Bahía de Banderas 4.13

Bahía de Banderas is a bay on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, within the Méxican states of Jalisco and Nayarit. It is also the name of an administrative municipality, located on the bay in Nayarit state. The port and resort city of Puerto Vallarta is on the bay.GeologyThe Bahía de Banderas is regarded by most geologists as the original attachment point for the southern cape of the Baja California Peninsula before it was rifted off the North American Plate millions of years ago, forming the Gulf of California.GeographyBahía de BanderasThe Bahía de Banderas on the Pacific Ocean is bounded on the north by Punta Mita, and on the south by Cabo Corrientes . Its coastline is approximately 100km long. Though locally regarded so, it is not the largest bay in Mexico.Tourism is very important to the local economies, and the Bahía de Banderas coast is an important location of tourist facilities development in both states. Puerto Vallarta has been the longstanding primary resort destination and cruise ship port of the bay. However, beyond the city on the long 100km coastline, other attractive beaches and landscapes have since been developed to serve visitors.