Las Ánimas Beach
A unique “island” beach
Playa Las Ánimas de Quimixto (Las Animas de Quimixto Beach), more known as just “Las Animas”, is a beautiful beach in the southern zone of Puerto Vallarta. It is the first stop water taxis make (locally called “pangas”) on the way West in the southern section of the Banderas Bay.
Boca de Tomatlán is your best starting point to Las Animas, it is the last bay and town by the edge of the ocean that the Highway goes through on its way south to El Tuito, then to Barra de Navidad and Manzanillo.
Las Animas beach is a day tour favorite, there are many cruise trips in the bay that arrive here during the day. It’s the first beach 2 miles (3 km) from Boca (some 5-10 minutes away), right after Caballo Beach, the ride in the water taxi should be around 3 to 4 dollars per person per stretch.
The pier makes it much easier to get on and off the boats, and the beach is also a tourist beach-lover top choice. The sand is clear and fine, the waters clean, the waves soft and the surrounding nature astounding.
There is an assortment of small restaurants and vendors providing food and drink, some fortunate people also have permission to live in the area, that just as Las Caletas is also an Indian Ejido, administered by Indian communities in Chacala, a village in the mountains close to El Tuito, or at least it was known as one, it might have changed in the most recent decades, but we have not been informed.