Playa Caballo
Playa Caballo
About Playa Caballo, Jalisco, Mexico
Playa Caballo (Horse Beach) is situated south of the popular vacation destination known as Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It is one of the most beautiful and pristine beaches in the Mexican state of Jalisco and is somewhat isolated, in a good way. The beach can only be reached via water taxi or by taking the arduous, but exciting coastal hiking trail. The trail leads hikers through the jungle and gives them the opportunity to stop at several epic attractions along the way.
The trail to the beach begins in the picturesque seaside village of Boca de Tomatlan and takes you through the forest along the spectacular coast of the Bay of Banderas. Along the way, you will be able to visit several famous locations like Playa Colomitos, Playa Madagascar (Playa Hacamiya), and Playa Escondida. If you continue on the trail past Playa Caballo you will shortly come to Playa Las Animas, which is a lovely seaside village and resort area with no road access.
The beach is near-perfect and boasts golden sand and crystal clear jade-colored water. The waves at Playa Caballo are typically fairly strong and if you desire some calm swimming conditions then you may want to head over to Las Animas, where the waves tend to be much calmer. That being said Las Animas is also pretty popular and can get quite busy, so if you’re after more seclusion and privacy then Playa Caballo is the place. The beach also features several vendors offering lounger and umbrella rentals as well as drinks and food. There is also a restaurant called Casitas Maraiko which has an excellent view and cool beachfront ambiance and offers accommodations for rental.
Playa Caballo YouTube Video
How to Get to Playa Caballo
There are only two ways to get to Playa Caballo and that is to hike, as we mentioned earlier, or take a water taxi. You will be able to catch a water taxi from the dock at Playa Los Muertos in Puerto Vallarta, or from the village of Boca de Tomatlan. You will typically exit the boat at Playa Las Animas and then walk north to get to Playa Caballo. You will need to walk through a short jungle trail past the gorgeous Hotelito Mío and down to get to Playa Caballo. You can also hike to Playa Caballo and then when you’re ready you can take the water taxi back to Boca de Tomatlan from Playa Las Animas.