Bucerias Voyage Tips and guide

Bucerías (Divers town) is a popular beach town in Nayarit, on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. Bucerias is on the coast of Bahia de Banderas, about 18 km (11 mi) northwest of the Puerto Vallarta airport. It features cobblestone streets, a main square, a wide array of restaurants, and a white sand beach that stretches uninterrupted for more than 29 km (18 mi).

Once a quaint fishing village where divers collected shells and pearls, Bucerías has become a tourist town of 16,000 people (2020), which doubles during the winter high season. The wave of all-inclusive hotels that starts in Nuevo Nayarit becomes more subdued here, as buildings become smaller and the units are mostly in condominium, rather than hotel style.

The Carretera Pacifico (Fed Hwy 200) is the main road between Puerto Vallarta and Tepic; it links most coastal areas and crosses Bucerias.

Gustavo Diaz Ordaz International Airport (PVR ^IATA) in Puerto Vallarta is the closest commercial airport. Buses and taxis are available at the airport.

Surrounding areas such as Puerto Vallarta, Nuevo Nayarit and Sayulita offer taxi service to Bucerias. Make sure you negotiate a price before you leave.

From the airport, purchase a taxi voucher near the exit.

The region is covered by Uber.

Buses regularly run along Hwy 200. You can take any bus with "Bucerias" painted on the front window. Buses marked "La Cruz", "Punta Mita" or "Sayulita" will pass through Bucerias.

From the airport, go to the highway, cross over the elevated walkway and take any bus or van with “Bucerias” on the window. The fare is M$22 (Jan 2026), drivers can make small change.

From Puerto Vallarta, take a bus with Bucerias painted on it. The fare is M$22 (Jan 2026), drivers can make small change. Buses leave from two major stops, both of which are north of Centro; from there, it's easiest to take an additional city bus signed for "Walmart" for M$10.

• 20.63338-105.229611 Las Glorias Bus Stop
• 20.656319-105.2397372 Walmart Bus Stop (near the marina). From the bus stop walk 100m in driving direction to the bus shelters.

When you pass the Mega department store on the outskirts of Bucerias (on the right-hand side), start watching for your stop, and move toward the bus exit.

The beach is walkable between Nuevo Nayarit and Bucerias. There is also a bike path from Flamingos/RIU to Zona Dorada via Av. Lázaro Cárdenas.

20°45′19″N 105°20′4″W

Map of Bucerias

The tourism district is the two-block by twelve-block area between the beach and MEX-200. (The highway is also shown on maps and in street addresses as Blvd. Rivera Nayarit and as Av. Heroes de Nacozari.)

The center of the village can be easily explored on foot. A meandering city street in an arroyo that acts as a drain for rainwater bisects the town into the eastern Zona Dorada with the beach lined mostly with hotels and condos and the western El Centro with mostly restaurants lining the beach. The two zones are joined across the arroyo by the 20.75541-105.338953 Puente del Beso (Kissing Bridge) foot bridge.

Within Bucerias you can use the regional buses along the highway for M$10 (Nov 2021). They offer you change. Buses are so frequent that you don't need to take the microbuses. Instead wait up to one minute more and take the normal buses.

A taxi within Bucerias costs M$60 (Nov 2021).

• 20.75658-105.340541 Plaza Bucerías (Central Park).  (updated Feb 2026)
• 20.75613-105.341012 El Buzo Statue (The Diver), Av Pacífico s/n. Statue of an oyster diver, the namesake of the town and once the principal industry.  (updated Feb 2026)

• Thursday evening art walk
• 20.75476-105.338141 My Mexican Kitchen Cooking School, Av. Lazaro Cardenas #11 (70 m south of Puente de Besos), ☏ +52 322-116-4493, [email protected]. M-Sa 18:00-21:00, closed Sundays. Hands-on cooking classes in small groups. Reservations and deposits required. US$65-85/lesson, for two people=US$110-150/lesson (Nov 2018).  
• 20.75504-105.336982 TUNA Plastic Arts — Art Classes (Clases de dibujo, pinturas y encultura), Francisco I Madero 30. Las Palmas, ☏ +52 492 492-8614, [email protected]. Monday & Wednesday, 10:00-13:00 & 17:00-20:00. drawing, painting (various media) and sculpture. Beginners through advanced. M$300/lesson or M$2,000/month (Nov 2018).  

• Fiestas Patronales de Bucerías (Patron Saint Festival). Jan 16-24. Nine days of festivities in honor of La Virgen de la Paz (Our Lady Peace), the patron saint of the town church. Streets surrounding the central plaza fill with music, vendors and carnival rides. On the last day is the Blessing of the Boats, when decorated fishing boats leave from La Cruz de Huanacaxtle around 11:00 and sail across the bay. (updated Feb 2026)

Cash is still king in Bucerias. Even among businesses near the touristy beachfront, some do not take cards at all, and some give favorable cash rates. There are ATMs throughout the village.

• BanBajio is on the highway.
• BanCoppel is inside the Chedraui supermarket.

There are several banks along MX-200 Highway in tourism center. Major banks include:

• HSBC & Santander across MX-200 from CMQ Hospital
• BBVA Bancomer across MX-200 from Chedraui Market
• Scotiabank at Mega Center, one mile (1.4 km) south

• 20.75575-105.339941 Bucerias Flea Market (NW of Kissing Bridge). An extensive artisan market  (updated Feb 2026)

• 20.75074-105.325042 Chedraui (SE on MEX-200, at Calle Las Palmas). Big supermarket and general merchandise center that you don't need to leave the village for.  (updated Feb 2026)
• 20.74822-105.312243 MEGA Soriana (1.5 km (0.93 mi) SE on MEX-200). Large supermarket and general merchandise.  (updated Feb 2026)
• 20.74735-105.310174 La Comer (1.5 km (0.93 mi) SE on MEX-200). Upscale supermarket  (updated Feb 2026)

If you're looking for traditional Mexican cuisine, this is not an easy place to find it. The restaurant menus are calibrated to feel familiar to elderly Canadians and Americans from frigid plains states, and to not exceed any of their spice tolerances.

That said, the seafood is fresh off the boat and does not need much else to stand out. There's also quite a bit of upscale international cuisine.

If you cross the highway into the residential part of town, you can eat somewhere with less tourists and more locals around. There are traditional eateries along the streets Estaciones and Ignacio Zaragoza:

• 20.755678-105.3295781 Grilled chicken stall. It's run by a friendly older woman. Included is red rice and a tasty salad. The somewhat spicy sauce fits very good to the whole dish. With a quarter chicken it's for M$80, with two chicken legs for M$60. It's open at lunch time.  (updated Nov 2021)
• 20.75767-105.337682 Cenaduría Los Primos. With a small pozole for M$50, a big one for M$70, enchiladas for M$50, quesadillas, tostadas, tacos and volcanoes.  (updated Nov 2021)
• 20.757779-105.3374583 Street food stall. Daily 19-22:30. Owned by an older Mexican couple. They serve tasty enchiladas, sopes and tamales for M$15-18 each.  (updated Nov 2021)

Near Hwy 200:

• 20.751683-105.3265044 Santo Pollote Rosticerias. You get a quarter of a whole chicken with potatoes, red rice, tortillas and a spicy sauce for M$59 (Nov 2021). The chicken is grilled dark brown and not black. It's open daily from 11:00 and can run out of chicken at 17:00 already.  
• 20.751262-105.3257455 O'Sabor (inside the Oxxo near the Chedraui). Daily 8:00 to 15:00. A fast food chain. They serve for example tacos from M$15 and taco size quesadillas from M$17.  (updated Nov 2021)
• 20.751732-105.3235036 Loncheria Paz Bucerias. Monday to Saturday 8:00-15:30. A local simple restaurant with tasty dishes.  

On the other side of the arroyo, closer to the plaza, there are many beach front dining options.

• 20.76165-105.352477 Larry's Oysters. Th-Tu 12-18:30. Fish street food at the beach. Food includes fish tostadas. from M$30.  (updated Nov 2021)
• 20.75337-105.334858 El Rincón de Ensenada, Benito Juárez 2. A small place serving high quality Baja-style fried fish tacos and ceviche.  (updated Mar 2026)

There are higher-end restaurants in La Zona Dorada.

All of the beachside restaurants have full bars. Beer and sodas to go can be purchased at Oxxo or any small snack bar.

• 20.75723-105.341091 Voodoo Monkey Tiki Bar, Av México 50-loc# 4, Centro. A fun place with a wide range of cocktails, obviously including fruity rum-based drinks with paper parasols and fruit on a plastic sword  

• 20.751751-105.3267931 Hostal Bucerias. With air conditioning, comfy beds, breakfast included and 7min walking to the beach. Dorms weekdays for M$200, on week-ends M$220 (Nov 2021). A private room for one person is M$400, for two persons M$460 (Nov 2021).  
• 20.752226-105.3268122 Hostal Cactus. With air conditioning, private bathrooms and a hotel pool. The reception is open 24hours. The double room is from M$550 (Nov 2021).  
• 20.75408-105.3305563 Hotel Loya. with air conditioning and private bathroom. It's near the center and local restaurants. A double room costs M$500 (Nov 2021).  

• 20.752186-105.3319254 Casa Rainbow, Calle Francisco Madero #84, ☏ +52 408-462-1696. Gorgeous three-story villa designed in traditional Mexican style. Downstairs studio rentable separately or together with the rest of the house. Sleeps 8 in all.  
• 20.745188-105.42615 Fairmont Rancho Banderas, Carretera A Playa Destiladeras Km.8.3, ☏ +52 329 291 7000. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. On Playa Destiladeras, which is renowned for its soft white sand and clear waters.  
• 20.753327-105.3335846 La Posada de Bucerias, Calle Francisco Madero #59, ☏ +52 329-298-1507. Boutique hotel featuring a stylish and warm atmosphere in a peaceful and relaxing tropical atmosphere.  

• 20.75316-105.331151 CMQ Hospital, No. 280 (corner of MX-200 (south side) and Calle Javier Mina), ☏ +52 329 298-0717 (for both front desk and ambulances). 24 hours. Hospital with ambulance service and emergency room. Associated medical tower with specialists’ offices across street.  

• 20.75658-105.33895 Post Office (Correos de Mexico) (south side of MEX-200 about a block west of arroyo; white door set back from sidewalk). Fed Ex, DHL and other courier services directly across the highway. (Dec 2018).  

Coastal Nayarit is littered with small beach communities with casual vibes, cold beer, and great sunsets. Drive or take a bus up and down the coast to experience one or a dozen of the different beach flavors.

You can enter and leave the regional buses where you like along the route, there are no actual bus stops.

• Punta Mita – 20 km
• Sayulita – 20 km. You can do hiking into the jungle. The water at the beach is shallow.
• San Francisco (Mexico) – 25 km. At a beach, surrounded by a jungle and notable for its floral diversity.
• Mazatlán – It is recommended to take a flight into and out of the city.

• Guadalajara – 310 km. You can take an intercity bus, go by carpooling or take a non-stop flight. From there further to San Luis Potosi, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende or Querétaro.

• Tepic – 150 km. It's the capital of Nayarit.

• Puerto Vallarta

Tepic ← Sayulita ←

N  S

→ Puerto Vallarta → Manzanillo