Puerto Vallarta ( PVR) is one of the best place to visit in Mexico. We enjoyed our vacation here. With plenty of activities to uncover, including beautiful beaches, a very lively nightlife, water sports, tasty cuisine, marine life, fun resorts and bars.
Puerto Vallarta is a city in the State of Jalisco, Mexico. It is located on the west coast, the Pacific Ocean side of the country.
The best time to visit Puerto Vallarta is from mid-April to June, and October. You will experience excellent weather and affordable rates. April through June has the most pleasant weather; May and June normally have the best hotel deals. Puerto Vallarta has very humid months, and above average humidity throughout the year. The least humid month is May and the most humid month is September.
October is the best time for water activities such as diving snorkeling. Keep in mind, the week leading up to Easter ie Holy Week is peak time for local where it will be busy and hotels should be fully booked well in advance.
Consequently, December is a perfect time of the year in Puerto Vallarta to enjoy for warm weather travelers. The average high during this season is between 82.8°F (28.2°C) and 79°F (26.1°C). It does not rain or snow.
One of the most famous Puerto Vallarta activities is the November Festival. You can find concerts, art exhibits, tequila, cocktail parties, wine tasting events and festive dinners during this annual celebration that takes place in mid-November. All varieties of music are presented in Puerto Vallarta, and one of the top electronic music festivals in the northern hemisphere is held here every year.
LODGING
Secrets Vallarta Bay was our home for six nights.
When we arrived at the hotel’s gate, the guard says ‘Welcome home.’ That felt good. As we stepped out of the car, we were handed glasses of champagne and warm scented towels. It was a nice welcome. We were taken to the Preferred Club to check in to our Preferred Club Junior Suite. The beautiful large king bedroom had a jacuzzi and the infinity pool on the patio were amazing. The pool was only for the 8 Preferred Club room on the ground floor so you have the pool all to yourselves at times. In addition, we had access to the Preferred Club Lounge, which meant we could drink any premium beers and liquors at the bar, and indulge in hot and cold hors d’oeuvres throughout the day and the food there were much better than the restaurants they had.
Remember to bring formal clothing for the nice restaurants there, it’s a must wear or will be denied entry.
ACTIVITIES
We went with the tour Vallarta Adventures. We completed three adventures with Extreme adventure, Sea Safari and Sea Lion Encounter.
1) Extreme adventure tour- A shuttle bus took an hour to the area. You get to do a lot of extreme activity including zipline. I like the ‘Superman’ zipline which is one of the longest and fastest zip line in Mexico at nearly 4,000 feet in length and reaching speeds of up to 60 mph!
There is also rappelling off an elevated treetop platform, step up, tight rope walk, climb a 65 feet high Net, exhilarating jump called Tarzen Swing, Off Roadin’ through the Jungle on Polaris RZR UTVs and a waterslide. You have an option not to do any part of the activity.
$109 pp for this adventure. $25 extra for those driving ATV for insurance. Wear swimming attire underneath for the waterslide. It’s recommended for people in good shape, there is a lot of climbing and hiking & everything went fast, no resting. The staff were awesome.
2) Sea Safari adventure- This involved us taking a boat to a small town of Quimixto, where we went on a horseback riding. We went up a mountain through a small lake all the way up to a nice waterfall. Once there, you spent about 30 minutes relaxing and or swimming through the falls before getting back on the horses and going back down the mountain.
Once you leave Quimixto, we got on a speed boat and went to a small little area to go snorkeling. It was only 15mins. We saw lots of tropical fish here and we touched a starfish.
Then off to a very small town called Pizota for about 1hr 45 mins. The lunch was delicious, a staff was grilling all kinds of meat. You also had the option to do paddle boarding and kayaking but there wasn’t much time. The boat ride there was 45 mins, returning ride was very choppy. $118pp for this & worth it.
3) Encounter with a Sea Lion adventure- you meet at the marina. The total time was only 30-40min in the water. Our sea lion name is Cassandra and she is 14 yrs old. She gave everyone kisses, you get to hug her, she would dive over our heads etc…. $99 pp but we got to buy two adventure get third free. It was really fun and entertaining!
I would definitely recommend this Adventure tour.
WALK THE BEACH
While Puerto Vallarta is located in the beautiful Banderas Bay, it’s one of the widest and deepest bays in the world. There’s no shortage of beaches here and you can spend days playing here. The areas are well-maintained and clean with plenty of water activities to choose from. Some of the nice beaches are Playa Las Gemalas, Playa Camarones and Playa Los Muertos. Go for a swim, picnic or sunbathed.
WATCH A SUNSET ON THE MALECON
There’s nothing better than enjoying a sunset with a cocktail in hand, feeling the warm ocean breeze and your bare feet in the sand. Watch the sunset on the Malecón to get a real feel for the culture of Puerto Vallarta. It’s full of bars, shops, as well as sand sculptures and local art. Look out for Los Arcos (a row of standing arches in Plaza Morelos) and the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, two of the most iconic landmarks.
SHOP AT LOCAL MARKETS
There are excellent shops scattered throughout. Some are in major hotels, near the beach and many are located in the main downtown shopping area on the Malecon and along Morelos and Juárez Streets.
During the dry season (November – April), the Olas Altas Farmers Market happens every Saturday from 9:30 am – 2 pm. You’ll find homemade goodies such as salsas, fresh bagels, homemade yogurt, British pies and artisan bread. Also enjoy live music.
Vallarta’s main flea market, the Mercado Municipal Río Cuale exists since the start of the XX Century but really took off in the late 1970’s. There’s an architectural project of Alejandro Zohn built between 1977 and 1979.
ENJOY LOCAL FOOD
As a foodie hotspot, Puerto Vallarta has a host of excellent restaurants for all budgets and tastes. You’ll find something to delight your tastebuds in almost any setting, be it on the beach, at a roadside stand, or in one of the city’s many fine restaurants.
There’s way more food in Puerto Vallarta than just tacos. Puerto Vallarta actually has several world-class and even Michelin star restaurants.
SPEND A DAY RELAXING
It’s nice to spend a day on the white sand beaches, enjoying the drinks and swim.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
Food Tour
Visit the Marieta Islands, a national marine park with fascinating caves and wildlife.
Playa Las Animas is a small fishing village that you can only reach by boat or hike.
Visit Mismaloya. a small little community south of Old Town
Any questions please comment below. Hope you enjoyed reading this blog.
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