Half a century ago, Puerto Vallarta (pop. 350,000) was just another sleepy fishing village lost in the jungle between the mountains and a massive bay on the Pacific. Richard Burton, Liz Taylor, and droves of reporters following the lovers invaded the tiny village in 1963 to film Night of the Iguana, uncovering the beauty of the area for the world to see. The film thrust Vallarta into the public eye, jumpstarting the development of the city of 200,000 that is now famed as a tourist destination. While Night of the Iguana is long forgotten, Vallarta’s massive resorts, epic nightlife, and timeless allure ensure it will remain a popular destination far into the future.
Running roughly east-west, Río Cuale bisects Puerto Vallarta before hitting the ocean. Mex. 200 from Manzanillo runs into town south of the river, becoming Insurgentes. The ritzy waterfront between Plaza Mayor and 31 de Octubre, called the malecón, is home to pricey restaurants, hotels, clubs, and the quintessential souvenir shops. North of the malecón, Morelos becomes Perú before joining the coastal route. Farther north lie the airport, marina, and bus station. The Zona Romántica, southwest of the river, is a mixture of bars, cafes, businesses, shops, and restaurants of all sorts. The southern end has almost all the cheap hotels, best beaches, and budget restaurants.
A city of ritzy resorts and condos, the only budget hotel options in Puerto Vallarta are south of the river, clustered on a small strip of Madero. Reservations are recommended during Semana Santa and December, when vacationers from the interior and the north swoop in. Camping on the beach is prohibited in Puerto Vallarta, but once you pass into Nayarit it is permissible. Look for stretches of beach not adjoining hotels, and exercise caution overnight.
Puerto Vallarta, living up to its international billing, serves cuisine from around the globe. It comes with a hefty cost, though, and finding cheap food can be a challenge. The best place to look is south of the river, where a slew of restaurants serve traditional tacos and antojitos for decent prices. Innumerable street vendors along Madero and Cárdenas hawk decent tacos at all hours of the day and night for the lowest prices in the city. Olas Altas and the surrounding streets are home to a variety of cafes and delis with lighter options. There is also a supermarket, Gutiérrez Rizo, at Constitución and Serdán. (☎222 0222. Open daily 6:30am-11pm. AmEx.)
Vallarta’s most popular attractions are its natural gifts: the striking green mountains and the miles of coastline and warm water. Watersports enthusiasts have a lot to choose from in Vallarta—activities like parasailing (8-10min. ride US$30) are extremely popular, especially in the morning. Jet skis (doubles 550 pesos per 30min.), banana boats (350 pesos per person for 1hr.), and kayaks (150 pesos per hr.), are also available—ask around at the pier and on the malecón. Chico’s Dive Shop, 772 Díaz Ordaz, offers scuba diving courses, certification classes, and trips. (☎222 1895 or 1875 at Mismaloya; www.chicos-diveshop.com. 1hr. course US$25. Certification classes US$370. 4hr. of snorkeling 400 pesos per person. English-speaking staff lowers rates for returning customers and groups. Open daily 8am-10pm.) Equestrian fanatics can take to the hills on horseback; sign up at the stand in the plaza on Olas Altas at Carranza. (☎222 0386. 150 pesos per hr.)
Some of the least crowded and most gorgeous beaches stretch south of town on the road to Mismaloya and north into Nayarit . The beaches near the centro are used most often for chatting and people-watching along the malecón, or for the watersports centered around Muelle de los Muertos (Pier of the Dead), which separates Playa de los Muertos (Beach of the Dead) from Playa de Olas Altas (Tall Waves Beach). The former has clearer water and is a better swimming area. The muddy river empties into the ocean at Olas Altas, which is a more popular spot for watersports. To get to either, walk west along Cárdenas or Badillo. Near the southern end of Playa de los Muertos is The Blue Chairs resort, the world’s largest gay and lesbian beachfront resort.
Isla del Río Cuale is accessible by short stairways from both bridges spanning the Río Cuale, as well as by a bridge on the seaward side that connects the island with Playa de Olas Altas. A tree-shaded pathway runs the length of the diminutive island, past restaurants, boutiques, a club, and merchants’ stands with handicrafts and souvenirs. The Museo del Cuale, at the seaward end of the island, houses interesting displays on Mesoamerican culture and regional history. (Open M-F 9am-2pm and 3-6pm. Free.) Steep stairs beginning behind the Church of Guadalupe lead up the mini-mountain into the wealthy Zaragoza neighborhood, known locally as “Gringo Gulch,” where the first Americans and Canadians relocated. The rose-colored bridge spanning the rooftops connects Casa Kimberley, Zaragoza 445, the former love nest of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, to its rooftop pool in the building across the street.
While best known for its beaches and clubs, Puerto Vallarta has a startlingly large art community demonstrated by the numerous art galleries all over town, which feature all types of media. Each week from October to May, a program called ArtWalk showcases different galleries around the city. Each Wednesday from 6-10pm, some of the galleries have free cocktail exhibitions of their work. Pick up a program from the tourist office or look for ArtWalk flags around town. Most ArtWalk galleries have regular summer hours. Call specific galleries for more information. For a thrill, head to La Paloma bullring, located on Av. Las Palmas across from the Marina. Four bullfighters are showcased each week on Wednesday night at 5pm. (☎221 0414. Tickets 350 pesos. Take a 60-peso taxi or a 5-peso bus to SAM’S/Wal-Mart and walk down Las Palmas.) A quieter night waits at Cine Bahía, Insurgentes 63, showing American and international films, often dubbed into Spanish. (☎222 1717. 30 pesos, senior citizens and children 25 pesos; Tu 25 pesos)
Like any resort destination, Puerto Vallarta boils over every night with thousands of well-dressed locals and foreigners streaming onto the malecón and nearby streets. The boardwalk sees the most action at night, while the lively gay scene centers south of the river on Olas Altas. The Zona Romántica offers smaller, more intimate bars, while the Plaza Marina far north of the city (reachable by taxi, 60-80 pesos, or a 15min. hike from the last bus route) has a series of clubs catering to college student staying in nearby hotels. The party doesn’t really start until 11pm-midnight, but go a little early to beat the lines outside the bigger clubs, which generally charge a hefty cover of 100-150 pesos. US dollars are accepted at most clubs.
Vallarta supports a large gay community, with nightlife clustering around the southern end of Olas Altas. Two gay cruises are available, both booked through the Blue Chairs Resort. The Blue Ocean cruise leaves from Los Muertos pier and travels to the southern beaches. (☎222 5040. Includes breakfast, lunch, open bar, and afterparty at the Sunset Bar. Th 10am-5:30pm. 750 pesos.) Pegaso Charters hosts their cruise the next day. (☎290 0705. F 10am-3pm. 700 pesos.) Two magazines, Zona Romántica and Gay Guide Vallarta, available in most gay establishments, offer a comprehensive listing of gay and gay-friendly establishments.
The 26mi. Bahía de Banderas (Bay of Flags) that shelters Puerto Vallarta owes its name to a blunder: when the conquistador Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán landed here in 1532, he mistook the colorful headdresses of the thousands of natives awaiting him for flags. With a little effort, the quieter beaches and the untouched splendor that originally drew the crowds to Vallarta can still be found at the outer edges of the bay, all reachable within an hour’s travel from the downtown area.
Buses go to Mismaloya and Boca de Tomatlán from Constitución and Badillo in Vallarta (every 10min. 5:30am-11pm, 5.50 pesos). Taxis 80 pesos. “Tuito” buses run to Chico’s Paradise from Carranza and Aguacate (every 30min. 5am-9pm, 10 pesos). Taxis acuáticos (water taxis) are the cheapest way to get to the boats-only beaches. They leave from Muelle de los Muertos (Pier of the Dead) and stop at Las Ánimas, Quimixto, and Yelapa. (45min., 11am, 90 pesos round-trip, return at 4pm.) Taxis acuáticos also travel between Boca de Tomatlán and the farther beaches for lower prices. (Boca to Yelapa, 50-60 pesos.) Cruises to points south of Vallarta leave from the marina. (9am, from US$25, return at 4pm.) Information is available in the tourist office, at large hotels, in smaller tourist offices strewn along the malecón, or at the marina.
The most secluded of Vallarta’s beaches lie down the coast to the south amid thick tropical growth and sheer rock faces. The first few are monopolized by resorts, and hotels do their best to restrict public access. Past Boca de Tomatlán, the beaches are accessible only by boat.
Los Arcos. Down the coast lies Los Arcos, a group of towering rock islands shaped by pounding waves. Boats drop anchor next to the islands for a scenic afternoon lunch. The rocky coast is the starting point for the 200m trek out to the islands past the coral. Bring a mask or goggles, or risk missing the tropical fish that flutter through the underwater reefscape. Mind your step—the coral is sharp enough to draw blood. Use caution and swim with a friend. (Take the bus to Mismaloya and ask the driver to stop at Hotel de los Arcos.)
Mismaloya. Best known as the site of Night of the Iguana, the movie that put Vallarta on the map, Mismaloya is a smoothly curving sandy beach just south of the city. The turquoise water affords a much clearer view than the rest of the turbid Pacific, but the beach is a little more crowded than those that surround it. Keep an eye out for part of the crashed helicopter from the set of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s action movie, Predator, filmed here in 1987.
Boca De Tomatlán. The final beach on the southern road is nestled in a tiny, sheltered cove. Enjoy your large plot of sand or catch a taxi aquático to the distant beaches, which leave on the half-hour. The last spot to visit on the southern road is Chico’s Paradise, 5km inland from Boca de Tomatlán. Wash down the view of nearby Tomatlán Falls and its brave cliff divers with a beer (20 pesos) at Chico’s huge palapas, or splash in the river and admire the lush, green hills that surround it. (To get to Chico’s from Boca de Tomatlán, take a 5-peso “Tuito” bus from the main highway. 5 pesos. ☎223 6005. Open daily 10am-6pm.)
Las Ánimas Quimixto And Majahuita. About as deserted as they come, these beaches (accessible only by taxi aquático) play host to a few scattered straw-roofed shacks serving mixed drinks along empty stretches of sand. Some surrounding rocky areas are good for scuba diving—arrange times and prices with a taxi aquático service.
Yelapa. The southernmost beach along the bay is surprisingly developed, with timeshares and palapa-themed bungalows with modern amenities available for seasonal rental. This aside, the soft white beach spans the cove, making for idyllic swimming among bobbing boats. Kayakers, snorkelers, and vendors hawking the occasional souvenir also share the beach. For the truly dedicated traveler who finds the rumored seclusion of Yelapa’s beaches not up to their billing, there are freshwater pools up the steep hillside. To get there, begin walking up the path that follows the riverbed and ask someone how to get to the pools. They will point you to a path that leads over some pipes to the right of the trail. If (when) you lose this narrow, meandering path, start following the riverbed upstream—it’s hard to miss with the large boulders lining it. After 10-15min. of hiking, complete solitude awaits you in the refreshingly cool pools.
Step on a “SAM’S/WalMart bus” (25min., 5 pesos) in Puerto Vallarta. From the WalMart, get on to a gray “ATM” bus heading for Punta de Mita and ask to be let off at Piedra Blanca (45min., 18 pesos), Destiladeras (50min., 20 pesos), or ride it all the way to Punta de Mita (1hr., 20 pesos). Last return bus 9pm.
The northern part of the bay, actually in Nayarit, offers uncrowded beaches with a bay view largely untarnished by massive resort development. Nuevo Vallarta, the largest and southernmost of nine small towns on the north bay, is 150km south of Tepic and 20km north of Puerto Vallarta. Protected by a sandy cove, Playa Piedra Blanca (White Rock Beach) has wonderfully calm waters that invite people of all ages into the ocean. Just past Piedra Blanca is Destiladeras, a beach bordered by a sharp precipice through which the water passes. Not entirely a sand beach, its smooth stones still make it a prime spot for swimming and bodysurfing. The northernmost point of the bay separating it from the ocean is Punta de Mita. Smooth stones mingled with mostly empty stretches of sand make it a worthwhile destination far from the bustle of the city’s beaches. Bordered by rocky islets, it has a live coral reef out past the first few breaks. Bring bottled water and a bag lunch to avoid inflated prices at the beachside palapas.
 |
 |
 |
 |
For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
Facebook
Twitter
You Tube
Foursquare
Newsletter
RSS Feed
Overview