Secluded Corrales Bay Resort Reached by Boat From Puerto Vallarta

Imagine landing at a major international airport, taking a short ride to the marina, then being on your way by boat to a secluded 14-room hideaway where you’ve got a view like the one below. You can enjoy that view from the pool all day long, or go snorkeling, hiking, or kayaking to a secluded beach. At Corrales Bay Resort south of Puerto Vallarta, you can relax enjoying a side of Mexico that very few vacationers experience.  

It’s easy and often inexpensive to get a flight to Puerto Vallarta, but for a lot of people the bustle of that packed resort city is not the kind of unwinding they were looking for. One option is to head north in Nayarit, another is to head south to Mismaloya or Costalegre beyond.

Now there’s a new small hotel you reach by taking a boat for 90 minutes to a hidden cove you’ll have almost to yourself. That would be to the one and only hotel currently situated on Corrales Bay, surrounded by mountains and trees. 

Facilities and Dining at Corrales Bay

Some people get antsy on vacation and need to be doing something constantly. Thankfully that doesn’t apply to the four of us who stayed at this small resort together. We were really to reconnect, chill out, and enjoy the quiet. It’s a joy sometimes to just read a book and soak up the scenery, though there are some activities that I’ll get to in a minute. 

When the biggest decision of the day is what you’re going to eat, it’s important that the cooks are going to prepare something tasty. Thankfully that was the case at Corrales Bay and we ate well for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The menu is not lengthy in this remote location, but everything was cooked and seasoned well from fresh ingredients and each dish came out with a visual flair 

Naturally we ordered a lot of seafood dishes and after setting it up in advance, the second day we had a whole grilled fish prepared in the Jalisco zarandeado style. Every chef has their own recipe variations, but the sauce usually has a combination of mustard, mayonnaise, a couple types of ground chili peppers, tomato sauce, garlic, and lime for a start. 

Each meal has six to ten things to choose from, so there was enough variety for a long weekend. They had the coffee ready earlier in the morning and we could order beers or cocktails — though the selection was rather limited for the latter. You can also get a simple meal and a beer at the bar/restaurant on the beach as well: there’s a small fishing village there. 

We spent a lot of time in and next to the gorgeous swimming pool with its million-dollar view, look out at the bay, the lush mountains, and the rock formations jutting out of the water. Although you can’t see them in the photo below, there are two large umbrellas that provide shade. 

There are plenty of tables in the restaurant, which sometimes became our game playing space, plus an indoor lounge area with a sectional sofa for lounging around in. There’s a small bar that will be open in high season, but we were there well outside of that and there was only one other couple staying, so it was closed. 

Rooms and Suites to Enjoy

You’ll probably spend most of your time in the public areas, which are ample and comfortable all around. They’re all outdoors, but there’s a regular sea breeze and it’s hard to pull yourself away from that view. If you want to turn on the A/C or take a nap though, you can retreat to your room or a spacious suite. 

The standard rooms are tiled and attractive, with a large sitting area on the balcony. The ones with the lowest numbers have the best view, the rooms ending in 1 having the one you see above. The further you go to the left, the more trees are in the way, though they do give you the feeling of being nestled in the forest. 

All rooms have air conditioning, Wi-Fi, and somewhere to sit. There’s chilled filtered water available in the lobby to fill up your water bottle at any time. They feature a lot of attractive hardwood furniture, including an open closet set-up with drawers, and interesting sinks made from stone that’s polished on the inside, left rough on the outside.  

The nature elements are even more pronounced in the big junior suites that are double the size of a normal room and have a wraparound balcony furnished with a sofa, lounge chairs, and a hammock. Tables and the vanity are made from large hardwood slabs and fresh flowers join local handicrafts. 

Excursions and Activities around Corrales Bay

While we spent a lot of our time relaxing, we did get out on a few excursions in the area. One was underwater: the resort has snorkeling gear at the ready so we strapped on the fins and masks to see what was below the surface. I wasn’t expecting much since it’s not a coral reef, but the rocks near the shore were teeming with about 25 kinds of fish, from tiny iridescent blue ones to puffer fish to a bumpy headed parrotfish that was twice as big as my head. 

Corrales Bay Resort is not right on the beach, but there’s an interesting path leading to it that goes up and down the hills by the water, past rock formations and over cliffs. After we swam for a while and then dried off, we did it in reverse. The next day I took the more direct route on one of the resort’s kayaks and hit the beach again. You can also reach it on one of their stand-up paddleboards. Both times there were only a few other travelers on the beach. 

There’s also a path on the other side of the resort that goes to a lighthouse, but we never managed to make it up the hills in that direction. Two in our group opted for a massage instead, on a platform perched above the water. If set up in advance, you can take a boat trip for fishing or exploration or book an ATV trip through the mountains. 

Booking a Stay

Rates at Corrales Bay Resort start at $180 for a standard room or $315 for a suite with taxes outside of high season, but you also need to factor in the boat transportation, which is $145 per person round trip. It’s on a comfortable shaded boat that leaves from the Puerto Vallarta marina and you pass Los Arcos, Yelapa, and other scenic areas after seeing PV itself from the water. 

With just 14 rooms, this would be an ideal place for a full buyout, like for an extended family vacation or small destination wedding. That starts at just $1,500 per night in low season. Book direct at the official website here. Then get ready for an experience that’s very different from one at the city resorts. 

Review and all photos by travel writer Tim Leffel, who was hosted at the resort for purposes of review. As always, all opinions are his own.