Last updated on August 2, 2025 by Shannon
I found a slice of paradise last week. I rarely use terms like “paradise” because it feels overdone to claim each new place is better than the next. But in terms of where I was personally, this place was a slice of perfection for what I needed at that moment.
From San Pancho, the hike to this secluded mud beach is two hours; we cheated and a friend drove us to the top of the trail leading down to the beach, which meant we had to hike for about 45 minutes through the jungle before sighting patch of beach we would call home for the day. More on how to get to Mud Beach at the end.
Hiking to the Mud Beach Near San Pancho
We erupted onto the beach (or at least I did since I slid and tripped on the trail more times than I’d like to cop to) as the trail’s steep slope abruptly ended on a quarter-mile stretch of sand bracketed on both ends by rocky outcroppings. The beach’s one drawback is a lack of shade, but beach-goers before us constructed a sturdy lean-to (a juxtaposition of terms but apt) from palm fronds and twine. With shade and a fire-pit we had the makings for a full day on our isolated beach, which we nicknamed Pandora since we were about to act out scenes from Avatar.
The beach’s strongest selling point is the blue therapeutic mud hidden in the walls lining the beach. Our ragtag group of eight embraced the prospect of slathering ourselves in mud with thorough enthusiasm and over the course of an hour we each became a unified shade of pale milky blue.
And once coated, it was playtime while the clay soaked its healthful benefits into our skin.
And when the clay was so dry and caked into our skin that we could no longer move, we rinsed off in the ocean.
Things to Explore Near Nayarit’s Secret Mud Beach
The rocks bracketing the beach were my favorite part of the day. These were rocks the universe planted at just the right height for me to crawl all over them to explore the nooks and crannies of life living in the pools of water.
My friend’s puppy, Loki, joined me for the exploration and we hunted crabs, snails, and fish in the tiny tidal pools created from the force of the water cresting against the rocks.
The boys in our group caught these (I’m not fast enough and am always afraid I will squish them when I am trying to capture them!):
It was a day of laughter, play, and friends in a setting most would call idyllic. :)
Visiting Mud Beach in Nayarit
The therapeutic blue mud is located in a small hole along the wall on the far side of the beach, opposite where you enter from Las Lomas. The clay with have little rocky bits in it, so just scoop some out and take the biggest bits. Then rub it all over yourself and soak in the benefits!
How to Visit Mud Beach Via San Pancho
Please don’t use this route—it traverses private property. We had permission from the land owners to use this path, but this was way back in 2013. Since then, the mud beach is a bit less of a secret and it’s not OK to traipse around private property.
How to Visit Mud Beach Via Las Lomas
Las Lomas is located north of San Pancho, Sayulita, and Puerto Vallarta in Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit. Although at low tide some people have gotten to the mud beach over the rocks, this is not a solid plan—the tides will change and the rocks are dangerous.
Instead drive toward the ocean in Las Lomas until the paved road becomes a dirt road. Keep going and take a right at the fork in the road. Before you get to Punta Monterrey resort, take an overgrown jungle path to the left. Park along there, and then hike into the beach! Keep right as you walk and you’ll eventually hit a set of stairs leading to the secret mud beach.
If you’re in doubt about the initial path to take, ask a local. While it’s not a commonly visited beach by travelers and tourists, it isn’t actually unknown. Someone can point you in the right direction.
Leave No Trace on Mud Beach
This is a secluded spot and you should pack an extra trash bag. Leave no trace of your visit—if you haul it in, then you must haul it back out. Be kind not only to nature, but to the others who love this little slice of secret beach right in Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit.
All beaches are public in Mexico, so if you encounter a person (likely a gringo) laying claim to a beach, it is not legally theirs. You likely encountered the people at “Villa Violetta”
Who have tried to prevent locals from enjoying this other hidden beach, which is accessible by foot on public land south of Clay Beach.
Thanks for weighing in Erin. It used to be that the southern entrance was a lot more precarious at high tide—is that still the case?
Hi Shanon, it’s probably been a while since you left the area, but if you remember any other details on how (from where?) to access the beach it’d be so appreciated! Is it near Las Lomas, north of San Pancho? Thanks!
Good question. One of my readers accessed it through Lo De Marcos beach. The mud isn’t there, but with a scramble along the rocks south of the beach, you come to the enclave where the blue mud resides along some of the edges. Perhaps ask around in town? I didn’t access it from Lo De Marcos, we hiked through a friend’s forested property, but an ALA reader sent me a pick of her and said she found it from Lo De Marcos. Hope that helps!
We went yesterday and it was amazing! So so so incredible! My momma and I are staying San Pancho for 3 weeks and love it here. Sayulita is lovely too. Thank you so much for your post. Definitely a bucket list item. Wish I could send you pictures!
Oh yay! I am so glad that you found it! And that you had a great time. So wonderful, and you are just going to love your weeks in SP — I wish I could go back asap. You can totes send a photo if you have some, shannonrodonnell@gmail.com, or shoot me a link on the Facebook page. Did you guys coat yourselves in the mud?! :)
We sure did! It was awesome! Already been here a week and have 2 more in San Pancho and then 4 nights in Puerto vallarta. I add some pictures to the facebook page!
Indeed a marvelous place to bookmark :) I do love it a lot! And if you can do a mud therapy outdoor, what else can one need? Wonderful!
It can be tricky to find it, but if you make it there, just ask around with the locals and they are usually pretty good about helping you navigate — it’s just a perfect daytrip! :)
Cool, Thank you very much, Shannon :)
Your such an inspiration Shannon.thank you.
How did you pick this town to live in? (forgive me if it’s answered in another post – I haven’t dug around yet)
No worries! My friend Victoria from http://www.bridgesandballoons.com did a yoga teacher training here and when I was looking for a place to go, she suggested I come here. Then I got hooked on the energy and the mix of locals and expats and stayed! :)
Looks like so much fun! Our summer home on a lake has clay in some areas, so we end up with some fun pictures like yours every once in a while! Love the hermit crab photos too!
It was so fun Thomas! Besides an afternoon at the Dead Sea, I had never really just relaxed and enjoyed a beach with the mud. I can only imagine having full access to it all summer — oh the wacky photos you could think up with ample time :)
When I read this post about mexico I kin to go there in this summer superb Post i Love this!
omg. looks amazing!
love the puppy shot! she kinda looks like mine!
Then yours is seriously cute! All the expats here have dogs and I love it! :)
These photos are magnificent! If I hadn’t already visited Mexico a hundred times, I’d be booking a flight tonight!!!
Thanks Andi! The biggest selling factor for me is the sunshine :)
Your photos are gorgeous. Now I want to go to Mexico!
It’s sunny and warm down here if you need a quick break! ;-)
Love your dog!