The Best Beach
Clubs in Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta is really two beach scenes laid along one great curve of bay. In the heart of town the Zona Romantica fronts Playa de los Muertos, where the clubs sit shoulder to shoulder on busy gold sand and the day runs from sunbathing into a famous sunset and a buzzing evening. North of the city the coast stretches out into Marina Vallarta and the quieter, resort lined sands of Nuevo Nayarit, where the clubs are calmer, the pools larger and the pace slower. Pick the stretch of sand that suits your mood and the right club follows.

We have left exact prices and minimum spends as to be confirmed, because they shift with the season, the day of the week and where you sit. The honest move is to send an enquiry with your date and party size and let the club come back with the real number. Everything below is a real, established venue on or near Banderas Bay, described by who it suits rather than by hype. For the wider picture, our guide to the best beach clubs in Mexico sets Vallarta against Tulum and the Riviera Maya.

Beach club season in Puerto Vallarta tracks the dry months. The prime window runs from about November to April, when the weather is warm, dry and reliably sunny and the bay is at its most settled, which is also the busiest and most reservation hungry stretch, especially around the winter holidays. The summer from June into October is hot, humid and greener with afternoon rains and a chance of a passing tropical storm, which keeps prices and crowds lower and walk ins easier. Sunset is the headline event year round, so prime beds face the most demand whatever the month.

Booking a day bed in Puerto Vallarta is mostly about timing and position. The front row beds facing the sunset are the first to go and carry the highest spend, while a bed one row back or a morning slot is far easier and often a fraction of the cost. At the busy Zona Romantica clubs a reservation is wise at weekends and through the winter peak, whereas a quiet weekday can sometimes be walked into. Always confirm what any minimum spend covers, since at most clubs it is redeemed against food and drinks rather than charged as a flat door fee.

A little planning goes a long way on Banderas Bay. Decide first whether you want the lively town scene of the Zona Romantica or the calmer resort sands to the north, since the two make for very different days, and check whether a club sits on the town beach or out in Nuevo Nayarit before you set off. Service is unhurried by design, so a club day is a commitment to a few relaxed hours rather than a quick swim. Use the enquiry form below and we will pass your date and party size to the club so they can confirm the real figure.