Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Oct. 3, 2026 — High surf undermined a Playa de Oro structure, prompting rescue crews to help merchants remove belongings, according to a municipal alert reported Saturday.
Municipal Civil Protection said erosion compromised the structure’s stability, with movement detected in beams and columns. The department attributed the surf to Hurricane Rachel.
Red flags remained on all municipal beaches Saturday, Civil Protection said. Its damage alert warned that waves could reach 2 to 3 meters, about 6.5 to 10 feet.
Beach restrictions remain as boat navigation resumes
In checking Saturday’s port update for PVDN, I found that the Navy reopened small-boat navigation at 8 a.m. The Navy instructed operators to follow the harbor master’s directions.
That reopening concerns vessel navigation. Municipal Civil Protection’s separate beach warning continued to prohibit entry to the sea.
“Do not enter the sea,” Jalisco Civil Protection said in its Oct. 1 coastal warning, issued in Spanish. The agency also warned of elevated surf across the state’s northern and southern coasts.
Damage in Zona Hotelera Norte
The beach lies between the maritime terminal and the Pitillal River mouth, near hotels, restaurants and shops.
In its damage announcement, municipal Civil Protection said preventive work and monitoring continued at the affected structure. The department said its teams also maintained patrols and assistance to people and establishments needing support.
Downtown access remains affected
The shoreline disruption also extends downtown, where PVDN reported beach and Malecón closures Friday.
At midday Saturday, Civil Protection Director Misael López Muro said restrictions remained on Morelos and Paseo Díaz Ordaz. Waves were crossing the Malecón and throwing stones into the street. The affected Morelos stretch ran from the lighthouse to City Hall.
Public buses continued to divert at Jesús Langarica, according to that update. Smaller vehicles followed a route through Corona, Juárez and Guerrero before returning to Morelos southbound.
