Puerto Vallarta sits at the northern end of Banderas Bay — Mexico's largest — where the Sierra Madre mountains run almost directly into the Pacific. The combination of dramatic backdrop, genuine colonial town, and a restaurant scene that has become one of Mexico's finest makes it a different experience from the Caribbean resort corridor. I've taken groups here and watched people who thought they were coming for a beach trip discover that Puerto Vallarta is something richer than that.
Zona Romántica — the best neighborhood in Puerto Vallarta
The Zona Romántica, south of the Río Cuale, is the original Puerto Vallarta — cobblestone streets, whitewashed buildings with terracotta roofs, the beach of Los Muertos, and the restaurants that put this city on Mexico's culinary map. Walk the Malecón north through the old town to the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose crown-topped tower is the city's signature. Come on a weeknight when the cruise ship day-trippers are gone and the neighborhood is just itself.
Take a boat to the beaches south of the bay — you can't drive there
Some of the best beaches on Banderas Bay can't be reached by road at all — Las Animas, Quimixto, Majahuitas, all water-taxi only from the Los Muertos pier. Las Animas has palapa restaurants with fresh fish and cold beer on the sand. Majahuitas is almost completely undeveloped, just a small cove with no permanent establishments. Yelapa at the southern tip of the bay has a waterfall and a pace that's hard to find anywhere. Move between a couple of these in a single day and head back at sunset.
Eat at Tintoque or Café des Artistes — two of Mexico's best restaurants
Puerto Vallarta's restaurant scene has nothing to do with resort dining anymore. Tintoque, run by Chef Ana Luisa García, does modern Mexican in the Zona Romántica at a level that belongs on any Mexico shortlist. Café des Artistes has been the city's best for three decades running. For something more casual, La Palapa on Los Muertos beach serves great seafood directly on the sand. Reserve well ahead for all three.
Whale watching in Banderas Bay — December through March
Humpback whales winter in Banderas Bay from December through March, which makes Puerto Vallarta one of the more accessible whale-watching spots in the Americas. The bay is warm and sheltered — they come here to breed and give birth. Several operators run small-boat tours, 6-12 passengers, close enough to hear them breathe. Go in the morning when the bay is calm and the whales are most active. If the timing lines up, I'd build a trip around this.
Day trip to Sayulita — 45 minutes north on the Riviera Nayarit
Forty-five minutes north of Puerto Vallarta on the Riviera Nayarit coast, Sayulita is a small surf town that has evolved into one of Mexico's most characterful beach destinations — colorful buildings, good waves, excellent tacos, and a creative community of artists and surfers that gives it an energy completely different from resort Mexico. Punta Mita, at the tip of the peninsula north of Sayulita, has the finest beaches on the bay and is home to the St. Regis and Four Seasons — worth the trip for lunch at either hotel's beach club if your group appreciates that kind of thing.
Puerto Vallarta is one of the places I keep coming back to with groups because it works for almost everyone. You've got the authentic town, the beaches, the restaurants, the jungle backdrop — and it doesn't require the all-inclusive formula to deliver a great trip. The infrastructure is solid and the range of options is wide. Easy yes for Mexico.
Written by
Jenn
Founder of Memorable Travel & Adventures. Jenn has personally traveled to every destination in this journal. She plans trips to all of them.
