Follow the signed Lo de Marcos turnoff 31 miles (49 km) north of the Puerto Vallarta airport (or 8 mi/13 km south of Rincón de Guayabitos). Continue about a mile through the town to the long, sandy beach, dotted with a baker’s dozen of seafood palapa restaurants.

Playa Lo de Marcos is popular with Mexican families; on Sunday and holidays they dig into the fine golden sand and frolic in the gentle, rolling waves. The surf of the nearly level, very wide Playa Lo de Marcos is good for all aquatic sports except surfing.

The south end has a rocky tidepool shelf, fine for bait-casting. During the clear-water late fall–winter season, scuba divers and snorkelers rent boats and head to pristine offshore Isla Islote.

Continuing south along the Lo de Marcos beach road past the trailer parks, you will soon come to two small sandy beaches, Playa las Miñitas and Playa el Venado. Both of these pretty, rock-enfolded strands, especially El Venado, are likely to be crowded weekends, but mostly empty mid-week, with lots of empty palapas, ripe for a tent. Even if for a day, bring your swimsuit, picnic lunch, and snorkeling gear.