On the Pacific Coast of Mexico, Puerto Vallarta attracts millions of tourists yearly. Located only 4 hours from Guadalajara, this resort town is a popular getaway from the central mountains, its airport saw 5 million visitors in 2019, and cruise ship passengers topped out at over 400,000. Its popularity as a tourist destination is precisely why we have avoided visiting this famous beach city, opting instead for the quieter beaches of the Riviera Nayarit just to the north. However, when we had to cancel another trip last-minute, and we came across cheap flights to Puerto Vallarta, we decided why not? We couldn’t have been more pleased or surprised to discover how much we loved the charm and culture, and of course beautiful beaches of Puerto Vallarta.

Where to Stay

Most visitors elect to stay in the Zona Hotelera Norte, to the north of the city. Sprawling resorts and all-inclusives line beautiful sand beaches in this area. While I can understand the lure of having your every need met within the confines of your resort, visitors staying in this area will undoubtedly miss out on the culture and authentic experiences that you’ll find in other neighborhoods. Instead, check out the Zona Romantica or Centro. In these neighborhoods, although still touristy, you will find small, affordable boutique hotels, local restaurants, bars, and shops lining quaint, colonial streets.

El Centro is the oldest part of Puerto Vallarta, and here you will find plenty of churches, plazas, local shops and restaurants. Running parallel to Centro is the Malecón that stretches along 1.6 km of golden sand beaches. An affordable, conveniently located, and unique option in this neighborhood is the Hotel Boutique Catedral Vallarta. The colorfully decorated rooms are simple, clean and comfortable. Take in the view from the rooftop terrace and enjoy the art, fountains and flowering plants throughout the property.

Located just south of Centro, the historic Zona Romantica’s cobblestone streets are filled with restaurants, cafes, bars, shops, galleries, and artisanal craft stands. Within the Zona Romantica, the centrally located Hotel Garlands del Rio is a little pricier than we would normally pay for a hotel. But, it is still quite affordable and worth the little extra for its location, charm, and service. This historic boutique hotel hosts eights unique rooms with balconies overlooking the lush Rio Cuale. It feels like an oasis in the middle of the city. We were greeted with refreshing margaritas and tasty guacamole before being shown to our comfortable and spacious room. It doesn’t get much better than that!

Where to Eat

Seafood, dishes typical to Jalisco, and fresh ingredients come together to make Puerto Vallarta a great place to eat. A local favorite for seafood is Mariscos Cisneros in the Zona Romantica. This no frills restaurant with a taco stand outside dishes up seafood tostadas, tacos, burritos, and cocteles (seafood in a thin, tomato based cocktail sauce). These must try classic seafood dishes are tasty and inexpensive. Up and down the beaches you will smell the sweet scent of grilled shrimp and find vendors walking the sand beaches selling fresh, grilled shrimp and fish on a stick to hungry beachgoers. If you have a kitchen and want to cook up your own seafood, stop by Pescados y Mariscos El Guero for fresh shrimp and fish as well as one of my favorites, marlin ahumado (smoked marlin).

For typical, traditional food at great prices El Campanario in Centro is a must. This meticulously run local restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The best value by far is their comida corrida lunch menu, which translates to meal on the run. Catering to locals grabbing a bite on their lunch break, this fixed price menu comes with the soup of the day, your choice of a seafood, chicken or beef entree, dessert, and an agua fresca (fruit water). Everything on the small but carefully crafted menu is delicious. For a great cup of coffee, breakfast or lunch, check out another quaint local spot, Café 449 in the Zona Romantica. Their breakfast menu has something for everyone from smoothies to chilaquiles to French toast. I don’t typically equate vegetarian food with Mexico. But when a local man told us we had to try Planeta Vegetariana for it’s buffet of vegetarian comfort dishes, we had to check it out. Dubbed one of the best vegetarian restaurants in the world by Bon Appetit magazine, for around $7 you can load your plate with surprisingly flavorful and satisfying Mexican vegetarian dishes.

For evening and late night tacos, find your way to the corner of Insurgentes and Lázaro Cárdenas in front of the Farmacia Guadalajara in the Zona Romantica. Here you will find a line up of taco trucks serving up tacos as well as papas rellenos (think Mexican style loaded potatoes) and arrieros. Arrieros are a Vallarta dish that consists of a large handmade corn tortilla filled with cheese, beans and meats, of course then topped with the diner’s choice of various salsas. Qué rico! All of these taco trucks serve similar dishes, but for papas rellenas go with the first truck in line, and for arrieros head to the last truck from Insurgentes. Or, when in doubt pick the one with the longest line; there’s usually a reason people are willing to wait! Another option for a quick bite is Che Vallarta Empanadas Argentinas for a flaky empanadas stuffed with a variety of savory, sweet and vegetarian options.

Bebidas!

Puerto Vallarta has a energetic nightlife, and there are plenty of bars and nightclubs in Puerto Vallarta ranging from sports bars, to beachside bars, live music and dance clubs. From happy hour on the beach to dancing the night away, there is something for everyone. There are a lot of bars and clubs along the Malecón as well as throughout the Zona Romantica. For day drinking, El Barracuda, located at Playa Camarones, is a relaxed beachside restaurant and bar with indoor tables as well as tables on the sand. In the Zona Romantica, La Cantina Margarita is a lively, gay-friendly bar pumping out Latin tunes and serving up tasty margaritas and cocktails. For a more laid-back atmosphere just around the corner, grab a drink at Monchi’s Sports Bar, a popular ex-pat hangout spot. Everyone loves a cold, refreshing Mexican lager, with a splash of lime if you’re a gringo. Yet, if you find yourself craving a little variety in your cerveza, check out Monzón Brewing Company. While this is certainly not a local hangout, the ex-pats that that own this brewery are committed to sustainability and fair wages while supporting local non profits, community partners and local farmers. Their beers are well crafted and offer a great variety of styles from Mexican lagers, to IPAs, to sours and saisons. Prefer to grab a bottle of tequila and mix your own drinks? Stop by Tequila Pancho Pistolas for free tequila tasting from dozens of artisanal distilleries.

Beaches

One of your first stops in Puerto Vallarta will likely be la playa. The shoreline is lined with golden sand beaches stretching from the hotel zone in the north to south of the Zona Romantica. There is no shortage of spots to lay down your towel and crack open a cold cerveza. Many of the beaches can get quite crowded, and vendors trek up and down the sand stretches selling everything imaginable including beach wares, snacks, cold drinks and beer, and the delicious barbecued shrimp on a stick.

At the north end of the Malecón in el Centro, Playa Camarones is a less crowded than other beaches along this stretch of shoreline. Chairs and umbrellas are available for rent, or take your own. There are also beach bars and restaurants by the beach for a drink or a bite to eat. Further south toward the Zona Romantica you’ll find gay friendly Los Muertos beach. Easily accessible from the Zona Romantica is one of busiest and most popular tourist beaches in Vallarta with music, lots of restaurants, bars and shops in the area. This beach was bit crowded for our taste, so if a more chill beach experience is what you’re looking for, just follow the beach trail further south to Playa Conchas Chinas and Playa Amapas. These small, adjacent beaches are less crowded yet still walkable from the Zona Romantica. Playas Conchas Chinas and Amapas offer natural turquoise pools, calm waters, white sand, rock formations, and shade from the Amapas trees.

Day Trips

An easy day trip from Puerto Vallarta is to Boca de Tomatlán, a small fishing village on the mouth of the Horcones River. Boca can easily be accessed by car or bus. It is a great place to relax at one of the beachside restaurants, enjoy a cocktail and mouth-watering seafood dishes, and watch the bustle of fishing boats and water taxis coming in and out of the small port. Boca is a launching point for water taxis that will take you to beaches further south that are accessible only by foot or boat. Hop on a water taxi at the dock for a quick and inexpensive ride to Quimoxto or Yelapa, or take the oceanside trail to Playas Colomitos, Madagascar or Las Animas. This trek trek through the jungle is quite the climb, but you are rewarded with amazing views along the way. Find more beach hopping day trip information here.

Another day trip worth making is to the Jardín Botánico, a little further south of Boca. El Jardín can also be easily accessed by bus if you do not have a car. Trails wind through the grounds that are bursting with carefully maintained gardens. Take one of the trails leading through the jungle to the Horcones River to relax on its scenic boulders and swim in its clear pools. There is also a restaurant on site overlooking the gardens and a gift shop with some unique, although pricey, finds.

Art and Culture

Back in town, there is plenty of art, culture and shopping to explore throughout the Zona Romantica and El Centro. The Mercado Municipal Río Cuale is the place to go for inexpensive souvenirs and artisan items. Wandering through the narrow aisles of the mercado, you’ll find small shops selling vanilla, candies and treats, clothing, textiles, blankets, leather goods, jewelry, and more. Check out the weekly ArtWalk through the Centro Historico to discover local galleries, paintings, sculptures, ceramics and jewelry. Keep an eye out for the colorful yarn and bead art of the Huichol community, the indigenous people of Mexico’s central mountains ofJalisco, Nayarit, Zacatecas and Durango. Puerto Vallarta has many galleries featuring meticulously crafted Huichol artisanal works.

In addition to the city’s plentiful art galleries, there is a lot of free art to check out throughout the town including murals painting the city walls and sculptures lining the Malecón. In addition to its interesting sculptures, a stroll along the 1.6 km Malecón (boardwalk) offers stunning sunset views and a gathering place for locals and tourists alike. Vendors sell tasty treats and refreshing drinks, and restaurants, bars and shops line the meeting place.

Puerto Vallarta is known as a welcoming destination for the LGBTQ community. Gay-friendly businesses, hotels, bars, boat tours and beaches can be found throughout the Zona Romantica and around Playa Los Muertos. Cabarets and drag shows add to Vallarta’s bustling nightlife scene. The Vallarta Pride Festival celebrates sexual diversity with five days of events, art, culture and entertainment.

If Vallarta’s hustle and bustle leaves you needing to detox and relax, then it’s time for a massage. There are lots of options near the beaches, but if you walk just a few blocks north through the Zona Romantica, you will find several massage options for very low rates. I have always had great experiences with massages in Mexico, in fact much better than the pricy spas in the U.S. In Vallarta I had an amazing deep tissue massage for about $40 at Spirit Hands Massage where the staff was friendly and professional. Walk-ins are accepted at most massage businesses.

Getting There and Around

Most visitors arrive by flying into the bustling Puerto Vallarta airport. From the airport it is easy to go to the taxi stand outside the airport to grab a taxi into town. Look for the stand marked Taxi Autorizado or Authorized Taxi Stand, and purchase a ticket from the window which will then be provided to the taxi driver. Alternatively, Uber is widely available throughout Puerto Vallarta, but we were unable to obtain a ride from the airport, so we opted to take a cab instead. It is very easy and affordable to get around Puerto Vallarta using either taxis or Ubers. If you are staying in the Zona Romantica or Centro, both of these neighborhoods are walkable and you can easily get to restaurants, bars, shopping and beaches on foot.

There is an extensive bussing system in and around Puerto Vallarta and busses run regularly throughout the city and to connecting towns. In fact, it is quite easy and cheap to take a luxury Vallarta Plus bus all the way to or from Guadalajara. Unless you plan on doing a lot of day trips, it is really not necessary to have a car in Puerto Vallarta. It is much less expensive and more convenient to walk and take taxis or Ubers in town, and Puerto Vallarta buses will take you to the hotel zone, Nuevo Vallarta as well as to Boca de Tomatlan, the Botanical Gardens, Sayulita and other surrounding areas.

¡Ándale! What are you waiting for? It’s time to book that trip to Puerto Vallarta!