Chacala, Nayarit · Data from 10/28, 19:00 (local time)

Playa Chacala: is it worth it today?

Not recommended today. Reason today, Wednesday, October 28: SMN weather warning. Otherwise, at Playa Chacala, the chance of rain is 40%, but the wind is light and the water is pleasant.

Forecast by day

SMN weather warning

TodayWed, 10/28

26°

Thunderstorm · low 24°

Not recommended today

UV max: 1

The beach day (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.) is over: the assessment is for the current hour.

Tide today

Model estimate, not a measurement · estimated range today: 1.50 m

02:00Low tide

08:00High tide

15:00Low tide

22:00High tide

rising now

Sunrise 06:01Sunset 17:27

Model estimate, not a measurement · estimated range today: 1.50 m

Waves: 0.7mperiod 7 s · model
Wind: 5km/hfrom SE
Water: 30.6°Csurface · model
UV index: 0.0this hour
Rain: 40%chance
Clarity: 10.8msatellite, 10/27/2026

Playa Chacala is it worth it today?

Loading beach conditions…

Warnings and risks

TsunamiNo active alert for this coast

We check the bulletins of SEMAR's Tsunami Warning Center and of the NOAA centers for this coast. If there is a warning, follow Civil Protection instructions.

Source: CAT-SEMAR; NOAA NTWC/PTWC

SMN weather warningsRain warning, severe level, in effect until 10/29 at 05:00 (local time): Circulación de Vance

Current weather warnings from Mexico's National Weather Service whose area reaches this beach.

Source: SMN/CONAGUA, CAP warnings (CC BY 4.0)

Tropical cyclonesTropical depression Vance, about 420 km away, maximum wind 30 knotsNo watch, warning or tropical-storm-force winds forecast for this beach today

Active cyclones near the beach and, for each one, whether the beach is under a watch or warning, inside the forecast cone, or expecting tropical-storm-force winds today.

Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center (NHC)

Lightning (GOES satellite, via SMN)No lightning detected within 60 km between 18:20 and 18:22 (local time)

Lightning detected by the GOES satellite in the last few minutes, up to 60 km from the beach. The satellite sees the flash in the cloud and cannot tell whether it reaches the ground. With a storm nearby, get out of the water and take shelter.

Source: GLM (GOES) published by SMN

Ground swell ("mar de fondo", SEMAR warning)No official warning in effect for this coast

Only SEMAR's official warning for this coast counts: modeled waves are never presented as a ground swell.

Source: Mexican Navy (SEMAR)

Seawater quality (COFEPRIS)Latest monitoring: suitable (APTA), sampled from 06/15/2026 to 06/22/2026 (Verano 2026)

Chacala: suitable (APTA), 90 MPN enterococci/100 mL

Result of COFEPRIS's latest enterococci testing at this beach's sampling points. It is a dated campaign, not today's condition.

Source: COFEPRIS beach monitoring

Useful information

Tide (model estimate, not a measurement)Next high tide around 22:00

High tide around 08:00 and 22:00; low tide around 02:00 and 15:00; estimated range today: 1.50 m; rising now.

Approximate high and low tide times, estimated by an ocean model for this point on the coast. Not a tide-gauge measurement.

Source: SMOC model via Open-Meteo

DaylightSunrise 06:01 · Sunset 17:2711 h 26 min of daylight

Calculated for the beach's coordinates, in local time.

Source: astronomical calculation (SunCalc)

Air quality (Mexico's AIRE Y SALUD index, model estimate)Good (Buena)

AIRE Y SALUD index estimated from model concentrations; not a station measurement.

Source: CAMS model via Open-Meteo; NOM-172-SEMARNAT-2023 bands

Chlorophyll in the water0.69 mg/m³ (satellite reading from 10/27/2026)

Chlorophyll estimated by satellite, an indicator of phytoplankton. It does not indicate algae on the beach today.

Source: Copernicus Marine

Playa Chacala in Chacala, Nayarit — Photo from 2008: Trapiche Evolution · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · cropped

About Playa Chacala

By Equipe editorial GTM Labs · Updated 10/03/2026

A small shell-shaped bay in the municipality of Compostela, about 100 km north of Puerto Vallarta. The beach, roughly one kilometer long, forms a crescent sheltered from the open sea, with generally calm water, and ringed by jungle-covered hills. It is reached by a paved road of about 10 km off Federal Highway 200, near Las Varas. Chacala is a fishing village, and its name comes from Nahuatl and is associated with shrimp. The bay has history: Father Kino's expedition set out from here in 1683.

Directions

Where to stay near Playa Chacala?

Search for places to stay within 5 km of the beach and compare prices for your dates on Booking.com.

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Next 24 hours

Between 22° and 31°; rain most likely tomorrow around 15:00 (78%); strongest wind tomorrow around 13:00 (13 km/h).

Today · 19–00 hNow
Tonight
23–24°Fog
40%max rain
5 km/hmax wind
0.7–0.8 mwaves
Thu 29 · 01–06 h
Overnight
22–23°Cloudy
27%max rain
5 km/hmax wind
0.9 mwaves
Thu 29 · 07–12 h
Morning
24–31°Clear
37%max rain
10 km/hmax wind
0.9 mwaves
Thu 29 · 13–18 h
Afternoon
25–31°Showers
78%max rain
13 km/hmax wind
0.9–1.0 mwaves

See hour by hour

The arrow shows where the wind is blowing to.

Frequently asked questions about Playa Chacala

Can you swim at Playa Chacala today?

Today's assessment (Wednesday, October 28) is “Not recommended today”. Reason: SMN weather warning. Otherwise, today at Playa Chacala, the chance of rain is 40%, but the wind is light and the water is pleasant. Waves estimated by the model, offshore: 0.7 m, period 7 s. This beach is sheltered (bay, cove or reef), so those waves do not weigh in the assessment. Playas Hoy cannot see flags, currents or lifeguards: at the beach, follow the flag and the lifeguard's instructions.

Is there a ground swell (mar de fondo) at Playa Chacala?

As of today, Wednesday, October 28, there is no official ground swell warning in effect for this coast. Only the official SEMAR warning counts as a ground swell; waves from the model do not.

Is there a hurricane, storm or tsunami alert for Playa Chacala today?

Today's warnings (Wednesday, October 28): Rain warning (SMN), severe level, in effect until 10/29 05:00.

Is the water at Playa Chacala suitable according to COFEPRIS?

In the latest COFEPRIS monitoring (Verano 2026, sampled from 06/15/2026 to 06/22/2026), every point at this beach was APTA (suitable). This is the result of a sampling campaign, not today's condition.

Can you see whales at Playa Chacala?

The last whale-watching season (humpback whale) in the area ran from December 8, 2025 to March 23, 2026. SEMARNAT publishes the next season's dates in the DOF, usually in October.

Verdict based on the sources on this page. It does not replace the instructions of the authorities at the beach.

Sources: Open-Meteo (model), Copernicus Marine (satellite), Mexican Navy Tsunami Warning Center (CAT-SEMAR), NOAA NTWC/PTWC and NHC. Warnings: Mexico's National Weather Service (SMN/CONAGUA), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Lightning: GLM (GOES) detections published by SMN. Air quality: NOM-172-SEMARNAT-2023 bands applied to CAMS model concentrations (Open-Meteo); not a monitoring station measurement. Tide: SMOC model estimate via Open-Meteo; not a tide gauge measurement. Times are approximate; do not use the curve for navigation. Next 24 hours: model forecast (Open-Meteo). Waves: model, offshore. Water quality: COFEPRIS pre-holiday beach monitoring. Ground swell: Mexican Navy (SEMAR). Whale season: SEMARNAT notice in the Diario Oficial de la Federación; species per NOM-131-SEMARNAT-2010.

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com. Contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service Information 2026. Neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information; https://doi.org/10.48670/moi-00278. Licences and credits for each source

Nearby beaches

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