Five-Day Best of Puerto Vallarta
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Eight Hours in Puerto Vallarta
If your time is limited to a day, spend it all in the old town, mostly around the south end. Take a taxi to the upper bridge (Av. Insurgentes) over the Río Cuale. Spend some time among the handicrafts stalls in the Municipal Crafts Market just downhill from the bridge. Head upstream from the bridge, along the mid-stream island. Pass the landmark Restaurant Le Bistro on the right. A few steps farther, admire the bronze sculpture of the celebrated film director in the Plaza John Huston. Continue uphill, passing the small gallery of the Centro Cultural Vallartense on the left, and continue to the airy upper point of the island. Pause to enjoy the breeze and the river and mountain view. (read more)
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Five-Day Best of Puerto Vallarta
For the most intimate view of Puerto Vallarta, stay in a comfortable hotel within close walking distance of the colorful old-town sights, cafés, restaurants, and shops. If you opt to stay in the north-end Hotel Zone or the Marina, you can easily hail a taxi ($5–8) or hop a local bus to go where the action is. In any case, use the relevant destination sections of this book for the many more details that will smooth your visit and provide background for your Puerto Vallarta adventures. (read more)
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Best Beaches
Although a “best” beach for some folks might be horrible for others, many people would agree that a good, all-purpose beach should have convenient bus or car access, somewhere to stay and eat, gentle surf with no more than mild undertow, and also be safe for boogie boarding and swimming. Of course, not all good beaches fit this mild prescription—some are especially pristine and isolated, others are outstanding for such activities as wildlife-watching, surf fishing, or tent and RV camping. (read more)
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Seaside Adventures
Besides its many artificially constructed attractions, Puerto Vallarta and its surrounding regions offer a host of natural marvels. For lovers of the great outdoors, here are a few that are especially notable. (read more)
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Shopping for Arts and Handicrafts
Although Puerto Vallarta residents make few folk crafts themselves, they import tons of good—and some very fine—pieces from the places where they are made. Furthermore, Puerto Vallarta’s scenic beauty has become an inspiration for a growing community of artists and discerning collectors who have opened shops filled with locally crafted sculptures, paintings, and museum-grade handicrafts gathered from all over Mexico.
Puerto Vallarta is a fine shopping ground for handicrafts, fine art, and home furnishings. Both the large selection of goods and the very reasonable prices add to the temptation to do all your holiday gift shopping in Puerto Vallarta, regardless of the season. Although virtually all Mexican handicrafts are available in Puerto Vallarta, some stores are especially well stocked in certain categories. (read more)
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