Puerto Vallarta Travel Guide
I arrived in Puerto Vallarta expecting a generic beach resort, and within an hour I was wandering cobbled streets with a taco in one hand and a faintly ridiculous grin on my face. This city on Mexico’s Pacific coast manages to be glamorous, laid back and genuinely historic all at once. The old town still has the soul of a Mexican fishing village wearing a hidden layer of luxury, and that combination is rare. It is a place where you can dive off a boat in the morning and debate art in a gallery by evening.
Getting to Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta’s own international airport is a short, palm lined drive from the city, so most visitors arrive with remarkable ease and are at the ocean within the hour. The drive from the airport curves past the Malecón and along the beaches, an instant welcome to the bay. Within the city, taxis and the local bus system reach everywhere you need, and the lagoon-side boat taxis are a fun shortcut. For the cobbled lanes of the old town, I recommend walking, because you will want to stop constantly anyway.
Where to stay
The two big choices are the old town, called the Romantic Zone across the river, and the beachfront hotel strip to the south. The Romantic Zone is where I would base a first trip. It holds the Malecón, the art galleries, the cooking schools and the best street food, all within an easy walk of each other. The southern strip has bigger resorts and the longer, calmer beaches, ideal if you want total relaxation. Split a week between them if you can, each has its own light and its own pace.
What to do around town
The Malecón, the long oceanfront promenade, is the beating heart of the city, lined with quirky bronze sculptures, bars and constant street performances. I watched the sunset from the benches here on my first night and decided immediately that I liked this place. Across the bridge, the old town climbs into the hills with stairway streets and bougainvillea spilling over white walls, and every turn offers a new view or a hidden gallery.
For something active, the botanical gardens up the river are superb, full of palms, orchids and butterflies, with a river to wade in at the end of the trail. And the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, topped with its crown like tower, anchors the plaza where coffee and people watching go hand in hand. Between these you get the full measure of what makes the city tick.
Beaches around the bay
Playa de los Muertos, right by the Romantic Zone, is the social heart of the beach scene, busy, friendly and lined with palapa restaurants. Further south, Playa Mismaloya and the quieter coves reward the effort it takes to reach them. I found a pocket of sand at Mismaloya where the water lapped lazily and the hills rose almost to the shore, and I stayed for hours doing nothing at all. The water is calm enough for families and the sunsets are reliably spectacular.
Day trips not to miss
Two trips bookend any Puerto Vallarta holiday. The first is to the Marietas Islands, a protected park you reach by boat where a hidden beach, Playa del Amor, sits inside a collapsed crater, accessible at low tide. The second is to Sayulita and the surf villages to the north, an easy drive up the coast where shabby charm meets a great surf culture and a bohemian food scene. I spent a day in Sayulita and understood immediately why people never leave.
Food and practical tips
Eat everything. Taco stands on the sidewalks, fresh ceviche by the beach, and the fire roasted fish at the palapas never disappoint. The old town cooking schools are a wonderful hands on way to take Mexico home with you. Carry pesos for markets and small stands, use the sunscreen liberally, and trust the tap water warning and stick to bottles. Beyond that, relax, because that is what this city does best, and half the holiday is letting it work on you.
How many days to plan
I would suggest at least four or five days in Puerto Vallarta, because the city and its day trips reward a slower schedule. Use a day or two for the old town and the beaches, then set aside a full morning for the Marietas Islands and a full day for Sayulita and the north coast. The botanical gardens and Mismaloya each need half a day comfortably. With that foundation you can relax into the pace of the place rather than racing between sights, which is exactly how the city wants to be enjoyed.
Puerto Vallarta does not try to impress you, it just does. Between the sea, the stalls and that easy going pace, it made me a repeat visitor on the very first trip, and I expect it will do the same to you.
