Best Day Trips from Puerto Vallarta: How to Get There and How Long It Takes

The best day trips from Puerto Vallarta split into three directions: south by boat to Yelapa and the beaches with no road, north along the bay to the Marietas Islands, Punta de Mita and Sayulita, and inland up the Sierra Madre to San Sebastián del Oeste. Each one fits in a day, but only if you leave early and know how you are getting back.

Day trip	Direction	How to get there	Approx. travel time each way	Best for
Yelapa	South	Water taxi from Los Muertos pier or Boca de Tomatlán	30 min to 1 hr by boat	Beach, waterfall, no cars
Boca de Tomatlán & Colomitos	South	Local bus or taxi, then on foot	30–45 min by road	Jungle hike, small coves
Mismaloya & Los Arcos	South	Bus or taxi; boat to the rocks	20–30 min by road	Snorkeling
Vallarta Botanical Garden	South	Bus or taxi on Highway 200	About 45 min	Orchids, river swim
Marietas Islands	North (Nayarit)	Licensed boat tour only	Half to full day	Seabirds, Hidden Beach
Punta de Mita	North (Nayarit)	Car, taxi or bus	About 1 hr	Calm beaches, surf, seafood
Sayulita & San Pancho	North (Nayarit)	Car, taxi or bus	About 1 hr	Surf town, beach day
San Sebastián del Oeste	Inland (Jalisco)	Car or guided tour	About 2 hrs	Mountain town, coffee, raicilla

This guide is about logistics: how to reach each place, how much of the day it eats and what to watch out for. If you are still deciding what to do inside the city itself, start with our list of things to do in Puerto Vallarta, then come back here for the trips out of town.

How to plan a day trip from Puerto Vallarta

Banderas Bay is shaped like a horseshoe, with Puerto Vallarta on its east side, the Riviera Nayarit along the north and a roadless coastline to the south. That geography decides how you travel.

Getting around: boat, bus, taxi or tour

• Water taxis are the only public way to reach the villages south of Boca de Tomatlán. They are open boats with fixed departure times and a fixed fare per person; buy a return or confirm the time of the last boat back before you go.
• Local buses run south to Mismaloya and Boca de Tomatlán and north along the bay. They are cheap and frequent in daylight, slower than a taxi and paid in cash pesos.
• Taxis and ride-hailing apps work for the hotel zone, the marina and the north shore. For the Sierra or a return late at night, agree the fare before you get in.
• Guided tours make sense for the Marietas (where only licensed operators can go), for San Sebastián del Oeste if you do not want to drive mountain roads, and for any trip where the boat or van is the whole point.

Timing and what to bring

Leave by 8 or 9 am. Mornings are calmer at sea, buses are less crowded and you get the beaches before the tour boats arrive. Carry cash in pesos (many village restaurants and boatmen do not take cards), reef-safe sunscreen, water and a dry bag for phones on the boats. In the rainy season, roughly June to October, storms tend to build in the afternoon, so plan to be back on land by mid-afternoon.

South of Puerto Vallarta: Yelapa, Boca de Tomatlán and Los Arcos

Highway 200 runs south along the cliffs past Conchas Chinas, Mismaloya and Boca de Tomatlán, then turns inland. Everything beyond that point is reached by sea or on foot.

Yelapa

Yelapa is a village at the back of a deep cove with no road access. Water taxis leave from the Los Muertos pier in the Zona Romántica and, more often and on a shorter crossing, from Boca de Tomatlán. Once there, a walk of around 20–30 minutes through the village leads to a waterfall, and the beach is lined with palapa restaurants. Women walk the sand selling homemade pie, a Yelapa tradition. Check the time of the last boat back when you land and keep a margin: if you miss it, a private panga is the only way out.

Boca de Tomatlán and the Colomitos trail

The fishing village where the road leaves the coast is a day trip in itself. From Boca, a jungle trail of around two hours follows the coast to Playa Las Ánimas, passing the tiny cove of Colomitos after the first stretch. Wear proper shoes, start early to avoid the heat and take the water taxi back from Las Ánimas instead of walking both ways.

Mismaloya, Los Arcos and the Botanical Garden

Mismaloya, where John Huston filmed The Night of the Iguana in 1963, is the closest of the southern beaches. Offshore, the granite rocks of Los Arcos form a protected marine area with easy snorkeling; local boatmen run short trips from the beach, and most bay cruises stop there too. Continue about 45 minutes south on Highway 200 to reach the Vallarta Botanical Garden, known for its orchids, with a river below where you can swim. Mismaloya and the garden combine well in one day by bus or taxi.

North along the bay: the Marietas, Punta de Mita and Sayulita

North of the airport you cross the Ameca River into the state of Nayarit. The towns along this shore, from Nuevo Vallarta to Bucerías, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Punta de Mita and Sayulita, belong to the municipality of Bahía de Banderas, which keeps the same clock as Puerto Vallarta.

The Marietas Islands

The Marietas Islands are a national park off Punta de Mita, and you can only visit them with an operator that holds a park permit. Boats leave from Marina Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta and Punta de Mita; the crossing from Punta de Mita is the shortest. Access to the famous Hidden Beach is capped and depends on the swell, and the rules change, so read our Marietas Islands tour guide before you book.

Punta de Mita

The northern tip of the bay is home to gated resorts, but the public village side is easy to visit. The beach at El Anclote has calm water, seafood restaurants on the sand and gentle waves where surf schools teach beginners. Punta de Mita is also where many Marietas boats depart, so the two pair naturally: islands in the morning, a long lunch on the beach afterwards.

Sayulita and San Pancho

Sayulita, about 40 km north of the airport, is a small surf town with a busy plaza, fish tacos and a beginner-friendly break in front of town. San Pancho (San Francisco) is around 6 km further north and much quieter, with a long beach and good sunsets. Buses heading north along Highway 200 stop at both, or take a taxi and return by bus. Weekends and the winter high season are busy, and parking in Sayulita is hard, so arrive early. Our guide to things to do in Sayulita covers what to do once you are there.

Into the Sierra: San Sebastián del Oeste

San Sebastián del Oeste is a former silver-mining town in the pine forests of the Sierra Madre and one of Mexico's Pueblos Mágicos. It is the trip that changes the scenery most: cobbled streets, adobe houses, cooler air and no beach in sight.

Getting there

The drive takes about two hours each way on a winding mountain road, inland from the north end of Puerto Vallarta. Most visitors either rent a car or join a guided tour that includes transport. Drive it in daylight only, watch for fog and livestock, and fill the tank before you leave the coast. It is noticeably cooler than Vallarta, so bring a layer, especially from November to February.

What to do in San Sebastián

Walk the main square and the church, visit one of the old haciendas from the mining era, and taste the local coffee and raicilla, the agave spirit of this part of Jalisco. Many tours also stop at a small distillery or coffee farm on the way. Plan on a full day, back on the coast around sunset.

Which day trip from Puerto Vallarta should you choose?

• Only one free day: Yelapa by water taxi. It is the most different from the city and needs no planning beyond the boat times.
• Snorkeling: Los Arcos from Mismaloya, or the Marietas if you want open water and seabirds.
• Hiking: Boca de Tomatlán to Las Ánimas, with the boat back.
• Surf and a town to wander: Sayulita, with sunset in San Pancho.
• Families: Punta de Mita, for calm water and beach restaurants.
• Something completely different: San Sebastián del Oeste.

Several of these, from the Marietas to Yelapa and the Sierra, are also sold as guided outings with transport included on our Puerto Vallarta tours page. If you would rather go on your own but skip the buses, a private driver for the day is the middle way.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best day trip from Puerto Vallarta?

For most visitors it is Yelapa: a boat ride along the coast, a village without cars, a waterfall and a beach, all reachable by water taxi without booking a tour. If you only care about wildlife, choose the Marietas Islands.

Can you visit Sayulita as a day trip from Puerto Vallarta?

Yes. It is about an hour by road each way, by car, taxi or bus. Leave in the morning, add San Pancho for the sunset and you are back in Vallarta by evening.

How do you get to Yelapa from Puerto Vallarta?

By water taxi only, since there is no road. Boats leave from the Los Muertos pier in the Zona Romántica and from Boca de Tomatlán, which you reach by local bus or taxi. Confirm the last boat back before you set off.

Do you need a tour to visit the Marietas Islands?

Yes. The islands are a national park, and only operators with a park permit can take visitors there. Book with a licensed company and ask whether the park fee is included.