A QUIET PRIVILEGE
No beach in Mexico is private. The shoreline belongs to everyone.
But a shore with no road, no path, and no dock belongs — for a day — to whoever arrives by sea. That is the real privilege of a private charter in Puerto Vallarta: the bay's most beautiful sand is reserved not by ownership, but by access. Your vessel is the key.
THE PRIVATE ANCHORAGES
Our partner captains keep a short list of coves that appear in no brochure. We hold three of them off every page of this site — not because they are secret, but because a beach loses something the moment it is named. Each carries a Boat & Bay name of its own. The real ones, we share privately, once your date is held.
ANCHORAGE NORTH
The Saltwater Pool
A small cove framed by rock, where the water lies so still you could mistake it for a pool. Starfish on pale sand, visibility to the seabed, and — in season — humpbacks on the crossing. The vessel anchors just off the shore; the crew carries the day in.
CRUISING
~70 min
WATER
SUITS
Still, clear
Families · Snorkel
ANCHORAGE FAR SOUTH
The Far Shore
The farthest we sail, and the emptiest. On most days there is no one — no vendors, no paths, no signal worth mentioning. Privacy of a kind that has quietly disappeared from most of the world. The crew sets the shore, then leaves the day entirely to you.
CRUISING
COMPANY
SUITS
~2 hours
Usually none
Couples · Full days
ANCHORAGE SOUTH
The Quiet Cove
Turquoise water over rock, a ruin at the treeline, and — if the mood takes you — a ledge to leap from. Arrive before eleven and it is yours. While you swim, your crew can prepare fresh ceviche on the sand.
CRUISING
~90 min
ARRIVE BY
SUITS
11:00
Small groups
WHY THE NAMES STAY OFF THE PAGE
A beach with a famous name draws a crowd. A beach without one stays exactly as you hope to find it.
REACHING THE SAND
These coves have no dock. Most vessels anchor 70 to 120 meters off the shore — propellers and shallow sand do not mix. From there, three ways in, each prepared before you board.
By dinghy
The vessel's tender carries you and the day's provisions to the water's edge, a few guests at a time. Included on vessels we select for these itineraries.
By paddle
Paddleboards, and on some vessels kayaks, for those who prefer to arrive under their own quiet power. Tell us in advance and we confirm them aboard.
By swim
Ten to fifteen minutes of open water for confident swimmers, vest provided, crew watching. There is a particular satisfaction in reaching an empty beach this way.
The captain reads the sea and makes the final call. On a rough day, we choose another cove — there is always another cove.
THE SHORE TABLE
The beach is empty.
Your table is not.
For guests who want more than a towel on the sand, we set the shore before you step onto it — table, chairs, linens, a cooler carried in by dinghy. For occasions, something more composed: a full picnic service on a beach with no one else on it.
A cold drink handed to you on an empty shore is a small thing. It does not feel like one.
THE KNOWN COVES
The bay's better-known anchorages — Majahuitas, Colomitos, Quimixto, Las Gemelas — remain beautiful, and we sail to all of them. They are simply no longer secrets. If your day calls for a beach club, a waterfall walk, or lunch in Las Ánimas, we will compose it around them. If it calls for silence, you already know where to look.
WORTH KNOWING
NOTHING THERE, BY DESIGN
These shores have no restaurants, no vendors, no facilities. Your vessel carries everything the day needs — and everything returns with us. We leave each cove exactly as we found it.
SEASON
November through May brings the calmest seas, the clearest water, and humpback whales on the crossing. Summer is greener, wilder, and emptier still — a different kind of beautiful.
GIVE THE DAY ROOM
One cove, done properly, fills a day. Guests who book the minimum hours always wish they had not; leaving early is simple, staying late is not always possible. Book the day, not the math.
“I have watched guests go quiet when the engine cuts and there is nothing left to hear but water. That is the moment I am arranging, every time.”
OKSANA · FOUNDER, BOAT & BAY
BEFORE YOU ASK
Questions,
answered plainly
Are there private beaches in Puerto Vallarta?
Legally, no — every beach in Mexico is public. In practice, several coves in Bahía de Banderas have no road access at all (or the access is blocked by private villas or hotels), so on most days a private charter will find them empty. Arriving by sea is what makes them yours.
Why don't you name the hidden beaches?
Because named beaches stop being hidden. We share each anchorage — its name, its character, and whether it suits your group — privately, while designing your day.
How do we get from the yacht to the beach?
By dinghy, by paddleboard, or by a short swim with a vest, depending on the vessel, the sea, and your preference. Your partner captain makes the final call on conditions; safety is never negotiated.
Can you set up a picnic on the beach?
Yes. From a cooler and chairs to a fully set table with linens, carried ashore by dinghy and cleared without a trace. Tell us the occasion and we will compose the shore accordingly.
When is the best time for a hidden-beach charter?
November through May, when the Pacific is calmest and whales accompany the crossing. Summer charters run too — greener coastline, warmer water, and even fewer people.