Barra de Navidad
Barra de Navidad is a small fishing town on a sandbar facing a sheltered bay.
Small boats carry visitors across the lagoon behind Barra de Navidad. Photo: Heterotrofo, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Costalegre, Jalisco · Travel guide
Costalegre Mexico Jalisco Beaches and Barra de Navidad
Costalegre is the long, quiet stretch of Pacific coast in Jalisco between Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo, about 330 kilometres of coves, lagoons, palm-lined beaches and dry tropical forest. It is known for secluded shoreline, a handful of low-key beach towns and a few exclusive private communities.
Barra de Navidad
Isla Navidad and Colimilla
San Patricio-Melaque
La Manzanilla
+3 more places
At a glance Costalegre
- Best timeThe dry season from late autumn to spring is the most comfortable, while the rainy months bring heat, humidity and storms.
- How longFour to five days lets you sample two or three beach towns without rushing.
- Getting thereFly into Puerto Vallarta or Manzanillo and rent a car for the coast road.
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Why visit Costalegre
The name means joyful coast, and the region lives up to it in a gentle way. Instead of high-rise resorts, you find fishing villages, lagoons full of birds, long beaches where you can walk for hours and small coves with a single seafood restaurant.
Costalegre also protects real wilderness. The Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve shelters jaguars, crocodiles and migratory birds, and the Bay of Tenacatita is lined with isolated beaches. Change is coming, with new roads and a small airport, so it makes sense to go sooner rather than later.
The best places to visit in the south
Isla Navidad and Colimilla
Small boats called panga taxis cross the lagoon behind Barra de Navidad to Isla Navidad and to the tiny community of Colimilla, where restaurants line the shore. The crossing takes only minutes and gives you a close look at fishing boats and mangroves.
Melaque is a beach town on the Bay of Navidad popular with Mexican families. Photo: Maricint, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
San Patricio-Melaque
San Patricio-Melaque is a beach town on the same bay that is especially popular with Mexican families, with a long curve of sand and plenty of casual restaurants. It makes a livelier alternative to Barra de Navidad and is an easy visit by road or bus.
A nature sanctuary near La Manzanilla holds a large population of American crocodiles. Photo: Tomascastelazo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
La Manzanilla
La Manzanilla sits in the southeast corner of the Bay of Tenacatita and attracts fishers, hikers and long-stay visitors. A nature sanctuary near town is home to about three hundred American crocodiles, which you can view from a safe distance with a local guide.
Tenacatita has isolated beaches and calm water. Photo: Tomascastelazo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Tenacatita, Chamela and the reserve
Tenacatita
Tenacatita is a scenic point with isolated beaches, notably Playa Tenacatita and Playa Herradura. The calm water makes it a good place for swimming and paddling, and there are few services, so bring water and snacks.
The Bay of Chamela is dotted with small rocky islands. Photo: Yáñez-Rivera B, Tovar-Hernández MA, Galván-Villa CM, Ríos-Jara E (2020) Tubicolous poly…, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Bahía de Chamela and Isla Cocinas
The Bay of Chamela is dotted with small rocky islands, and the best known day trip is to Isla Cocinas, with boats leaving from Playa Perula.
The Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve protects dry tropical forest on the Jalisco coast. Photo: Aedrake09, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve
This large protected area of dry tropical forest, hills and coast was recognized as a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 2006. Its wildlife includes jaguars, ocelots, crocodiles, macaws and many migratory birds.
Pescado zarandeado is a grilled whole fish popular on Mexico's Pacific coast. Photo: El Nuevo Doge, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Costa Careyes
Careyes is a secluded luxury community of colourful hillside villas above rocky ocean views. You can admire the architecture and coastline from the main road and the beach areas that are open to the public.
Tomatlán and Chalacatepec
Tomatlán is an agricultural town with a historic square and the only bus station in the region. Nearby Chalacatepec Beach is on the Majuahuas coast, where a small new airport has been built.
Food and local flavors
Seafood is the heart of the coast. Try pescado zarandeado, a whole fish grilled over a fire, a style popular on Mexico's Pacific shore and found in beach restaurants here. The fishing is excellent, with dorado, marlin and sailfish caught offshore, and scallops are gathered in the lagoon at Barra de Navidad.
Raicilla, a mezcal-family agave spirit with a protected origin that includes coastal Jalisco, is sold in two styles, one from the coast and one from the sierra. Ask for the coastal version at a bar.
Popular dishes to try in Costalegre
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Where to stay
Choose one or two bases rather than moving every night, because distances are long.
Barra de Navidad is the best all-round base.
La Manzanilla is quieter and more relaxed, favored by birdwatchers, hikers and travelers who stay a week or more.
Tenacatita is a remote spot with beautiful beaches and very few services, which suits those who want to disconnect and are happy to bring supplies.
Bahía de Chamela is the northern choice, with palapa restaurants, a boat trip to Isla Cocinas and access to the biosphere reserve.
Book ahead for Christmas, New Year and Holy Week.
Where to stay in Costalegre
Best time to visit
The dry season, from roughly November to May, is the most pleasant, with sunny days, calm seas and the best conditions for boat trips and wildlife.
From June to October the rainy season turns the forest green and brings heat, humidity, afternoon storms and a higher chance of tropical storms, so check forecasts and keep flexible plans. Fishing is productive for much of the year, with different species by season.
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Getting there and getting around
Most travelers fly into Puerto Vallarta, a large airport with frequent international flights, or into Manzanillo, which has fewer flights but may be closer to the southern towns.
A rental car is by far the best way to explore, since everything is remote. Federal Highway 200, the Carretera Pacífico, runs the whole length of the coast and takes about six hours to drive straight through, although it is far better to stop along the way.
Buses run twice daily from Puerto Vallarta to Manzanillo with a stop in Tomatlán, and second-class buses serve smaller towns. The only bus station in the region is in Tomatlán.
A suggested itinerary
First day
Arrive in Barra de Navidad, stroll the seafront and take a panga across the lagoon to Colimilla for lunch.
Second day
Drive north to La Manzanilla for the crocodile sanctuary, then continue to Tenacatita for a swim and an unhurried afternoon on the sand.
Third day
Continue to the Bay of Chamela for a boat trip to Isla Cocinas, then eat seafood at a palapa restaurant.
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Practical tips
- Check your government's current travel advisory before you go.
- Fill the fuel tank whenever you pass a town, because stations are far apart on remote stretches.
- Carry cash for small beach restaurants, boat taxis and tolls.
- Bring reef-safe sun protection, insect repellent and plenty of water.
- Never swim near crocodile habitat, and obey signs around lagoons and estuaries.
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