Create whatever experience you want!

Only 20 minutes North of Puerto Vallarta, Bucerias (Boo-suh-rias) is nestled towards the North shore of Banderas Bay (Bahía de Banderas). Once considered a fishing village, it has become a home & favorite vacation spot to many that like the slighter, quieter side of life. It is known for it’s slower pace yet has all the amenities that one needs to get away, get spoiled or simply be part of the local culture. Bucerias’ 5-mile stretch of soft sandy beaches, cobblestone streets and heartwarming charm give you the feel of simpler times.  Some say (with a bit of nostalgia) that Puerto Vallarta was like this some 40 years ago.

If you are looking for local crafts, there is a charming small open air market nestled in the heart of town (Bucerias Centro - follow the street sign above). 

Describe the town

Our roads, many hand built - stone by stone! Its amazing to see, it carries the old world feel. You walk on it and realize "this was built by hand". You know you are experiencing Mexico when you see the town and how it was built.

What’s in a name?

The town is named primarily because most of the activities were related to ‘diving’ (buceo).  From (buceo) derives the name Bucerias since the majority of the inhabitants were traditional oyster fishermen of the region, who dove for their catches to the depths of the ocean with only their instruments in hand.

Day to day living

Some means of living come from construction, tourism, fishing, corn/bean farming, hunting and cattle raising, right down to taco stand operating.  

The locals work so hard, most of them 6 long days a week, yet they always seem happy!  You can always count on them to share what they have or know.  One can easily get the sense they are glad you are here.  Once you understand and appreciate their way of life – you can’t help but wonder why we focus on the things we do back home.  It all seems so trivial.  Their take on life is simple: family life, hard work and play. 

Bay of Banderas

This 100-km horseshoe-shaped coastline of Banderas Bay (Bahía de Banderas) is divided between two states – Jalisco and Nayarit. Approximately 10 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta (State of Jalisco) is the Ameca River Bridge, this river splits the 2 states.

Bucerias, on the other side of that river is in the State of Nayarit.

Take note that these states are on different time zones.  The State of Jalisco is on Central Time, but the neighboring State of Nayarit (Bucerias, Nuevo Vallarta, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, and Punta Mita) is on Mountain Time.  Some businesses in Bucerias function on Central time to accommodate tourists to the Bay so you might want to double check if you’re making any special arrangements.

The bay itself is Mexico’s largest and one of the world’s deepest, with recorded depths of more than 3,000 feet. Offering superb sport fishing for sailfish, marlin, tuna and other game fish, its home to dolphins, manta rays and even little seahorses.

Seasonal peaks of interest

The Islas Marietas

Only 20 minutes by boat is full of underwater caves, reefs and neat tunnels. It is also home to the Blue Footed Booby and great snorkeling.  On the way there you will likely encounter dolphins, whales, sea turtles, manta rays, sea snakes and jumping fish. You can get there by hiring a boat – it’s a great excursion! 

Local things you will see:

Everything around seems teaming with life.  The Iquana's are fun to watch and come in every sort of color and size.  The sunsets of course are incredible making every evening a treat.  Boogie boarding, surfing nearby, dolphins and lots of variety of interesting bugs too!

Staying here

Living here