Today I walked on the beach all morning in the hotel zone of Puerto Vallarta. I covered a large area, from Playa Tranquila at the most southern end to Playa do Oro just shy of the Maritime cruise ship terminal. This first post will show photo’s of Playa Tranquila & Las Glorias in PV.
Keep in mind that these beaches in Puerto Vallarta can change drastically over just a few weeks. I have seen the beaches further south, around the pier, transform from complete sand to almost exclusively rock. It all depends on the tide and what mother nature decides to deposit on any given cycle.
Playa Tranquila
In all the years I have been visiting Puerto Vallarta, I had yet to walk the beaches in the hotel zone. This area is not known for great beaches, so I was never very curious about them. However, today was the day for a big beach walk!
Playa Tranquila is at the most southern end of the hotel zone. I will come right out and say that this stretch of beach is the worst in the zone. The sand is really course, boarding on pebbly. The beach is narrow and has rocky cairns built out into the water at frequent intervals. These were probably built in an attempt to disperse the strong wave action along this stretch of coastline.
Tranquila looking South
Tranquila looking North
Hotels had set up any loungers close to their establishments, not close to the water. Big hotels in this area are Costa Club and the Sheratons.
Playa Las Glorias
Just north of Tranquila is Playa Las Glorias. This stretch of beach was marginally nicer than its neighbour to the south. The sand was slightly less course with fewer rocky patches. The beach was a little wider but not by much and the waves were fairly aggressive. The sand here is a rich darker brown/grey colour. The thought that crossed my mind at the time, was that this looks like quintessential Pacific Ocean sand.
Las Glorias looking South
Las Glorias looking North
Again, I did not see any of the hotels setting up any beach loungers towards the water on this stretch. Big hotels here are Secrets, Now Amber, Canto del Sol, Sunset Plaza and the Pelicanos. This is not to say that these resorts don’t have a private sandy area closer to the hotel and away from the water.
There is a massive high rise being built on this beach, that is an absolute eyesore. It is directly beside Secrets and so much taller than any other place near by. I cannot image what the guests at Secrets Resort hotel are experiencing from the construction noise coming from this place.
Sunset Plaza is also expanding. The photo below is from the beach looking towards the hotel. There are two new wings under construction on the southern side.
The next post will cover the beaches closer to the Maritime Terminal. I will mention that I did not have any trouble walking this entire stretch along the beach itself. It was a long but beautiful and fun walk to do earlier in the day when the temperatures aren’t too hot.
