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If you’re looking for a dreamy beach with crystal clear waters, few hagglers on the sand, and not many people around, look no further than Conchas Chinas Playa. This beach is found only 1.25 miles from Los Muertos Pier, and is a beautiful beach walk in Puerto Vallarta.
With multiple little beach coves, rocks that provide great snorkeling, and a large sandy beach area, Conchas Chinas Playa is perfect for any and all beach goers!
In this guide to Conchas Chinas Beach, we’re sharing how to get there from Puerto Vallarta via foot and car, what to know before you go, and photos that are sure to show you why you need to visit Playa Conchas Chinas!
Our Experience At Conchas Chinas Playa
We visited Conchas Chinas on a Monday during high season, and a long weekend. We were thinking it would give us a good idea of how crowded the beach really is, and shoot, we were surprised.
The beach was really quiet! There were only a handful of other groups there, and plenty of space for our own private area.
When we flew the drone to Playa Conchas Chinas the following weekend, the beach was a bit more crowded, but still nothing compared to the beaches that are right in Puerto Vallarta.
The sand was smooth, the waves were big (due to a full moon), and the entire day was a perfect, relaxed beach day in Puerto Vallarta.
Playa Conchas Chinas Quick Facts
- Location | Conchas Chinas, Jalisco, Mexico | 20.589203, -105.244107
- Best For | snorkeling + quiet beach escape
- Beach Vibe | few to no crowds during week, much smaller crowds on the weekend
- Hike Info | 1.25 miles from Los Muertos Pier, with little elevation gain after initial stair climb
What Is Conchas Chinas Playa?
Conchas Chinas Playa is furthest beach south of Puerto Vallarta that is accessible by foot. It’s known for it’s quieter beach vibe and little to no other tourists and venders on the beach.
Playa Conchas Chinas gets it’s name from the curled shells that can often be found scattered throughout the beach.
Where Is Conchas Chinas Puerto Vallarta?
Just over a mile of walking on a beach pathway or just over a five minute drive from the Romantic Zone, you’ll find Conchas Chinas, Puerto Vallarta. This area of Puerto Vallarta has luxury accommodation, and a beach that often hosts weddings and photo shoots because it’s so pretty!
The Conchas Chinas Mirador, has public parking for those wishing to drive to this beach.
Best Hotels At Conchas Chinas Puerto Vallarta
- Grand Miramar All Luxury Sweets & Residence | 9.1 stars with over 500 reviews
- Casa Septiembre | An entire villa on the beach accommodating 16 guests | check current prices here
- Quinta Maria Cortez | Villas and suites right on the beach | book your stay here
How Do I Get To Playa Conchas Chinas?
Getting To Conchas Chinas Playa By Foot
Our preferred method of reaching Playa Conchas Chinas is by foot. It’s only 1.25 miles from the Los Muertos Pier, and is along the coastline the entire way.
From Los Muertos Pier, walk down Los Muertos Beach, past all the blue umbrellas. At the end of the beach, there are stairs leading up and over a big rock formation.
Hiking up over the rock formation leads to Playa Amapas, another great beach in Puerto Vallarta. Cross the beach, and continue on the path along the edge of the hotels.
When you get off the beach, the rest of the walk will be on cobblestone, pavement, and dirt. If you took off your shoes, you may want to put them back on here.
Continue down the path, hugging the ocean the entire way. You’ll soon come up on a small beach, and can stop here, but the next beach is even better!
Passing the small beach, you’ll walk on a little cobblestone platform for a really nice accommodation before starting to go uphill to the left towards more hotels.
Before you go to the left, take the little path on the right, just past the trash cans.
Walk along the beach and rocks, past a few “private” beaches (that you can legally walk through), and then you’ll turn a corner to the beautiful Conchas Chinas Playa!
Getting To Conchas Chinas Playa By Car
Driving to Conchas Chinas Beach will allow you to park right at the top of a stairway leading down to the beach.
This is a great option if you are bringing a lot of things for a long day at the beach!
From Puerto Vallarta, head south on Highway 200. Shortly after the OXXO in Conchas Chinas, there is a road called Easy. If you see the small fire station on the left, you’ve gone too far.
Take Easy down to the Mirador, where you can find limited parking and easy beach access.
Traveler’s Tip… We recommend renting a scooter as your vehicle here because you can find parking a lot easier!
Getting to Playa Conchas Chinas By Bus
Taking public transportation in and around Puerto Vallarta is a great way to explore beaches near Puerto Vallarta for cheap!
Grab bus C01 from the Romantic Zone in Puerto Vallarta heading to Boca. This is the bus stop, 20.602302, -105.234663.
From there, take the bus to Conchas Chinas. There is a bus stop right at the OXXO, however, if you get off at the bus stop at the fire station, you’ll be a little bit closer to Easy Street.
From the bus stop, walk down Easy Street to the Mirador. You’ll find stairs down to Playa Conchas Chinas right before the Mirador.
Map Of Conchas Chinas Beach
Is Conchas Chinas Playa Worth It?
Yes! On all accounts!
This beach is the perfect escape from the city, and with the short walk right along the water, even if you don’t plan on getting in the water at Concahs Chinas Beach, it’s still worth it for the hike and views.
We’ve spent a lot of time at the more crowded beaches for quick sunset escapes in Puerto Vallarta, however, when we want to spend a day at the beach, this one always comes to mind!
What Should I Pack For A Conchas Chinas Beach Day?
For a full day at the beach, we recommend you pack snacks, extra water, and of course some tasty drinks! You should also pack some small pesos so you can purchase food from the vendors at this beach (if they’re out — typically only on the weekends).
You can also rent chairs and umbrellas when the vendors are out — again usually not on the quieter weekdays.
Other than cash and snacks — we recommend the following..
- Water bottle
- Snorkeling gear or goggles
- Sun hat
- Sunscreen
- Coozies
- Small, packable towel
- Sunglasses
Staying Safe At Playa Conchas Chinas
Lifeguards
There is a lifeguard stand at Playa Conchas Chinas, however, it doesn’t look like it’s been used in quite some time. We have yet to see a life guard on this beach in Puerto Vallarta, so plan for no life guard there.
Flag Warnings
If you’re walking down the beach trail from Los Muertos Beach, pay attention to the flag warnings near the blue umbrellas. While the water can be completely different down at Conchas Chinas Playa, seeing what colored flag is flying there will give you an idea of what to expect down at this beach.
Similar to there being no lifeguards here, there were also no flags when we visited. You can ask the workers if the water is safe, but when in doubt, don’t test it! It’s pretty obvious when the water is calm and peaceful and safe to get in here!
Swimming Near The Rocks
When the waves are big, typically around a full moon and during storms, the beach can be pretty dangerous as there are a lot of big rocks you can crash into.
However, most of the time, the ocean is calm here, and the water is clear. When you’re swimming at Playa Conchas Chinas, be sure to pay attention to the rocks. You don’t want to get pushed into them or dive into them when swimming around.
Keeping Your Belongings Safe
It’s always the best choice to leave your valuables at home when visiting a beach. Especially when visiting a beach with amazing snorkeling like Conchas Chinas Beach. However, that’s obviously not always the case.
There are some rocks you can sort of hide your belongings in, buy for the most part, they’ll be out in the open.
While Puerto Vallarta is pretty safe and crime rates are really low, we still suggest not flaunting your belongs and covering them up if you choose to leave them behind.
Conchas Chinas Playa FAQs
Can I swim at Conchas Chinas Playa?
Yes, you can swim at Conchas Chinas Beach. Swimming in Puerto Vallarta and the Banderas Bay is safe to do year round.
Is there snorkeling at Playa Conchas Chinas?
Yes! Playa Conchas Chinas is one area of Puerto Vallarta that has some great snorkeling. There are lots of sea creatures hanging around the rocky coves along the Conchas Chinas beach.
Is there shade at Conchas Chinas Beach in Puerto Vallarta?
While you can certainly find shade if you hide against the rocks, there really isn’t much shade here. On the weekends, there are sometimes vendors renting out chairs and umbrellas for those looking for shade.
Is it hard to get to Conchas Chinas Beach?
Accessing Conchas Chinas beach is really easy. You can get here by bus, car, or walking from Puerto Vallarta. In this post, we discuss each way in more detail above.
How long does it take to get to Conchas Chinas Playa?
From Puerto Vallarta by car, it takes about five minutes to get to Playa Conchas Chinas. If you plan to walk to Playa Conchas Chinas, plan for about an hour hike along the coast.
Are there food and drinks offered at Conchas Chinas Playa?
Most of the time, there are no vendors at Conchas Chinas beach. That’s part of the beauty of this place. There are a couple of restaurants nearby, and an OXXO right up on the highway, close to Playa Conchas Chinas.
What Makes Conchas Chinas Beach So Great?
We’ve noticed, the further south you go in Puerto Vallarta, the cleaner the water tends to be. And this is 100% true for Conchas Chinas Playa. This beach doesn’t have rivers feeding into the ocean nearby, so the water is usually crystal clear.
Aside from the dreamy teal water, the beach is not often visited. Fewer tourist on the beach means little to no vendors because it’s not worth their time to try and make sales to only a handful of groups of people.
As you may have guessed, the fewer crowds makes for a much more romanticized and dreamy beach day in Puerto Vallarta.
With the easy beach walk to the beach, the rocky cove great for snorkeling, and the little crowds, Conchas Chinas Playa is probably the best beach in Puerto Vallarta!
More on Puerto Vallarta
We’ve visited Puerto Vallarta for extended trips on two different occasions. Our first time in Puerto Vallarta was for six weeks in June / July (during the off season), and the second time was eight weeks in January, February, and March – during the high season.
Our time in Puerto Vallarta led to a lot of research and experiences in the city that we’re sharing. Check out more of our Puerto Vallarta resources below.
READ MORE | Finding the Best Traditional Tacos in Puerto Vallarta
LEARN MORE | Is Puerto Vallarta Safe + 10 Scams To Avoid
MORE PUERTO VALLARTA BEACHES | Playa Amapas | a beach near Conchas Chinas
EXPLORE MORE | Puerto Vallarta Excursions | the best ones + questions to ask when booking
PUERTO VALLARTA RESOURCE | Our Puerto Valllarta Travel Guide | all our PV posts on one page
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