All-Inclusive Resorts in South Shore

South of the Cuale river the coast road climbs, the beach breaks into a string of small coves, and the jungle comes right down to the water. This is the stretch locals call the Zona Sur: Conchas Chinas, Playa Punta Negra, Garza Blanca, Boca de Tomatlán and Mismaloya, where The Night of the Iguana was filmed in 1963 and the international story of Puerto Vallarta began.

All-inclusive resorts here are built into hillsides rather than along a flat beachfront, so almost every room looks at water. The trade-off is that beaches are smaller and you will use a taxi or the bus to reach town — about ten to fifteen minutes to the Romantic Zone. If your idea of a holiday involves a sunset, a terrace and very little walking, this is the zone.

What the beaches are like

Coves rather than long sand. Conchas Chinas is famous for the rock pools that form at low tide; Playa Punta Negra and Playa Gemelas are small, calm and backed by cliffs. The water is generally clearer here than in front of the Hotel Zone because there is less river outflow and less boat traffic.

Getting around

Everything runs along one road, Carretera a Barra de Navidad. Buses to the centre pass constantly and cost a few pesos; taxis to the Romantic Zone are short and cheap. Boca de Tomatlán, at the southern end, is where the water taxis leave for Las Ánimas, Quimixto and Yelapa — the beaches you cannot drive to.