Top 5 Beaches to Visit in Banderas Bay by Boat
Puerto Vallarta has over 40 miles of coastline — and most visitors only see a fraction of it. The beaches in Banderas Bay that stay quiet, the villages with no road in, the coves where the water turns a color you can’t quite name — those are the ones you reach by boat. Here are five of our favorites along the southern shore, in order from closest to furthest from Marina Vallarta.
El Paredón – The Clearest Water Among the Beaches in Banderas Bay
El Paredón (Spanish for “The Wall”) sits just south of Los Arcos National Marine Park and gets a fraction of the traffic. Locals call it Bungee Beach — a name left over from the days when a platform on the rock wall above served as a jump point. The platform is still there. The bungee is long gone. What remains is a stretch of beach with some of the clearest water on the entire bay.
The contrast between the crystalline water, the towering rock wall, and the dense vegetation behind the beach makes it a genuinely striking spot. It’s calm enough for young kids, good for snorkeling, and easy to reach by paddleboard if you anchor offshore. We stop here regularly on the way to Los Arcos — it’s worth the extra 20 minutes.
How to get there: Accessible on foot from the highway, but arriving by boat is the better call. You get the full view of the wall, anchor just offshore, and have the paddleboards and snorkel gear ready to go. Ask about adding El Paredón as a stop on any of our sailing tours from Puerto Vallarta.
Las Animas – Fresh Seafood and No Roads
Las Animas is a fishing village with no road access, which means everyone there arrived by water. The beach is lined with locally owned restaurants serving fresh catch — whole fish, ceviche, shrimp — and the kind of unhurried service that comes from a place that runs on its own schedule. If your ideal afternoon involves a cold margarita, your feet in the sand, and zero cell service, Las Animas delivers.
If you arrive by sailboat, you’ll anchor offshore and take a panga (water taxi) the last stretch to the beach. Small detail, but it adds to the feeling that you’ve actually gone somewhere. Las Animas is one of the most popular beaches in Banderas Bay for a reason — it earns it.
Bonus stop: El Caballito Beach is a 10-minute walk from Las Animas — palms, calm water, and almost nobody there. Worth the walk if the main beach fills up.
How to get there: 45-minute hike from Boca de Tomatán, water taxi from the same town, or by charter from Marina Vallarta (about 2 hours by sailboat, with plenty to see along the way).
Quimixto – Waterfalls, Surf, and a Beaches in Banderas Bay Hidden from the Crowds
A few kilometers south of Las Animas, Quimixto feels like Puerto Vallarta from 40 years ago. Locals go about their day. Horses are still a reasonable mode of transport. There’s a surf break worth knowing about and a 30-minute hike along the river that ends at a waterfall with a small restaurant and a swimming hole.
The hike is genuinely good — not difficult, but scenic — and the waterfall is a nice payoff on a warm day. If you’d rather stay on the beach, there are a couple of restaurants fronting the water. Quimixto works well as a second stop after Las Animas, or as a half-day destination on its own.
How to get there: Shares the hiking trail from Boca de Tomatán with Las Animas (add about 45 minutes from there). By sailboat from Marina Vallarta, it’s a straightforward trip south.
Majahuitas – Boat-Access Only, One of the Most Secluded Beaches in Banderas Bay
Majahuitas is one of those places that earns its beauty by being hard to reach. No roads, no village — just a sheltered cove with palm trees, golden sand, and water that sits calm most days of the year. It’s the kind of place you come to swim, float, eat something good from the cooler, and not think about much else.
The further south you sail, the more dramatic the scenery gets. By the time you reach Majahuitas, you’re well into jungle coastline with no signs of the city. That’s the point.
How to get there: Boat only. Pangas run from Boca de Tomatán every 30 minutes (about 15 minutes to the beach). By sailboat from Marina Vallarta, plan for 1.5 to 2.5 hours depending on wind.
Yelapa – The Furthest South and Worth Every Mile
Yelapa is the furthest of the beaches in Banderas Bay on this list and earns a category of its own. It’s a real village — restaurants, guesthouses, a waterfall hike, and enough going on to justify staying overnight. The beach is wide and relaxed, the beachfront restaurants are good, and the whole place has an unhurried atmosphere that’s hard to find anywhere near a city this size.
The waterfall hike is short and easy, worth doing in the morning before the day heats up. And if someone tells you to try the walnut pie — listen to them.
For the right group, an overnight on the sailboat anchored in Yelapa is one of the better experiences in the bay. The anchorage is protected, the water is calm, and falling asleep to the sound of the ocean with zero light pollution is its own kind of thing.
How to get there: Panga from Boca de Tomatán (about 45 minutes). By sailboat from Marina Vallarta, plan 2 to 3 hours. Overnight charters are available — ask us about options.
The Best Way to Explore Beaches in Banderas Bay
These five beaches share one thing: they’re all significantly better when you arrive by water. You get the view from the bay. You bring your own snorkel gear and paddleboards. You stop where you want and stay as long as you like — covering coastline in an afternoon that would take days on foot.
Our charters run routes along the southern shore regularly. We can build a day around two or three of these stops, or focus an entire trip on one destination. Get in touch and we’ll put together the right itinerary.
