Puerto Vallarta travel guide

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Puerto Vallarta

Introduction

Puerto Vallarta is a Mexican resort city on Bahía de Banderas, on the Pacific coast of the state of Jalisco. It is the government seat of the municipality of Puerto Vallarta, which extends from Boca de Tomatlán to the Nayarit border and includes population centres outside the city itself.

The municipality borders Nayarit to the north, Mascota and San Sebastián del Oeste to the east, and Talpa de Allende and Cabo Corrientes to the south.

Before you go

Puerto Vallarta has a tropical climate with a marked dry season in winter and a rainy season from mid-June through mid-October; August is the wettest month, though rain usually arrives in large storms rather than steady drizzle. February, March and April see the least rain and cloud cover, while January is the coolest month and July the hottest. The jungle-clad Sierra Madre Occidental mountains rise to the east and shelter the town from winds, keeping the weather semi-tropical and humid. Hurricanes seldom strike here.

English is widely spoken, and as a tourist destination prices run higher than in much of Mexico. The city is very crowded at holidays, when Mexican visitors and tourists alike flood the beaches. The historic Zona Romantica, at the far southern tip, holds the nightlife and dining scene and is particularly known for welcoming LGBT travellers, with many small boutique hotels, bars, shops and restaurants catering to gay tourists and an annual Pride festival in May. Across the Rio Cuale to the north, Centro squeezes between the Malecon promenade and the hillside residences, while the city grows less touristy as you head north and east of Hwy 200 through 5 de Diciembre and Versalles. Large resorts line the Hotel Zone west of the highway.

Getting there

Most visitors arrive at Licenciado Gustavo Diaz Ordaz International Airport (PVR), which sits along the main highway roughly 8 km north of Zona Romantica, between Marina Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta. Year-round international flights come from Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, with extra seasonal service from more North American and European cities, usually between November and March. Domestic flights connect Puerto Vallarta with major Mexican cities including Mexico City (both MEX and NLU), Tijuana, Monterrey, Querétaro and Guadalajara. Arriving carriers are split between two concourses: Aeromexico, TAR, VivaAerobus, Señor Air and Volaris use Concourse A, while Alaska Airlines, Air Canada, Air Transat, American, Delta, Copa, Porter, Southwest, Sun Country, Spirit, Sunwing, TUI Airways, United, World2Fly and Westjet use Concourse B, along with seasonal carriers such as Frontier, Finnair and Apple Vacations charters.

Once you clear customs, be aware that the first rooms you pass through are thick with timeshare touts offering to arrange cabs, tours, free meals or cash to lure you into a sales presentation. Don't engage with anyone there; walk quickly past the rope line to the main arrivals hall. From there, ground transport options line the highway: buses, Uber and city taxis pick up on either side of the Airport Pedestrian Bridge. To reach it, exit the terminal, turn left toward the main road, turn left again at the corner and cross the small taxi and shuttle lot. The airport side serves southbound traffic into the city center; the far side serves northbound routes to the central bus station, Nuevo Nayarit, Bucerias and Sayulita. Uber picks up on the northbound side under the bridge. For taxis, buy your trip at the official kiosk or car rental desks in the arrivals hall — the white authorized airport taxis cost more than the yellow city taxis across the bridge, and pre-arranged private transfers can be booked ahead by phone or online. If you're traveling light, city buses stop under each side of the bridge: wait on the airport side for a southbound bus marked "Centro" (not Pitillal or Bobadilla) to reach the city center and Zona Romantica in about 20 to 30 minutes, with buses running every few minutes; for the central bus station, take a northbound "Ixtapa" or "Juntas" bus and get off at Las Palmas, the Cerveza Corona building, or ride the "Victoria Guadalupe" bus that turns toward the station in Colonia Victoria Guadalupe. Intercity buses are reliable, inexpensive and comfortable, with air conditioning, movies and refreshments on many services; lines including Grupo Estrella Blanca, ETN/Turistar, Primera Plus and TAP serve the Central Bus Station in Colonia Guadalupe Victoria, with routes to Tepic, Guadalajara, Mexico City, Manzanillo, Mazatlan, Barra de Navidad and Zihuatanejo. Regional second-class buses use separate depots — Vallarta Plus and Autotransportes Talpa Mascota for Guadalajara, and AutoTransportes Medina and Compostela for Nayarit towns such as Bucerias, Punta Mita and Sayulita — while white-and-orange buses to Mismaloya, Boca de Tomatlán and the Botanical Gardens depart from the Zona Romantica. Cruise ships dock at the Cruise Port, and Marina Puerto Vallarta on its north side holds private boats, sailboats, restaurants, hotels and timeshares.

Getting around

Puerto Vallarta has no rail, metro, or tram network, so you get around by road, on foot, or by boat. City buses are the workhorse of local transport and run frequently, as often as every five minutes, with fares paid to the driver on boarding; drivers can usually make change from small bills, and there are no transfers, so keep the ticket you are given in case an inspector comes aboard. You can only enter and exit at a bus stop, and not all stops are marked, so look for where other people are waiting on the sidewalk and flag the bus down. Buses at peak hours get crowded and hot, though some have air-conditioning, and men are expected to give up their seats to women when it fills up. There are no routes or timetables published online, but Moovit and Google Maps cover the city and Rutas Vallarta has the most complete route information. Read the windshield: buses marked Centro run along the main road a block or two from the beach through the Marina and Hotel Zone; buses marked Tunel skip downtown and head straight to the old town and Zona Romántica through the tunnel bypass; and northbound buses marked Walmart take you to the transfer point for services into Nayarit, including Nuevo Vallarta, Punta Mita, and Sayulita. Buses are handy for reaching Pitillal and Ixtapa, and for travelling between the hotel zone or marina and the downtown and old town.

Uber covers the city, and taxis and ride-hailing are often the simplest option for direct trips, especially with luggage or late at night. Yellow city taxis are cheaper than the white authorized airport taxis, and hotels may provide a price list for cabs; hotel airport transport is expensive, and a taxi is much cheaper. Be prepared for fast speeds, since drivers have schedules to keep, and not all cabs have working seatbelts or even speedometers. Tip only if the driver does something beyond normal transportation, such as helping with bags or waiting while you run an errand. Drivers tend to gather at the intersection near the liquor outlet in Centro, and they are friendly, will negotiate trips outside Puerto Vallarta at reasonable cost on slow days, and will wait while you dine or shop. Walking works well in the core districts: Centro, the Zona Romántica, and the beachfront are compact and connected, though neighbourhoods east of the hotel zone and up the hillsides are less convenient on foot. The climate is tropical, with a marked dry season in winter and a rainy season from mid-June through mid-October when downpours arrive as concentrated storms, so plan walks accordingly. If you drive, be careful: police seem to pull tourists over at the drop of a hat during spring break, so check that all the lights work when you pick up a rental, and do not be surprised if an officer holds out an open palm while keeping your licence.

Where to stay

Accommodation around the Bay of Banderas runs from international hotel chains and upscale villas and condominiums to moderately priced hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, apartments and condominiums. The hotel zone, Marina Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta and Punta Mita hold the large resorts and villas, while Old Town Vallarta is where you find the simpler, cheaper places to sleep. The south end of Old Town has a number of gay-friendly hotels.

Food & drink

Puerto Vallarta's food scene reflects the city's cultural diversity, ranging from casual taco stands and beachfront palapas to upscale rooftop restaurants with panoramic views. You are never far from a taco stand — ask a local to point you to one. Some open only around lunchtime, others only in the evening. Street stalls also gather on the Plaza del Pitillal in the evening, offering a variety of food you may not have tried before. In 5 de Diciembre, Tacos Chilo sits on Calle Honduras at Colombia, with a second location on Calle San Salvador at Colombia, where you can sit directly in front of the fry top.

In the Zona Romántica, Cafe de Olla on Basilio Badillo serves good, cheap food — try the pork ribs or chicken — while Takos Panchos next door is known for al pastor tacos and gets busy, so arrive early. Coffee Cup is an American-style coffee house with espresso, latte and cappuccino alongside local baked goods, and local art on the walls. Maria Baja in Alta Vista does Baja-style fried fish tacos and generously sized burritas; order enough to try each of the house salsas. In the centro, Planeta Vegetariano offers a buffet-style vegan meal with a changing menu, all-you-can-eat fresh juices, vegetables, salads and fruit, plus traditional dishes served "sin carne." Mid-range options include Mariscos Tino's in El Pitillal, known for tacos de marlin and large sampler platters, and La Piazzetta in Emiliano Zapata for Naples-style pizza from a brick oven, pasta and dishes like cream-based salmon with caviar and lemon. Do take care with what you eat and drink, especially from street vendors and small beach snack bars; beachside restaurants may tempt you with tropical drinks, but bottled beer can be the safer option.

What to see and do

Puerto Vallarta's golden-sand beaches along the Bay of Banderas are the easiest way to take in the scenery, with the best season running from December to May. Los Muertos Beach, stretching along the Zona Romántica, has beachfront restaurants with palapas you can rent by the day or simply settle into with a drink; it's a good spot to relax and meet people who party all day. From there, the Muelle de Playa Los Muertos pier extends into the ocean with a contemporary design. In Centro, the Malecón is a beachfront promenade spanning over twelve blocks, lined with restaurants, souvenir stores, craft vendors and a collection of sculptures; Los Arcos, four arches on the Malecón, hosts free shows, music festivals and folk dance performances. Quieter stretches include Las Glorias Beach near the Hotel Zone, which still offers plenty of activity such as jet skis and parasailing, and Playa De Oro to the north, where resorts front the sand with events and dance floors and weekends draw a crowd.

Away from the water, you can visit the Naval Museum in Centro, which tells the story of the Mexican Navy from its Spanish Armada roots through sailing ships to modern patrol boats, with cannons, uniforms and interactive displays where you can try piloting a ship. Art lovers have plenty of options: Galería Dante in the Zona Romántica shows paintings and sculptures by local artists in a hacienda setting, Galeria Colectika in Centro holds Mexican wood carvings and Huichol yarn art and bead work, and Gallería Pacifico, a leading gallery since 1987, sponsors a Public Sculpture Walking Tour on the Malecón from November to April. For green space, Isla Cuale is a narrow island in the river separating the Zona Romántica and Centro, where beach bars and vendor booths give way upstream to a quiet park with galleries and relaxed restaurants. Other landmarks include the Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, with its Renaissance-style tower, and Gringo Gulch, the hillside residential area behind the church where Hollywood names built vacation homes in the 1950s and 1960s and some mid-century luxury architecture remains. Further south, the Vallarta Botanical Gardens sit high in the Sierra Madre Mountains, with thousands of plant species in a tropical dry forest ecosystem and a clear river where you can take a refreshing dip.

For activities, you can hike or mountain bike in the hills, ride horseback along jungle trails, take a jeep safari, snorkel, scuba dive, charter a yacht or sailboat, or join a party boat cruise, and these are often easy to book online. Snorkelers head to the Los Arcos underwater caves and the Marietas Islands caverns. Puerto Vallarta is one of Mexico's top dive destinations, with rental shops along the beaches. Surfing isn't ideal on the city's own beaches, but day trips north past the Ameca River into Nayarit reach beginner waves and reef breaks at spots such as Veneros, Burros, la Lancha, Punta de Mita, San Pancho and Sayulita, roughly 45 minutes to an hour from downtown. Wildlife watching is seasonal: whale watching runs December to March, when humpback mothers and calves appear in Banderas Bay alongside dolphins and porpoises, and some tour companies offer turtle programs where you help relocate eggs and release hatchlings at night. The city's calendar includes the February Carnaval parade in the Zona Romántica, the May Vallarta Pride Parade along the Malecón, a half marathon and 5-km race on the first weekend of November, a mid-November festival of tastings, cooking classes and concerts, and the December celebrations for the Virgin of Guadalupe with pilgrimages, dancers and mariachis.

When to go

Puerto Vallarta has a tropical climate with two clearly different seasons. The dry season brings little rain, and from February through April you get the least rain and cloud cover of the year, so this is the stretch to aim for if you want reliably sunny, dry conditions. January is the coldest month, though you can still expect warm days.

The rainy season runs from mid June through mid October. July is the hottest month, and August is the wettest, with rain on many days. Even then, the rain tends to arrive as large concentrated storms rather than all-day drizzle, and hurricanes seldom strike, so the season is not as forbidding as the rainfall totals suggest.

Three days in Puerto Vallarta

Day one: Start in Centro, where the cobbled streets and the Malecón give you your first feel for the city. Walk the waterfront, then cross the Río Cuale to Zona Romántica, the neighbourhood with the strongest LGBT scene and the liveliest Pride celebrations. Eat Mexican food in the evening; the beach is right there if you want to watch the sun drop into the Bahía de Banderas.

Day two: Head south along the coast to Boca de Tomatlán, where the road meets the Pacific and boats run onward to the southern coves. If you would rather stay inland, go the other way into the Sierra Madre Occidental to Mascota, Talpa de Allende or San Sebastián, old mining towns in the hills of Jalisco. Back in town, spend the evening in Versalles or along Hwy Diciembre for a quieter dinner away from the beach crowds.

Day three: Push north into Nayarit, or follow the coast toward Cabo Corrientes where the Bahía de Banderas opens to the open Pacific. The dry season from roughly November to May is the most reliable stretch for this kind of wandering; June through October is hot and humid, and hurricanes are a real risk in the later part of that window. Finish with a last walk through Centro or Oeste before you go.

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