Surfing enthusiasts can find plenty of action in the Puerto Vallarta region. The best surfing conditions customarily occur during the late summer–early fall, when Pacific hurricanes sometimes drive huge swells ashore at many favorite spots along the coast.

The most renowned surfing spot is Playa Matanchén, near San Blas, world famous for very long runs.

Surfers know many other good local spots, north and south of Puerto Vallarta: On the Bay of Banderas’s north shore, Punta el Burro and El Faro (good intermediate and advanced breaks, at Punta Mita, near the lighthouse, Accion Tropical surfing lessons, tel. 329/291-6633); on the Nayarit Coast, Sayulita, Playa el Naranjo (beginning and intermediate, Luna Azul surfing lessons, tel. 329/291-2009), and Matanchén. On the Bay of Banderas’s south shore, try Boca de Tomatlán and Quimixto for intermediate breaks.

On the Jalisco Coast, go to Ipala and Las Peñitas (intermediate to advanced, on the Cabo Corrientes coast south of Tehualmixtle), Playa el Tecuán, Playa la Manzanilla (intermediate to advanced breaks), and Barra de Navidad (beginning and intermediate, at the jetty).