Playa Los Muertos
Best for. People who want the beating heart of Puerto Vallarta, a loud, sociable city beach where a lounger, a cocktail and lunch are always at hand and the Zona Romantica is a step off the sand.
Best spot. The stretch around the sail shaped Los Muertos Pier, with the busiest clubs such as Mantamar and Sapphire Ocean Club to one side and the quieter south end toward the rocks.
Know this. This is a lively urban beach, not a wild or pristine one, and it is at its best for the scene rather than for solitude. There is no lifeguard, and the water is a working city bay, so read it before you swim.
Playa Los Muertos is the beach that Puerto Vallarta grew up around, a golden crescent of sand fronting the Zona Romantica where the old town spills straight onto the shore. It is honest to say up front what it is, the liveliest and most sociable beach in the city rather than the wild one, a wall of beach clubs, vendors and palapa restaurants backed by the tiled streets, cafes and galleries of the romantic zone. The landmark is the sail shaped Los Muertos Pier, a sculptural white mast that reaches out over the water and marks the middle of the beach, and the sand around it hums from mid morning until the sunset draws a crowd to the pier rail.
For a certain kind of day this energy is exactly the point. You can walk down from a hundred small hotels, drop onto a lounger at a beach club, order a michelada and a plate of fresh fish, and let the day roll by with music, paddleboarders and the boats to Yelapa and the south shore coming and going from the pier. This is also the warm centre of the city's gay scene, with landmark clubs such as Mantamar drawing a stylish adults only crowd, and a broad, easygoing mix everywhere else. As a barefoot naturalist I will not pretend it is a quiet cove, but there is a real pleasure in a beach so alive, and the water in the bay is usually calm enough for an easy swim between the clubs.
The honest caution is that this is a working city beach and should be read as one. It is not the place for pristine sand or solitude, the vendors are constant, and after heavy rain the runoff from town can cloud the bay, so it is not always the clearest water in the region. There is no lifeguard, so judge the sea yourself, mind the pier and the boat traffic, and keep valuables close in the crowd. If what you want is wild and undeveloped, Puerto Vallarta keeps that at the roadless south shore coves like Las Animas and Yelapa, reached by boat from this very pier. Come to Los Muertos for the life, the food and the sunset, go south for the quiet, and the city gives you both.
A wall of beach clubs on the sand
Los Muertos is defined by its beach clubs and palapa restaurants. This is one Puerto Vallarta beach where a served day on the sand is the whole idea.
The club layer here is the beach. A close run of beach clubs and palapa restaurants lines Playa Los Muertos, so a lounger, an umbrella, a cocktail and a plate of fresh fish are always a step away, and the choice is about style and crowd rather than whether service exists. Mantamar is the landmark, a stylish adults only club at the heart of the city's gay scene with a beachfront pool and famous pool parties, while Sapphire Ocean Club sits at the more upscale and relaxed end and long standing spots such as Blue Chairs, Ritmos and La Carreta run the easygoing middle. We name only venues we can see are operating, and prices and minimum spends are set by each and to be confirmed.
Because the clubs are the character of Los Muertos, the honest move is to pick the one whose crowd suits your day rather than fight the scene. Our Puerto Vallarta beach clubs guide sets out which of these are worth their minimum spend, which suit families or couples, and where the free public sand between them serves you just as well. Tell us your dates and party size and we can help arrange loungers or a table at the right club, so you arrive to a set up spot on the busiest beach in the city.
In the Zona Romantica
Playa Los Muertos runs along the Zona Romantica of Puerto Vallarta, the old town south of the Cuale River, so for most visitors it is simply a walk down through the tiled streets from a nearby hotel. Taxis, the city buses and the seafront malecon all reach it easily, and there is no gate and no fee to step onto the sand. The sail shaped pier in the middle of the beach is the landmark to aim for and the place where water taxis leave for the south shore coves.
Come ready for a lively urban beach with full service but a city edge. You need bring little more than sun cover and cash, since clubs hire everything on the sand, but keep valuables close in the crowd and expect steady vendors. There is no lifeguard, so read the water before you swim, mind the pier pilings and the boat traffic, and after heavy rain expect the bay to cloud for a day. For quiet and clear water, take a water taxi from the pier to the roadless south shore beaches.
Photo: Richard Wright via GoogleNot ready to book?
Keep the good shorelines coming. Shore Notes is our occasional letter on the best beaches and the clubs worth your day, sent straight to your inbox. One field, unsubscribe any time.
Book a beach club
Playa Los Muertos is a free public beach lined with clubs, so tell us your dates and party size and we will help arrange loungers or a table at the beach club that suits your day in Puerto Vallarta. We reply by email.
Independent and honest · 1,340 beaches ranked across 103 destinations · We answer to no resort
We are an independent editorial resource. Booking requests are passed to clubs and operators, and some may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices, availability and opening status are set by the venue and are to be confirmed at the time of booking.
Common questions about Playa Los Muertos
Where is Playa Los Muertos in Puerto Vallarta?
Playa Los Muertos is the main city beach in the Zona Romantica, the old town just south of the Cuale River. Most visitors simply walk down to it through the tiled streets, and taxis, city buses and the seafront malecon all reach it easily. The sail shaped Los Muertos Pier marks the middle of the beach.
Why is it called Playa Los Muertos?
The name translates as the beach of the dead, and local legend ties it to old clashes between pirates and miners near the cove. The city has at times promoted gentler names, but Los Muertos is the name everyone uses. Today it is anything but sombre, the most lively and sociable beach in Puerto Vallarta.
Is Playa Los Muertos good for swimming?
The bay is usually calm enough for an easy swim between the beach clubs, but it is a working city beach rather than a pristine one. There is no lifeguard, so judge the water yourself, mind the pier and the boat traffic, and note that after heavy rain the runoff from town can cloud the water for a day.
What beach clubs are on Playa Los Muertos?
The sand is lined with them. Mantamar is the landmark adults only club at the heart of the city's gay scene, Sapphire Ocean Club sits at the upscale relaxed end, and long standing spots such as Blue Chairs, Ritmos and La Carreta run the easygoing middle. Confirm current opening, prices and any minimum spend directly when you book.
Is Playa Los Muertos a gay beach?
It is the warm centre of Puerto Vallarta's gay scene, especially the stretch around Mantamar and the Blue Chairs area, and the city is one of the most welcoming in Mexico. It is also a broad, easygoing mix of families, couples and locals along its length, so everyone shares the sand comfortably.
When is the best time to visit Playa Los Muertos?
The dry season from November to April brings the sunniest, most settled weather and the clearest bay, and is the peak window. On the beach itself, mid to late afternoon into sunset is the liveliest and loveliest time, when the crowd gathers at the pier for the light. Mornings are calmer if you want an easier swim.