The Puerto Vallarta Malecón
The Puerto Vallarta Malecón is a mile long strip of walkway that runs right along the beach. Walking the Malecón and catching the sunset is a favorite past time of both local residents and tourists alike. The Puerto Vallarta Malecón is about 12 blocks long and can be walked in under an hour. Along that walk you will find bronze sculptures, sand sculptures, live music and dance, and local artists and artisans selling their crafts. There are many great restaurants and bars along the Malecón as well, where there is always something new and delicious to try. You will also find some of Puerto Vallarta’s most extravagant nightlife here, with several of the largest and loudest clubs occupying an entire block to themselves.
La Zona Romantica
The Romantic Zone in Puerto Vallarta is located in the older historic part of the city and is popular for its bustling nightlife and large LGBT community. Here you will find some of the best restaurants in town as well as plenty of shopping and other excursions. The Romantic Zone is conveniently located with easy access to Los Muertos Beach as well as The Mosaic Tile Park, which frequently hosts farmers markets, live music, and other community events. The Mosaic benches are paid for with funds donated to the city and created by volunteers (often the donors themselves).
The Vallarta Botanical Gardens
The Vallarta Botanical Gardens are a must see if you have the time and transportation to do so while visiting Puerto Vallarta. Located about 25 km (45 min) inland from the Romantic Zone, the Vallarta Botanical Gardens boasts over 79 acres of tropical forest dedicated to preserving and growing some of the most beautiful and unique trees and plants from across the region. You can spend an entire day walking along forest trails, admiring flowers and fruit trees, and then visit the restaurant on site for lunch or bring a picnic of your own. There are rivers and water features as well as a coi fish pond and a small cathedral. If you don’t have a vehicle, you can still easily get to the gardens via bus, taxi, or driver service.
Breweries in Puerto Vallarta
Don’t think that Coronas and Modelos are your only options for beer in Puerto Vallarta. The town actually has a number of great microbreweries producing locally made craft beer. Monzon Brewing is located in the Romantic Zone and features the best IPA’s in town as well as many alternating taps of great beer styles. Los Muertos Brewing is located just a few blocks away and has a great happy hour special for beers as well as some of the best pizza in the city. Other brewery options include Los Cuentos Brewery, El Terrible Brewing, and Cervecería YamBak. For more information on craft beer and breweries in Puerto Vallarta, read our article here:
The Best Breweries and Craft Beer in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Playa Mismaloya
Mismaloya is a popular beach area located about 25 minutes south of the Romantic Zone in Puerto Vallarta. Walk down the dirt road until you get to the beach and you will see why Mismaloya has become such a popular beach spot. The mountains dotted with colorful homes and hotels wrap around a small cove where you will find plenty to see and do for an afternoon. One hotel sits right along the beach on one side and they make every effort to keep non-guests away. The other half of the beach is where everything else is. Mismaloya is best known for being the boat push out point for tours to Los Arcos. However, back on shore you will find several beachside restaurants and bars with great food and drinks, as well as massages, and beach vendors. There is a nice pathway that takes you all the way along the rocky side of the cove where you can spot sun bathing iguanas on the rocks and see tropical fish in the water below. There is an easy bus to and from Mismaloya, but taxis and Ubers will also gladly take you there. On the walk to the beach there are several small convenience stores where you can purchase drinks if you don’t plan on visiting one of the beach bars. You can also rent tables and chairs and umbrellas for the day here if you want to post up and get out of the sun.
Los Muertos Beach
Los Muertos Beach is usually considered to be the most popular beach in Puerto Vallarta. Likely due to its proximity to both the Romantic Zone and La Zona Hotelera (The Hotel Zone.) Although pretty similar to the rest of the beaches near Old Town Vallarta, Los Muertos Beach is kept a little cleaner and looks a little more presentable. It also features the Los Muertos Pier, which is great to walk out on and walk around the structure. At night, the pier is lit up and makes for some pretty great views.
Mercado del Mar 5 de Diciembre
To my knowledge, this is the only permanent open air market in old town Puerto Vallarta. There are popup markets and a co-op that happens on Saturdays, but the Mercado del Mar, located in the 5 de Diciembre, is open daily and offers a variety of fresh produce, seafood, dry goods, household goods, and food and drinks made fresh. There are several restaurant stalls that serve daily specials, such as menudo and chilaquiles, as well as tortas and juices. You can shop around the market for fresh fruits and vegetables as well. This market is not a huge tourist destination and maintains a fantastic local vibrancy that guarantees some good food, good deals, and good conversations.
Pantheon de 5 de Diciembre
The Pantheon de 5 de Diciembre is an old and historic cemetery located in the 5 de Diciembre area of town right next to the market. While most travelers probably aren’t planning on visiting a cemetery on their vacation, you will be surprised to learn that Mexican cemeteries are actually common attractions for locals and foreigners alike.
Tequila Tasting
When you walk down the Malecón and elsewhere in town, you will see many “tequila dealers” and liquor stores that offer “free tequila tastings.” Most of those are just a front for selling timeshares or tour reservations. Best case scenario is you walk away paying too much for a bottle you were pressured into buying. There are however two very good and authentic tequila tasting experiences in Puerto Vallarta that I would highly recommend. The first experience is called Noble Corazon. They provide a relatively straight forward lesson on tequila followed by a generous tasting of some of their bottles. Noble Corazon is located in the town of Tequila, so the tasting location isn’t really anything to look at. The other tequila tasting experience in Puerto Vallarta is located right along the Malecón and it is called “Oscars Tequila.” Oscar’s provides a little more hands on experience with a tour of some tequila making equipment and demonstrations of various parts of the process.
Pulque Tasting
If you have never heard of it, pulque is a traditional indigenous fermented beverage that has been produced in Mexico for centuries. It is prepared by fermenting the juices from the agave plant, rather than distilling them in the way that tequila is made. This produces an alcohol similar to beer or wine, with a very unique flavor of its own. You can learn all about pulque, its history, and its preparation by visiting Pulque Chinga Quedito, located in La Zona Romantica in Puerto Vallarta. Here you will find a passionate staff of local pulque enthusiasts and who prepare a number of modern variations of this traditional beverage for your drinking pleasure.
Street Art Walk
Puerto Vallarta is known up and down the coast for its fantastic street art scene. The city is even host to numerous annual street art festivals and events. Take yourself on a street art safari of the historic Puerto Vallarta. Walking from the 5 de Diciembre neighborhood all the way to La Zona Romantica is a great route. Take photos of the murals and pieces that standout to you. If you see an Instagram handle or a name, try and find the artist and follow their work online so you can see more of it from home.
Mirador el Cerro de la Cruz
The Mirador is the best lookout point in the entire city. This free attraction provides 360 degree panoramic views of Puerto Vallarta and the sea and mountains that surround the it. The Mirador is popular with exercise enthusiasts who enjoy the climb, as well as people who just want to kick back high above the city and have a picnic or watch the sunset. The climb to get up to the lookout point is no joke, though. There was once a cable car to pull people up the hill but it hasn’t been working for at least the past few years we have been visiting.
Tip: Don’t wear flip flops or sandals for this. Make sure to bring plenty of water.
La Marina Puerto Vallarta
The Marina in Puerto Vallarta is where you will find a variety of hotels, restaurants and nightlife wrapped around the docks where the elite upper class store their yachts. The marina is a great place to go for a walk to look at boats and spot iguanas, fish, and even crocodiles in the rocks and water below. There are a number of good bars and restaurants where you can find just about everything. I recommend checking out La Cervaceria Chapultapec, where the menu consists of small portions of everything you can imagine for just $1
Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe
The Church of Our Lady Guadalupe, known to locals as Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, is one of Puerto Vallarta’s most notable landmarks and has stood as part of the city’s unique history for over 80 years. The cathedral does offer services in both Spanish and English, but is open to visitors of all faiths and languages throughout the day for anyone who just wants to explore the beautiful structure inside and out.
Plaza de Armas
The Plaza de Armas of Puerto Vallarta is the central plaza of the city. Located directly in front of the Church of Our Lady Guadalupe, this plaza is a great place to grab some shade and sanctuary from the sun on a hot day. With ice cream shops and vendors located all around, many locals can be found relaxing on the benches in the park throughout the day. This plaza is also the location where the farmers market is held and where other local events are celebrated with food stalls and merchant tents.
Shoe Shopping for Huaraches
Mexican huaraches are a popular leather sandal that can be purchased in stores and shops all over Puerto Vallarta. In general, leather is big in Jalisco, with many leather shops selling everything from belts and wallets to gun holsters and saddles. However, the huarache shoe is particularly popular in Jalisco with locals and tourists alike. The stores that sell them are often called Huaracherias and they sell an infinite amount of these unique and customize handmade leather shoes.
Dive Into Some Seafood
While it is easy to get distracted by traditional Mexican food prepared with beef, pork, or chicken, remember that Puerto Vallarta is by the sea. Everyday, fishing boats from up and down the coast go out casting lines and nets to bring back the freshest seafood to their restaurants and tables. Marlin is a signature staple of seafood cuisine in Puerto Vallarta and so is shrimp (camarones) prepared every way possible. Ceviche is consumed by the bucketload by locals who often prepare it at home and bring it to the beach with tostadas. There is no better feeling than eating fresh fish on the beach while watching the sun set over the vast ocean from which it came.
Tattoos in Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta is known for its fantastic art scene, which can be observed in galleries and on the sidewalks but also in the many tattoo shops that are scattered throughout the city. Getting a tattoo while on vacation is one of the best souvenirs you could hope to come home with. Getting a unique tattoo from a local tattoo artist in Puerto Vallarta will give you something to remember your stay forever. There are many highly-rated tattoo shops and tattoo artists in Puerto Vallarta, so do yourself a favor and visit a few shops before making the commitment. It is also wise to plan your tattoo for one of the final days of your stay, that way you are done swimming and being out in the sun.
Taco Eating Tour
No need to reserve a guide for this tour. Simply go out into the city with the intention of taking down as many tacos as your heart desires. Tacos de pastor are a local staple and a great place to start. On the seafood side of things, marlin tacos and tacos de camarones (shrimp) are also popular options. No taco experience is complete without trying all of the different sauces provided at every restaurant and taco stand. Typically the seafood tacos will come with some creamier options, while the meat tacos may have some more typical hot sauce styles available. Get the tacos de asada “con todo” which means with onions and cilantro and wash it all down with an ice cold cerveza.