Areas · Puerto Vallarta
South Shore (Costa Sur) real estate
The coast south of Puerto Vallarta, where the slopes of the Sierra Madre reach the sea and the views of the bay are the widest in the entire area.
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The hillside coast between the sierra and the Pacific
The South Shore runs from Conchas Chinas, at the southern edge of Puerto Vallarta, down the coastal highway to Boca de Tomatlán, where the sierra closes in over the sea and the road turns inland. It is the part of Puerto Vallarta that most resembles what the region looked like before large scale development: a rugged coastline with small beaches, dense vegetation, and private communities built into the hillsides with views across the entire bay. If your image of Mexico's Pacific coast is jungle covered mountains meeting the water, this is that stretch of the bay.
The zone has neither the urban fabric of downtown nor the master planned layout of Nuevo Vallarta. What it has is topography: hillside lots, 180 degree views of the Pacific, natural privacy, and a setting that cannot be replicated anywhere else in the bay. Developments here are mostly gated communities with full amenities, designed for buyers who put the view, the quiet, and distance from urban noise first.
Inventory ranges from condos in established complexes such as Garza Blanca and Sierra del Mar to private villas with their own pools in the hills above Mismaloya. It is an upper mid range to high end market with little entry level supply, and buyers tend to arrive with a clear idea of what they want: they choose the South Shore for what it offers that no other part of the bay can match.
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South Shore in Banderas Bay
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South Shore
South Shore
South ShoreLifestyle
Life in South Shore
Beaches and nature
The beaches of the South Shore are smaller and more intimate than those on the north side of the bay. Conchas Chinas, Playa Gemelas, Mismaloya, and the coves around Boca de Tomatlán have calm water and lighter crowds. From Boca de Tomatlán, water taxis leave for Las Ánimas, Quimixto, and Yelapa, the remote beaches farther down the southern coast.
Quiet and privacy
Most developments on the South Shore are gated communities with controlled access. The scale is smaller than Nuevo Vallarta, and the atmosphere is deliberately calm. Downtown Puerto Vallarta is ten to twenty minutes away by car depending on your starting point, close enough for errands and dinner, far enough that the city stays out of earshot.
Food and dining
Within the zone you will find hotel restaurants and a handful of independent places with ocean views. For a wider selection, downtown Puerto Vallarta is a reasonable drive away. Most residents settle into a rhythm that combines what the zone offers with regular trips into the city, and that tradeoff is part of choosing to live here.
Outdoor life
The hills and the water set the routine here: hiking in the Sierra Madre foothills, paddleboarding and kayaking in the coves, snorkeling on the reefs close to shore, and yoga on the terraces of the complexes. It is a zone for people who want an active rhythm at a distance from the urban bustle.
Where to live
Areas within South Shore
Conchas Chinas
The gateway to the south coast, with hillside homes and condos, direct views over the bay, and a reputation as one of the highest value submarkets on the entire South Shore. It sits just a few minutes by car from downtown Puerto Vallarta.
Amapas
The high hillside above the Romantic Zone, with newer condo towers and panoramic views of the Pacific. It sits on the line between the city's south side and the South Shore, and it concentrates some of the highest prices per square meter on the Jalisco side of the bay.
Garza Blanca
One of the most recognized complexes in the zone, with a hotel, branded residences, and resort amenities built in. It draws both second home buyers and vacation rental investors, and the integrated rental operation is part of the appeal for owners who spend much of the year abroad.
Mismaloya
The cove where The Night of the Iguana was filmed in the nineteen sixties, and the setting keeps that cinematic character today. A small beach, calm water, and surroundings more removed from development than the rest of the zone. The hills above the cove hold some of the South Shore's private villas.
Sierra del Mar
A gated hillside community with wide views of the bay, controlled access, and a mix of houses and condos. It is one of the most private settings on the South Shore, and it suits buyers who want the zone's seclusion in an established, managed community.
Boca de Tomatlán
The southernmost point of the zone, where the highway ends and access to the remote beaches of the southern coast begins. It has a local, everyday atmosphere, an active boat landing, and a scale entirely different from the rest of the South Shore.
The market
The South Shore real estate market
The South Shore is an upper mid range to high end market, dominated by condos in established complexes and private villas on the hillside. Land and entry level options are limited, so this is not where the bay's bargain hunters start. Buyers arrive with a clear profile: they put views, privacy, and the natural setting ahead of proximity to urban services, and they accept the drive that comes with it. Demand runs on two tracks, vacation rental investors drawn to the complexes with integrated rental programs, and second home buyers who want something different from the scale of Nuevo Vallarta. Both groups compete for a supply that stays structurally small.
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Who it is for
Is South Shore right for you?
For a second home
Gated communities, Pacific views, resort amenities, and real distance from urban noise, with downtown ten to twenty minutes away by car. This is the most common buyer profile on the South Shore.
For investing
The complexes with integrated rental programs offer a simpler entry into the vacation rental market, useful if you manage the property from abroad. Demand for ocean view properties on this stretch of coast is consistent.
For retirement
Quiet, a natural setting, beach access that feels private or close to it, and Puerto Vallarta about twenty minutes away when you need it. It is a balance many retirement buyers value over the busier options around the bay.
For those seeking nature
The sierra, the jungle, small beaches, and boat access to the remote southern coast from Boca de Tomatlán. The natural setting here has no equivalent in the more developed parts of the bay.
For those who want privacy
Controlled access, small scale communities, and a location that is not for everyone, which is part of the point. The topography of the South Shore delivers a level of privacy the flat coastline to the north cannot offer.
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What is worth knowing
Frequently asked questions