Puerto Vallarta is a beach destination on the west coast of Mexico. It’s a popular place for cruise ships to stop and a busy destination for tourists flying in all around the globe.
Unlike other regions in Mexico, Puerto Vallarta offers a beach getaway surrounded by mountains offering epic outdoor adventures for all.
Whether you’re looking to vacation with your family, are a part of the LGBTQ+ community, traveling solo, or hoping for a romantic getaway with a loved one, Puerto Vallarta has it all.
With things to do in Puerto Vallarta ranging from budget-friendly travel to luxury vacations, there’s a huge spectrum of activities to keep everyone happy on vacation. Let’s take a closer look at them all.
Table of Contents
1. Enjoy Some Street Tacos
A visit to Puerto Vallarta isn’t complete unless you indulge in some of Puerto Vallarta’s street tacos. Don’t be afraid of getting sick from the street stands. I’ve eaten more street tacos in Puerto Vallarta than I can count, and have never once got sick from them.
Taco stands only accept cash, and you can expect to pay anywhere from USD 1 to USD 1.50 per taco, and shoot they’re mouthwatering good!
2. Hike to Palo Maria Waterfall
Palo Maria Waterfall is one of many waterfalls in Puerto Vallarta. It’s close to town, making it easy to access, and is a relatively easy hike. The best part of Palo Maria is visitors can actually swim here!
Make a day out of a trip to Palo Maria by purchasing food to go, bringing lots of extra water, and packing your swimsuit to jump off the cliffs into this freshwater swimming hole in Puerto Vallarta.
3. Take an Excursion Out to the Sea
With Puerto Vallarta being a tourist place, you can bet there are hundreds of different Puerto Vallarta excursions to partake in. If you choose to take a excursion, be sure to do one out on the water. A few options for excursions out on sea are below.
A Tour for Everyone | Deep Sea Fishing
As the name suggests, it’s a fishing tour out to sea. This is particularly fun if you have accommodation with a kitchen so you can then cook the fish you caught. Look for fishing tours that offer freshly prepared ceviche on the trip — this really brings the fishing tour to the next level!
A Water Tour for the Romance | Rhythms of the Night Cruise
The Rhythms of the Night tour is a sunset tour to a private beach where you get to watch a show similar to what you would think of in an acrobatic show in Las Vegas. After the show, you’ll have an all you can eat buffet dinner before boating back to the marina.
Oh, did I mention all drinks are included in this trip — both on the boat ride and at dinner? While the food isn’t anything to write home about, this is a super fun tour!
A Water Excursion for the Adventurous | A Hot Dog Ride or Jet Skis
The “Hot Dog” Ride is basically where you and your friends/family are pulled behind a boat on a hot dog-shaped tube. It’s similar to tubing in the United States, but it’s out on the ocean and not as crazy!
Jet Skis are offered for rent at multiple places up and down the beach line. If you choose to jet ski, be sure to pay attention to the water that day. You don’t want to jet ski on a super choppy day — it’s not as fun!
4. Take a Tour of the Land
Puerto Vallarta is surrounded by the jungle. It’s a beautiful place to be able to get out and explore. Similar to the excursions on the sea, multiple different excursions by land cater to all types of travelers.
If you’re looking to experience all sides of Puerto Vallarta, you have to take a trip into the jungle. Just be sure to load up on bug spray! The mosquitos can be pretty bad!
The Romantic Land Excursion | Tequila Tasting
What a fun day date to go on! Tequila tasting is offered in multiple different tours. You can go to a handful of distilleries, or choose to only go to one. Sometimes, the tequila tours are paired with other tastings too, so be sure to ask what’s all included!
The Adventurous Land Trip | Zip Lining Through The Jungle
If you’ve never been zip lining before, Puerto Vallarta is the perfect place for your first-time zip lining. With short lines and ones that seem to go on forever, most tours offer a great variety! Similar to the tequila tours, zip-lining tours are all quite different.
Some are strictly zip lining only, while others offer quad rides, repelling down waterfalls, or even donkey treks! Be sure to choose wisely, or you may end up with a bit more than you signed up for!
5. Relax on the Beach
There are multiple different beaches in Puerto Vallarta, but the most famous beach area is Los Muertos Beach. While this translates to the beach of the dead, it’s far from that!
Los Muertos Beach is full of vendors looking to sell you chairs and umbrellas, woman hoping you want your hair braided, and even men offering BBQ shrimp on a stick. But don’t let those things deter you from enjoying the beach! It’s all part of the fun of Puerto Vallarta.
6. Watch the Flying Men of Puerto Vallarta
Yes, you read that right. There are men that “fly” in circles off a multi-story pole right over the beach. You’ll know they’re going to fly when you start hearing a flute play. This is both a beautiful and terrifying thing to witness, as the men literally just tie themselves with a rope to the bar that secures them from literally being thrown out to sea.
Be sure to have some pesos on you if you choose to watch the Flying Men of Puerto Vallarta, as they do this to make money, and someone will be coming around to collect your change!
7. Catch the Sunset from the Mirador
The Hill of the Cross Viewpoint can be seen from all around Puerto Vallarta. It’s a mirador, or lookout, on the top of the mountain that has many different layers and lots of steps to get to it!
I only recommend doing this is the weather isn’t too hot and if you’re in decent shape. As you will see from anywhere along the beach looking up to the viewpoint it’s a long ways up and is quite the workout to get to!
8. Walk the Malecon
The Malecon is the main boardwalk area of Puerto Vallarta. It’s a large paved pathway stretching for over a mile of the beach. Walking along the Malecon you’ll find street vendors, little pop-up shops, and plenty of food options for those looking to dine with a view.
9. Shop for Souvenirs at the Cuale Island Flea Market
Located on a small island right between the Romantic zone of Puerto Vallarta and the end of the Malecon, is the best market area for souvenirs. There’s multiple stalls both on the Cuale Island and along the streets on both sides.
You’ll find everything you’re looking for and more at this market. There’s hanging chairs, hats, jewelry, clothing, blankets, and all the trinkets in the world! Be sure to have cash on you and be ready to barter, as the flea market prices can seem steep from the beginning, but it’s expected that you talk the shop owners down to a more reasonable price.
10. Enjoy a Craft Beer at a Puerto Vallarta Brewery
While I love a good can of Victoria or Modelo on the beach, it’s also nice to sit in a brewery and grab a craft beer from the tap now and then. Most craft breweries in Puerto Vallarta are designed with tourists in mind, so you can expect great service and a beer like you would get from home.
Monzon Brewing Co. is our favorite brewery in Puerto Vallarta for a date night! There are board games, the beer is great, and the bar tenders are fantastic.
11. Enjoy the Night Life of Puerto Vallarta
The Malecon turns into something completely different at night. With multiple bars and clubs, the nightlife in Puerto Vallarta is a big scene.
Even if you’re not into clubbing or going to bars with loud music, it’s certainly interesting to people watch and just walk the Malecon at night to see how it completely changes from what it’s like during the day.
12. Take a Day Trip Out of Puerto Vallarta
A super popular place to take a day trip to from Puerto Vallarta is Sayulita in the north or Yelapa to the south. Sayulita is known as a sleepy surfer town and is accessible by bus. Yelapa to the south is a bit harder to get to and is actually only accessible by boat, but is a great day trip out of Puerto Vallarta too!
With the welcoming atmosphere and multiple things to do in Puerto Vallarta for all sorts of travelers, it’s really a great place to vacation. You can enjoy the tourist side of Puerto Vallarta, or find ways to escape and enjoy more of the true Mexican Culture here too.
Whatever kind of vacation you’re looking for, Puerto Vallarta has it all!
About the Contributor:
Heather is the travel writer behind ArboursAbroad. After moving abroad to Scotland for two years, Heather and her husband now live full-time on the road with their cat, Georgie. When not camp hosting in the summers in Oregon, Heather and her husband and cat travel in their van in the western United States, taking international trips in the winter to escape the cold.
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