Tomatlán

Church of St. James the Apostle

Tomatlán is a small town of about 9800 people (2020) in the Pacific coastal region of Jalisco, Mexico. The town is about 15 km inland from the ocean and several sparsely populated beaches within Tomatlan's municipality are considered part of Jalisco's Costalegre region. If you like wide sandy beaches where you won't see a human being for miles, the beaches of Tomatlan will be what you crave. The town itself is a quaint colonial town with a serene plaza facing the church of St. James the Apostle (Santiago Apostol). A large lake is nearby and the area has mountain woodlands that attract hikers and nature lovers. Tomatlán is one of Mexico's Pueblos Mágicos.

Understand

The people of Tomatlan mostly support the agricultural economy of the more than 100 small rural villages scattered throughout the municipality (county). Cattle, vegetable production, and fishing are common.

Although there are vestiges of people living in the area since ancient pre-Hispanic times, no significant settlement was built and there are no archaelogical sites in the area. The Spanish first arrived in 1537 and the Church of St. James the Apostle was built by Franciscan missionaries.

Get in

The nearest airports with commercial flights are Puerto Vallarta PVR ^IATA and Manzanillo Playa de Oro ZLO ^IATA. From those cities you can take a bus or drive your own car to Tomatlan. A new airport (Costalegre Airport) is under construction near Playa Chalacatepec. It is scheduled to open by the end of 2023 but is not expected to be served by any commercial flights.

By bus

Primera Plus and Autocamiones del Pacifico operate buses from Puerto Vallarta to Tomatlan several times daily (about every 4 hours). The 2-1/2 hour trip will cost about M$200 (Aug 2023).

• 1 Central de Autobuses Tomatlan (Bus station). 05:00 - 23:00. Bus station served by two lines: Autocamiones del Pacífico and Primera Plus. Four buses per day go to Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo, and two per day (3pm and 10pm) to Guadalajara. Small waiting area, but rest rooms are available and there are places to buy food and drink. 

By car

The Costalegre region is sparsely populated and lightly traveled by tourists. This makes it an ideal region for exploring by car. You can rent cars in either the Puerto Vallarta or Manzanillo airports. The coastal highway is MEX 200, which is an enjoyable scenic drive. It is 107 KM to Tomatlan from the PVR airport. From Manzanillo, it is 179 KM.

Get around

The downtown area is small and you can easily walk from the bus station to the zocalo and Centro area hotels and restaurants, but the attractions of the area are the beaches and the lake area, all of which are remote and best traveled to with a rental car (which also gives you room to bring stuff, especially food and water, which are not sold around the beaches or lake).

See

• 1 Parroquia Santiago Apostol (Church of St. James the Apostle), Tomás Gallegos 6, Centro. The town's main church is a colonial-era treasure built by the Franciscan missionaries dating back to the 16th century. Its stone walls are up to 1-1/2 meters thick and it has a barrel shaped vaulted ceiling and two bell towers, which visitors can climb (50 steps). 

Do

Beaches

Peñitas Beach, Tomatlán

Playa Chalacatepec

All of the beaches in the Tomatlan municipality are remote and undeveloped. There are no major roads directly to the beaches nor any large resort hotels. Taxis in the town of Tomatlan can take you to these beaches, though the route is likely to be rough dirt roads that are difficult to traverse. Be sure to make arrangements with the driver to pick you up at the end of the day because you won't find taxis just sitting around waiting for passengers and its a long walk back to town.

• Playa Peñitas (Peñitas Beach) - One of the largest and most popular of the Tomatlan beaches with long sandy stretches and rock formations. There are ancient petroglyphs here that testify to human presence in the area centuries (or millennia) ago. No restaurant, rest rooms, or other facilities. Camping is allowed.
• Playa Peñitas de Acosta (Campo Acosta) - Wide, long sandy beach with relatively calm waters, suitable for swimming. Camping is allowed on the beach. No restaurants or facilities.
• Playa Chalacatepec - Beautiful white sand beach punctuated by rock formations with grassy dunes and marshes. The area is home for a number of marine bird species and other wildlife. The beach is a sea turtle nesting area and conservationists and wildlife authorities have a station on the beach to protect turtle eggs from poachers.
• Playa Majahuas - There are strong waves off Majahuas and the beach is known for its rough surf. It is very popular for sport fishing and attracts many campers during Semana Santa (Easter vacation).
• El Chorro (La Gloria) - Beach with fairly rough surf, but good conditions for sport fishing.

Lake

• Cajón de Peña, Tomatlan. The largest lake in Jalisco was created by a fortress-like dam built in 1976. The lake is secluded, but cabins are available for rent and it's a good spot for sport fishing, water skiing, and jet skis. 

Eat

• 1 Mariscos Los Compadres, C. Galeana, ☏ +52 322 190 1086. Casual seafood restaurant with an open-air palapa style dining room. The zarandeado and the coconut shrimp are recommended. M$200. (updated Aug 2023)
• 2 Las Cotillas, Constitucion 175, Centro, ☏ +52 3221524176. 07:00 - 15:00. Traditional regional Mexican cuisine with excellent birria and hand-made tortillas. Open air riverfront dining room. (updated Aug 2023)
• 3 Mariscos Doña Caro, Aldama, Centro. 11:00 - 19:00. Casual seafood restaurant in the downtown area, fish and shrimp prepared however you like, but if you want to try something unusual, a house specialty is deviled octopus with garlic. M$250. (updated Aug 2023)

Sleep

• 1 Hotel Hacienda Vieja, C. Galeana 340, Colonia las Delicias, ☏ +52 322 298 5222. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Moderate hotel with clean, comfortable rooms that have TV and air conditioning. Off-street parking and on-site bar and restaurant. (updated Aug 2023)
• 2 Hotel Mision San Miguel, C. Galeana 52, Centro, ☏ +52 322 298 5522. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Moderate hotel with clean, comfortable rooms. On-site pool and good restaurant on site. Parking is about 2 blocks away. (updated Aug 2023)
• 3 Hotel Ludys, Carretera Tomatlan, km 1.5, ☏ +52 322 298 7232. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Modern hotel with a/c and comfortable rooms. Off-street parking. (updated Aug 2023)

Go next

• Puerto Vallarta
• Manzanillo
• La Manzanilla
• Barra de Navidad