Places

Puerto Vallarta and Banderas Bay are not one place. A traditional coastal town, a golf-and-beach corridor and a planned resort community share the same shoreline — each with its own character, rhythm and kind of stay.

• Bucerías

  A traditional coastal town on Banderas Bay, named for the divers who once worked its waters — cobblestone streets, a beachfront market, and a resident arts scene.

• Flamingos

  A golf-and-beach corridor on Banderas Bay, between Nuevo Vallarta and Bucerías.

• La Cruz de Huanacaxtle

  A marina town on Banderas Bay where the working boats never left — sailors, fishermen and a resident food scene share the same short waterfront.

• Nuevo Vallarta / Nuevo Nayarit

  A planned resort community on Banderas Bay — renamed Nuevo Nayarit in 2022, though the older name is still what most people use.

• Punta de Mita

  Banderas Bay's northern point — a public village, a private resort peninsula, and a stretch of near-virgin beach still being discovered, all sharing one name.