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Playa Camarones in Puerto Vallarta is a popular beach in the 5 de Diciembre area. Translated into English, Playa Camarones literally means Shrimp Beach, and that’s just what you’ll find there!
But don’t worry, it’s not like the beach is covered in shrimp.. vendors walking up and down Playa Camarones are selling shrimp on a stick! And yes, you can get it at all hours of the day!
This popular beach in Puerto Vallarta right off the Malecon is good for not just getting shrimp on a stick, but it’s also hands down the busiest beach in the centro area of Puerto Vallarta, offering beach clubs, beachside restaurants, tours, and more.
Our Experience At Playa Camarones Puerto Vallarta
While typically a super busy beach like this isn’t so much our thing, we actually found ourselves going to Playa Camarones on many evenings while living in Puerto Vallarta. We stayed just up the hill from Playa Camarones, so it was the easiest beach to walk to for sunset or relaxing beach time.
Every time we visited Playa Camarones, we had multiple vendors trying to sell us things, but we found that just simply saying, “No, gracias” the vendors would keep walking on by and not push a sell onto us more.
In our fourteen weeks in Puerto Vallarta, there was only one vendor at Playa Camerones that was a bit aggressive and mad we didn’t want to purchase anything…. But that was definitely an anomaly, and literally only happened one time!
Playa Camarones is the perfect beach in Puerto Vallarta for a quick beach escape right in the city. If you’re looking for more of a relaxed beach vibe without a lot of vendors and people, check out these beaches near Puerto Vallarta instead.
Playa Camarones Quick Facts
- Location | 20.618172, -105.232466
- Best For | quick beach trip in the city
- Beach Vibe | busy with lots of vendors
What Is Playa Camarones Puerto Vallarta?
Playa Camarones or Shrimp Beach in Puerto Vallarta is a popular tourist beach for both local tourist and those from other countries. It’s a long stretch of beach in the 5 de Diciembre area where you’ll find people working out, beach volleyball courts, and lots of chair and umbrella rentals!
While lifeguards are hit and miss at Playa Camarones, it’s a great beach for swimming, and you nearly always will find people enjoying the water here!
Where Is Playa Camarones?
Located in the 5 de Diciembre area of Puerto Vallarta, the exact coordinates for Playa Camarones are, 20.618172, -105.232466.
This is a long stretch of beach that starts almost at the north end of the Malecon and stretches to the hotel zone.
Best Hotels Near Playa Camarones
The Paramar Beachfront Boutique Hotel | Oceanview suites and rooms with pool and breakfast | Check availability here
Hotel Suites Nadia Puerto Vallarta | Oceanview rooms and a rooftop pool | Check current prices here
Casa Carmen | Entire villa for up to 25 people | Book your stay here
How Do I Get To Playa Camarones?
Getting To Playa Camarones By Foot
When walking from the Malecon on the main one-way road that runs through Puerto Vallarta, almost all the side streets leading to the beach will lead you to Playa Camarones.
At the north end of the Malecon near Hotel Rosita, follow the path towards the art installment on the corner of a built-up rock area. At this point, the path continues around the edge of the hotel, and then you’ll see Playa Camarones directly in front of you. It’s hard to miss!
Getting To Playa Camarones By Car
Accessing Playa Camarones by car, there are a lot of roadside parking spaces all along Paraguay. This is the street between the beach and the main highway through Puerto Vallarta.
There are also a handful of spaces on each of the little short streets leading directly to the beach. These parking spaces are literally just a few steps off the shoreline!
Getting to Playa Camarones By Bus
Taking the bus to 5 de Diciembre and getting off anywhere near Ley, you’ll find rather easy access to Playa Camarones. There are multiple bus stops in that general area, but the best is probably the one right outside of Ley. From there, walk to the front doors of Ley and then continue towards the beach.
Map Of Playa Camarones in Puerto Vallarta
Is Playa Camarones Worth It?
Yes and no. Playa Camarones is the perfect beach in Puerto Vallarta if you’re short on time and just want to head to the beach for a couple of hours or for sunset. Like we mentioned above, we hung out at Playa Camarones a lot for just a quick beer at the beach for sunset while living in Puerto Vallarta.
With that said, Playa Camarones is not the beach I would choose to visit if I was planning a full day at the beach. Instead, I would choose one of these beaches near Puerto Vallarta or Playa Flamingo, a more local tourist, less vendor-style beach in Puerto Vallarta.
Mango’s Beach Club is a super popular beach club on Playa Camarones that has some really great lounge chairs and was always busy when we went by.
What Should I Pack For A Playa Camarones Beach Day?
For a day at Playa Camarones, we suggest packing lots of snacks and drinks! If you don’t have a little cooler to keep your drinks cold, you can pop into the nearby OXXO to get ice-cold drinks at a great price when you need a new one! We particularly like getting a big Pacifico to share!
You’ll also want to bring some cash if you’re looking to rent a chair and umbrella from one of the vendors or are hoping to buy food like shrimp and oysters from the people walking the beach.
Other than cash and snacks — we recommend the following..
Staying Safe At Playa Camarones
Lifeguards
It’s pretty hit and miss with lifeguards at beaches in general in Puerto Vallarta. However, Playa Camarones is the beach we’ve seen lifeguards at the most.
There are a few lifeguards who run up and down the beach on quads and sometimes there will be a tent set up with lifeguards hanging out there. They are more present during busier times.
Flag Warnings
There are a couple of flags on Playa Camarones, however, they aren’t very frequent and they’re kind of hard to find. If you look near the restaurants you’ll sometimes see a flag flying.
These flags are in place to warn visitors of when the water isn’t safe to get into. A purple flag means there’s some kind of dangerous wildlife or bacteria in the water. Red means the water is dangerous because of rip currents or other intense water variables, and orange is there as a just warning for harsh conditions.. but honestly, sometimes I wouldn’t even get in with the orange flags flying.
There were times where the flags truly didn’t match the way the water looked, so just use common sense here. If it’s calm, go ahead and get in it. If the water is super dirty or a lot of white water, I would avoid it because this likely means the water under the surface is super swift.
Keeping Your Belongings Safe
I never felt like it would be a wise idea to leave our stuff behind at the beach while we both got in the water. Instead, either keep your valuables at your accommodation on your beach day, or make sure someone is with it or watching it when you get into the water.
You can get things like this to store your money secretly in a bag if you’re bringing cash to the beach.
If you’re with your stuff, don’t worry about it getting taken. We regularly had our camera with us and out on display when we were at the beach, but we would never leave it behind or even where someone could walk by and snag it while we were sitting there.
Playa Camarones Puerto Vallarta FAQs
Can I swim at Playa Camarones?
Yes, you can swim here. Lots of people are in the water, making it feel like a much safer beach in Puerto Vallarta to swim at. There are often lifeguards and warning flags flying to tell you if the water is safe.
We’ve also seen a lot of people free swim here for a workout and even get in the water with paddle boards straight from the shore.
Is there snorkeling at Playa Camarones?
There isn’t any epic snorkeling here as there’s no reef or rocks for the fish to hang around. But we still would go out with our goggles and occasionally see a fish or two in the water.
Is there shade at Playa Camarones in Puerto Vallarta?
No. There is no shade at this beach, however, there is some shade in the sections that the road leads to the beach.
With that said, there are many people renting shade in the form of umbrellas that you can rent for the day.
Is it hard to get to Playa Camarones?
No. This beach has many access points along the road, and most of them have ramps leading down from the road to the sand.
Are there food and drinks offered at Playa Camarones?
Yes! You can purchase any and all types of food along Playa Camarones, and you can even get mixed drinks delivered to you at the beach. There are multiple vendors and people running back and forth from the restaurants nearby offering food and drinks to visitors.
There are also vendors that walk the beach selling things like oysters and shrimp on a stick. Be careful with seafood on a hot day, as it’s not always kept on ice.
Food Nearby | Check out these awesome traditional street tacos nearby!
Fish Tacos Nearby | These are the best fish tacos in PV! Trust us, we’ve had a lot!
Are there bathrooms at Playa Camarones?
No, there are no public bathrooms on the beach, however, you can use the bathroom at Ley nearby for free. These bathrooms are typically pretty gross and often out of toilet paper and soap, so be sure to bring your own.
What Makes Playa Camarones Puerto Vallarta So Great?
The easy accessibility to Playa Camarones from a lot of the accommodations both in the Hotel Zone and 5 de Diciembre make this beach great. Easy access paired with the beach being really large allowing for a lot of people and beach space both for the public and the private accommodations and restaurants along the waterfront allow for a lot of people here without too much crowding.
You can also get everything you need at Playa Camarones, and have a literal grocery store just a few minutes away to get anything you may have forgotten (and to use the bathroom for free).
Again, we wouldn’t recommend this beach for an entire day at the beach, instead, we would suggest beaches near Puerto Vallarta, however, Playa Camarones was our go-to beach for times we just wanted to spend a couple hours at the beach.. it truly is great for that!
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 Vallarta Travel Guide | all our PV posts on one page
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