South Shore
Costa Alegre
South Shore
Conchas Chinas / Amapas
Downtown South
Downtown North
Hotel Zone
Marina Vallarta
Pitillal / Univa
Ixtapa / Valley
Nuevo Vallarta / Flamingos
Bucerias / La Cruz
North shore / Punta de Mita
Litibu / Riviera Nayarit
South Shore
Also known as the Southern Zone, the South Shore has some of the most dramatic terrain of the Bay of Banderas with it’s tropical lush green mountains plunging steeply into the crystal clear Pacific Ocean waters. This stretch of coast has rocky points, small protected beaches & coves and breathtaking views of the entire bay. The coastline has vestiges of the sets not only of “The Night of the Iguana” but also the jungle sets of the Predator movies of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Driving south from downtown (and past Conchas Chinas) you will pass Punta Negra, El Nogalito, Garza Blanca before arriving at Los Arcos National Marine Park, a stunning natural rock formation popular with scuba and snorkel divers. Just past Los Arcos is the small bayside village of Mismaloya where John Hudson directed the motion picture “The Night of the Iguana” which has ever since changed the future of this once sleepy fishing region. Past Mismaloya is the last village accessible by car in the southern region of the Bay of Banderas, Boca de Tomatlan. This authentic fishing village is a great place to relax and enjoy the beaches, mountains and food.
Past Boca de Tomatlan the costal road ends and heads south towards the Costa Alegre. This doesn’t mean that there is nothing else to explore past Boca. A series of beaches and small indigenous villages can be accessed by water taxi or pangas. These depart from either Boca de Tomatlan or the pier at Playa Los Muertos in Downtown. The most popular beaches and villages to visit by water taxi are Las Animas, Quimixto and Yelapa, where you will find small beach restaurants, pristine calm beaches, horse-back rides and fresh-water mountain waterfalls.
The costal area past Boca de Tomatlan is classified as protected Indigenous land meaning that land or property cannot be purchased or acquired by non-indigenous people (Mexican or foreign).
Due to the difficult terrain along the South Shore Real Estate tends to be low density residences, houses or condos. There are no town-house or gated community developments like in the Northern part of the bay.
PROs :
– Breathtaking views of the Bay
– Tropical lush green mountains
– Return on investment
– Rental opportunity
– Tranqil
CONs :
– 1 lane highway can be dangerous
– Distance from airport (over 45 minutes)
– Steep roads or many steps to access many properties
– High prices
– In general properties are older, requiring higher maintenance