, so you can pick and choose which one you want to explore. When you are visiting this beach you may want to take a picnic lunch and cooler, because there are no restaurants or vendors in this residential area, but you may see a street vendor selling delicious mango on a stick or fresh fish. The Conchas Chinas Beach has a whitish beige sands and the waters are crystal clear. The tidal pools are calm, so the kids can play and be safe too.

Punta Negra Beach

The Punta Negra Beach is very close to the Conchas Chinas Beach as it is just ten minutes from Puerto Vallarta downtown. There is a few condominium developments on this beach coastline, and this beach is known for its ever changing formation. One day you will arrive to the beach and see that the beach is rock covered, then the next day it is clear sands. If you enjoy surf casting, then you will want to bring your fishing pole with you, because the waters are a clear turquoise color, which makes the waters perfect for fishing. There are no restaurants or vendors on the Punta Negra Beach, so you may want to bring a picnic lunch with you when you come.

Playas Gemelas Beach

The Playas Gemelas Beach is only about twelve minutes just south of Puerto Vallarta downtown. From the highway you will have to go down some very steep steps to reach this hidden gem. The white, powdery sands is perfect and the ocean waters are perfect for swimming. There are no restaurants or vendors at the Playas Gemelas Beach, so you may want to bring along a picnic lunch. You may also want to bring an air mattress with you to lounge on and you will sure enjoy and appreciate them too.

Mismaloya Beach

If you are driving from the downtown area of Puerto Vallarta, then it will only take you about fifteen minutes to arrive at the Mismaloya Beach. This beach area is well-known and is known for its fun and exciting beach activities. The river flows into the Pacific Ocean, so you can rent a fishing boat, go swimming in the comfortable waters, and build sandcastles in the beige sands that are always clean. There are plenty of restaurants and vendors that you can eat at, so you don’t have to worry about taking a picnic lunch. A favorite activity on the Mismaloya Beach is watching the pelicans go plunging for fish or walking in the waters, or you can go to the Night of the Iguana movie set that was filmed on this beach that starred Deborah Kerr, Ava Gardner, and Richard Burton in the sixties.

Boca de Tomatlan Beach

If you are in downtown Puerto Vallarta you can get to the beach in about twenty-five minutes. You will experience a unique atmosphere at this beach due to the fishing village is quaint and charming, and this is the perfect beach for visitors that are wanting to experience the ‘true’ Mexico. While you are relaxing on the Boca de Tomatlan Beach you can enjoy eating fresh, barbecue fish and you can enjoy a delicious margarita or a cold Mexican beer while you watch all the people on the beach or grabbing a water taxi, so they can get to Las Animas, Yelapa, and Quimixto Beaches as these beaches can only be got to by getting on a water taxi.

Las Animas Beach

The Las Animas Beach is just a short water taxi boat ride where you can aboard from Boca de Tomatlan, but many visitors like to come to the Las Animas Beach by going on the hike that is approximately an hour and half long, but you will enjoy all the natural landscaping from Boca de Tomatlan all the way to the Las Animas Beach. The Las Animas Beach is one of the most popular of the South Shore Beaches as the water is inviting, there are many different drink and food choices, and the weather is always perfect, which makes a great day at the beach. The Las Animas Beach has a relaxing atmosphere and your experience at this beach will blow your mind.

Quimixto Beach

In and around the Banderas Bay, you will not find a more beautiful beach than the Quimixto Beach. The only way to arrive at the Quimixto Beach is by traveling by boat, and you can get on a boat from Boca de Tomatlan. The village is charming and quaint and is surrounded by lush jungles, then there is a breathtaking waterfall that gently cascades from high above. Many visitors want to come to this beach, so they can experience the beautiful waterfall. This beach is a surfer’s paradise and when you finally arrive to the beach you can sit back and relax.

Yelapa Beach

The only way you can arrive at the Yelapa Beach is with a water taxi boat and from Boca de Tomatlan or if you are at the Los Muertos Beach you can get to the Yelapa Beach from here too. There are several waterfalls that you can hike to from the Yelapa Beach and hiking will allow you to explore paths that are winding and beautiful and these paths will take you through the charming town. The sands on this beach are pristine and you can relax on a hammock while drinking a nice, cold frosty drink while watching the paragliders and paddle-boarders having fun.

Here are a couple tips for the Puerto Vallarta’s South Shore Beaches; if you are wanting a peaceful and quiet day at the beach, then you will not want to go to the beaches on Sundays as they are very busy. Any other day during the week and weekend are perfect for beach hopping in Puerto Vallarta.