Bucerías is on the curve of Banderas Bay, one of the largest bays on Mexico’s Pacific coast. Everything in this guide falls into three groups: Bucerías itself — the beach and the cobbled centre; the bay around it — La Cruz, Nuevo Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta, the whales and the Marietas Islands; and the Riviera Nayarit coast to the north, with Punta de Mita, Sayulita and San Pancho. These are the ten places we would build a trip around, each with its own guide.
Things to See in & Around Bucerías
Ten places that take you from the sand in front of your hotel to islands, whales and surf villages.
Bucerías itself
Bucerías itself Playa Bucerías
A long, calm beach on the inner bay
Kilometres of soft sand on the sheltered northern shore of Banderas Bay, with gentle water for swimming in the morning and a reliable thermal breeze for kitesurfers on winter afternoons. Palapa restaurants, fishing boats and sunsets over the bay complete the picture.
Bucerías itself Bucerías Centro & Art Walk
Cobbled streets, street stalls and galleries
The compact heart of town: the plaza and church, cobbled lanes lined with craft stalls, beachfront restaurants and a cluster of galleries that open for an Art Walk on Thursday evenings in the high season. Small enough to explore on foot in an hour — and to keep coming back to.
Around Banderas Bay
Around Banderas Bay Whale Watching in Banderas Bay
Humpbacks from December to March
Every winter, humpback whales migrate to the warm, sheltered waters of Banderas Bay to mate, give birth and raise their calves. From roughly December to March, boats from Puerto Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta and La Cruz take visitors out to watch them breach, slap their tails and travel with their young.
Around Banderas Bay Islas Marietas
Protected islands and the famous Hidden Beach
A small group of uninhabited volcanic islands off Punta de Mita, protected as a national park. Tours snorkel around their reefs and caves, watch the seabirds — including blue-footed boobies — and, with limited daily permits, swim through a tunnel to the Hidden Beach inside a collapsed crater.
Around Banderas Bay La Cruz de Huanacaxtle
Fishing town, marina and Sunday market
Bucerías’ neighbour, ten minutes to the west: a fishing town with a large modern marina, a fish market where the boats sell their catch and, in the winter season, a popular Sunday market. It is also the closest departure point for many Marietas and whale-watching trips.
Around Banderas Bay Puerto Vallarta
The malecón, the old town and the nightlife
The big city of the bay, 30–45 minutes south of Bucerías across the state line in Jalisco. Walk the seafront malecón with its bronze sculptures, see the crowned tower of the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and spend an evening in the restaurants and bars of the Zona Romántica.
Around Banderas Bay Nuevo Vallarta
Resort beaches and turtle releases
A planned resort zone between the Ameca River and Bucerías, with wide beaches, big hotels, marinas and golf. Turtle conservation programmes on these beaches release hatchlings in season, and several tours to the Marietas Islands leave from here.
North along the Riviera Nayarit
North along the Riviera Nayarit Sayulita
The surf village with a bohemian streak
A lively surf town about 30–40 minutes north of Bucerías, with a curving beach full of learners, a colourful centre strung with papel picado, cafés, boutiques and a busy nightlife. Named one of Mexico’s Pueblos Mágicos, it is the classic day trip up the coast.
North along the Riviera Nayarit Punta de Mita
The tip of the bay: surf, sunsets and luxury
The headland that closes Banderas Bay to the north, about 30 minutes from Bucerías. A small village with seafood restaurants on El Anclote beach, surf breaks for every level and boats to the Marietas Islands — next to some of Mexico’s most exclusive resorts.
North along the Riviera Nayarit San Pancho
Sayulita’s quieter neighbour
San Francisco — known to everyone as San Pancho — is a small village just north of Sayulita, with a wide open beach, a laid-back main street, community projects and some excellent restaurants. Come for sunsets and a slower pace.
Also worth knowing about
Yelapa, on the far southern shore of the bay, can only be reached by boat; tours from Puerto Vallarta make a day of it. San Sebastián del Oeste, an old mining town in the mountains of Jalisco, is a popular full-day trip from Puerto Vallarta. Both are on our tours page or easy to book from Puerto Vallarta.
A sensible one-week plan: Two lazy days in Bucerías — beach, galleries, seafood. One day for the Marietas Islands from La Cruz, one for whales or turtles depending on the season, one for Sayulita and San Pancho, one for Punta de Mita, and one for Puerto Vallarta’s malecón and old town.
Plan your days in Bucerías
Sail to the Marietas, then watch the sun set from the sand
The best of Banderas Bay starts minutes from Bucerías. Compare island trips, whale cruises and coastal adventures and book in a couple of taps.