An introduction to Banderas Bay

The 32 mile crescent-shaped coastline of Banderas Bay (Bay of Flags) is also called Vallarta, bounded on the south by Cabo Corrientes and the north by Punta de Mita. The bay is divided between two states; Jalisco, where Puerto Vallarta is, and Nayarit, which starts just north of the international airport in the middle of the Ameca River bridge. In Jalisco, the jungle-covered Sierra Madre mountains casade into the sea creating interesting coves and intimate beaches, while in Nayarit the mountains are gentler, more rolling and further inland resulting in beaches that are deeper and longer.

The bay itself is Mexico’s largest and one of the world’s deepest, with recorded depths of more than 3,000 feet. It offers superb sport fishing for sailfish, marlin, tuna, mahi mahi and other game fish.  It is home to dolphins, manta rays and many more species and provides a breeding ground for humpback whales from November to March and sea turtles from June to December.

There are three world class marinas in the bay bringing cruisers and regattas and boat shows to add another dimension of interest to the area.

Homes in Banderas Bay

There is so much choice here. Homes come in many varieties: apartment condos, townhouse condos, houses, villas, lots and ranches. The areas to live in are diverse, ranging from mountain villages to beachfront condos to the downtown Puerto Vallarta scene to seaside towns.  Traditional Mexican, Spanish and modern contemporary architecture are all seen here and home decorating stores supporting these styles can be found everywhere.

Real estate is handled differently here than in the US and Canada. First, there is no requirement for agents to be licensed which is why it is important to use a professional real estate agent trained by AMPI, the Mexican real estate professional organization and not all agents have had that training. Otherwise, a buyer may give money for a property but may not actually have any legal rights to it.  In addition, this bay area falls in the restricted zone of Mexico and, for non-Mexicans, requires the sale to be completed through a bank trust which is a simple but necessary process. These are just two major differences to be aware of.  I invite you to browse through the links on the left of this page to read more about life in Banderas Bay and the real estate choices available here.

Teresa (Terry) Hutcheon

mailto:teresa@ergmex.com

www.yourmexicohome.com