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Las Ánimas Beach snorkeling and swimming tours
Beach in Banderas Bay on Banderas Bay
A broad stretch of sand south-west of Puerto Vallarta, on the far side of Banderas Bay from the marinas, that works well as a lunch and swim stop on a day out by boat.
Marinas
- Marina Nuevo Vallarta
- Marina Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta
Near Las Ánimas Beach
- Snorkeling
- Swimming
Playa Caballo
On the south shore of Banderas Bay, Playa Caballo sits just north-east of Las Ánimas, on the Boca de Tomatlán side. No road reaches the sand, so it is a swimming and snorkelling stop that guests land at from the boat or walk to on a trail.
- Snorkeling
- Swimming
Quimixto
A small village on the southern shore of Banderas Bay that has no road and is reached only by boat. Palapa restaurants face the water on its beach, and a trail up the river valley behind it leads to a seasonal waterfall.
Boca de Tomatlán
A small fishing village at the mouth of the Horcones River, about 17 km south of downtown Puerto Vallarta. Its pier is the main departure point for the public water taxis to the beaches and villages of the southern shore.
- Snorkeling
- Scuba diving
Las Caletas
A small boat-only cove on the southern shore of Banderas Bay, below a nature preserve, where the film director John Huston once lived. One tour company runs the beach and grounds as its own day trip, and the sources do not settle whether a charter yacht's guests may go ashore.
- Snorkeling
- Scuba diving
Majahuitas
Majahuitas is a small cove on the southern shore of Banderas Bay, between Quimixto and Yelapa. No road reaches it, so guests arrive by boat.
Mismaloya
A small village and beach on the southern shore of Banderas Bay, south of Puerto Vallarta, looking out to the Los Arcos rocks. The Night of the Iguana was filmed here in 1963.
- Snorkeling
- Swimming
- Paddleboarding
- Scuba diving
Los Arcos de Mismaloya
Five granite islets just off Mismaloya, about 12 km south of Puerto Vallarta in Banderas Bay, with arches cut through the larger rocks and reef walls below.
- Scuba diving
Princesa Vallarta Wreck
A sunken boat on the floor of Banderas Bay, a little under 200 metres off the Las Gemelas beaches south of Puerto Vallarta. It is a deep dive for certified divers, about 6 nautical miles by boat from the Puerto Vallarta marinas.
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About Las Ánimas Beach
Getting there by boat
Las Ánimas sits about 10.8 nautical miles south-west of Marina Vallarta in a straight line, and about 10.6 nautical miles from Opequimar, so at a steady 8 knots the run takes roughly 1 hour 20 minutes each way. From Marina Nuevo Vallarta the line is about 11.3 nautical miles, and from Marina Riviera Nayarit at La Cruz about 14.6 nautical miles, a little under two hours at the same speed. No road runs along this part of the bay's edge.
On the beach
The sand here is broad, and the sea off it is calm enough for a swim from the boat or from the shore.
Several restaurants under palm-thatched roofs line the sand, along with a beach club, and families are the crowd they cater to, so lunch ashore fits easily into the stop.
Each end of the beach finishes in rock, and small sea creatures gather there. Guests snorkel along those rocks, staying near the shore.
Nearby stops
Las Ánimas shares this shore with several other stops, so one day out can take in two or three of them. Quimixto is about 1.5 nautical miles to the west and Boca de Tomatlán about 1.6 nautical miles to the east. Playa Caballo lies a short way along the coast. Further out, Majahuitas is about 2.7 nautical miles west, Los Arcos de Mismaloya about 3.7 nautical miles north-east, and Yelapa about 5.9 nautical miles west of Las Ánimas, all within Banderas Bay.
What to know
Bring sun cover, and water shoes if you plan to snorkel off the rocky ends. Swell decides where the boat anchors and how you go ashore, and we'll confirm the plan with your captain before you leave the marina.