Puerto Vallarta/ Banderas Bay - Facts

Description:

Banderas Bay is a large horseshoe-shaped bay covering 500 square miles in area, on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. The bay straddles the Mexican states of Jalisco and Nayarit. It contains port and resort city of Puerto Vallarta (PV)  in the centre, the village of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle (La Cruz) 10NM to the north and the port at Nuevo Vallarta which is midway between PV and La Cruz.

The only places to anchor around the bay are La Cruz, Yelapa and Punta de Mita. Six marinas are found in the bay: three in Nuevo Vallarta, two in Puerto Vallarta and one in La Cruz. This is a popular jumping off spot for cruisers headed to the South Pacific.

Cruiser Highlights:

This is a port of entry. Banderas Bay has a variety of cruising amenities including skilled craftsmen, good provisioning, chandleries and other supplies. It also has a wide range of cultural, historical and natural tourism options. There is also an active cruising community in this area with frequent meetups for Women Who Sail (WWS) the Pacific Puddle Jump (PPJ) and the La Cruz Kids Club.

The Banderas Bay VHF net is at 08:30 Monday-Saturday on channel 22A and is heard throughout the bay.

Entrance Notes and Cautions:

Following the impact of Hurricane Lidia in October 2023, cruising boats should be aware of debris in the water, missing navigation marks, hurricane damage to docks and limited berth availability.

Position:

20° 39.18'N, 105° 14.80'W (Puerto Vallarta harbour entrance)