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| Type | Name | Description | Service Provider | Cost | Notes | Actions |
| General Info | Cuale River Island | Island in the river | $0.00 | What today is the island in the Cuale River exists since 1926 (originally known as Isla de Santa Clara & Isla de Los Niños - The Island of the Children), when the river grew and forked into two separate arms leaving a temporary island in between them. The "Isla del Río Cuale", the Cuale River Island, currently is a peaceful and relaxed shade-rich oasis in the middle of downtown Puerto Vallarta. | ||
| General Info | Vallarta Southside (Romantic Zone) | Cobble-stoney area where Brent and I stayed last time | $0.00 | Incorrectly called Old Town (downtown is much older, the 1st bridge over Rio Cuale wasn’t built till 1954) this part of Vallarta has far less of the commercialism which has affected downtown, it also has less timeshare booths. Called by a variation of names, “Romantic Zone” But Old Town has been adopted over the “South Side”, being the south side of the Rio Cuale which divides the town. | ||
| General Info | Downtown Puerto Vallarta | Downtown area, north of the river | $0.00 | You can see by the Downtown Map, it’s not a very large area. Before the hills behind downtown begin, there are only three north south streets and fourteen crossing them from Parque Hidalgo in the north and the Rio Cuale, which divides Downtown from the South Side. | ||
| General Info | Bikes & Bites Tour | A Guided Tour de Taco | Vallarta Food Tours | $55.00 |
Cost is per person, and is probably USD
Bike And Eat Your Way Through Vallarta. Our roll comfort bikes are designed for smooth sailing. We cover 4.5 miles on this culinary tour, tasting regional dishes influenced by Aztec, Mayan, Toltec, Spanish and French cuisine. This tour is designed for moderate fitness levels. Prior cycling experience is required and all guests must be 18 or older. |
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| General Info | Rhythms of The Night | Boat, Dinner, Theatre | Puerto Vallarta Tours | $139.00 |
Cost is per person, and probably USD
If you’re looking for a mini cirque de soleil / cultural show / dinner & theatre experience, then Rhythms of The Night will be something you want to check out. We saw this performance a few years ago and although we’re not big fans of large group tours, this show was spectacular and worth every penny. (https://www.goatsontheroad.com/20-cool-things-to-do-in-puerto-vallarta-mexico/) |
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| General Info | Chocolate Making Workshop | Choco Museo | $0.00 | Several kinds of workshops available. Museum is free. | ||
| General Info | Mountain Bike Tour | Several tours available | EcoRide | $0.00 |
Most of their tours are marked as "Advanced", but I think we could do some of them. Ones of interest (to Rhonda):
- Vallejo - 20km - "Intermediate" (http://www.ecoridemex.com/bike-tour-vallejo.html) - El Salto Waterfall - 21km - "Advanced" (http://www.ecoridemex.com/bike-tour-el-salto-waterfall.html) |
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| General Info | Hike and Bike - El Salto | EcoRide | $70.00 | Price is each, and probably USD | ||
| General Info | Hike: Las Animas (self-guided) | Take the bus to Boca de Tomatlan. Follow directions from web page. | $0.00 | When you’re ready to leave Las Animas you can get a water taxi back to Boca at the end of the pier or take a ride from one of the independent boat owners walking the beach looking for customers. It will cost between 50 and 90 Pesos each depending on the season and how busy they are. We managed to talk a guy into taking us for 40 Pesos each but this was early December and there were very few potential customers. Once high season hits you’ll be looking at 80-90 Pesos. The other option is to hike back to Boca the way you came as long as you have 2 hours of daylight left, I wouldn’t recommend the trail in the dark. | ||
| General Info | Free Guided Walking Tour | $0.00 | Every Tuesday (9:00am and noon), Wednesday (9:00am and noon) and Saturday (noon), there are free tours put on by the Municipal Tourism Office. The meeting point is at the Municipal Tourism Office, which is in the Old City Hall Building. The tour is about 2 hours long and no reservation is required. | |||
| General Info | ArtWalk | $0.00 |
Puerto Vallarta has the most art galleries of any Mexican coastal city. On Wednesday evenings, many of the art shops open their doors and allow visitors in to view the pieces. All mediums of art are on display, including paintings, sculptures, pottery and folk art.
Entrance is free, there is no guide, but there is usually wine and tequila given to visitors…for free. The “art walk” runs from 6:00pm to 10:00pm, every Wednesday until May 30. |
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| General Info | Church Of Our Lady Of Guadalupe | $0.00 | Puerto Vallarta's parish Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe is a city icon, it dominates Vallarta's downtown skyline and is one of the favorite symbols and landmarks of the city, both in photos, shirts, logos and postcards | |||
| General Info | Botanical Gardens | $0.00 | Vallarta's Botanical Gardens may be one of the most underrated attractions of the city. Here you'll find all of the beauty you can expect in a botanical garden but with lush jungle trails, amazing bird watching and a river to swim in. Admission is $100 pesos ($7 CAD) and the garden is open Tuesday through to Sunday. The gardens are a bit outside of the Old Town but are still accessible by bus (about 40 mins away). You can take the bus from Aquacate and Carranza in Old Town at about $22 pesos each way. | |||
| General Info | Voladores de Papantla | Each evening, starting from 6pm, catch a free performance on the Malecon of the brave 'voladores de Papantla' as they spin around a 50 foot pole and perform a traditional flying ritual. | $0.00 | |||
| General Info | Naval History Museum | $0.00 | It's easy to miss - the Naval History Museum is hidden in plain sight at the main square near Los Arcos. Here you'll learn about the origins of the Navy in Mexico and the history of settlement in Puerto Vallarta. Entrance and tours are available to visitors for 45 pesos/ea and the museum is open Tuesday to Sunday. | |||
| General Info | Free Live Music | $0.00 | Every Thursday and Saturday at around 6pm, the Municipal Band plays live music in the gazebo at the main plaza (near the central church). This is a great time of day to take in the sights and sounds of the city, especially on weekends when crowds gather to be entertained by the comical street performers at the stage near Los Arcos. | |||
| General Info | Cerro de La Cruz Lookout | $0.00 | The Cerro de la Cruz Lookout (Lookout on The Cross Hill), is, as the name states in Spanish, a lookout on the top of the La Cruz hill (Cerro de La Cruz) that towers on the East side over downtown Puerto Vallarta. It faces and views the sea silently, one of the most beautiful locations and bays of the Mexican Pacific, the Bay of Banderas and PV. | |||
| General Info | Release Baby Sea Turtles | Puerto Vallarta Tours, +52 322 222 4935 | $44.00 |
Cost is each, USD
Another excellent day trip to take if you’re vacationing in Puerto Vallarta is the journey to Nuevo Vallarta to take part in a conservation project and release baby sea turtles. Again, there are several companies offering these types of conservation projects, but one of the best is with Puerto Vallarta Tours, as they offer year round visits allowing you to participate in this wonderful and not widely-available project. From https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/mexico/articles/10-things-to-do-in-puerto-vallarta/ |
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| General Info | Neighborhood: El Pitillal | Many busses go here just look for Pitillal on the front. | $0.00 | El Pitillal Map, which shows the once small village on the other side of the Rio Pitillal, on the outskirts of town, is now part of the municipality of Puerto Vallarta. It is more like a suburb of the Puerto Vallarta where many local workers live. Next to the traditional plaza is the San Miguel Arcángel Parish church, which has twenty six foot tall sculpture of Jesus Christ carved from one single piece of wood hanging over the altar. In September the 29th is the Feast of Saint Michael and there will be many festivities centred on the church and the plaza in front of it. After dark a big fireworks display. The town is very non touristy but offers some wonderful shopping opportunities and interesting restaurants. Very little English spoken here. | ||
| General Info | El Salado Estuary | Boat Tours available, reservations mandatory | $0.00 | The “El Salado” Estuary is located in the Municipality of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. It is considered an Urban Estuary, since it is surrounded by the urban area of the aforementioned Port [Puerto Vallarta]. It consists of a surface area to be protected of 168-96-50 hectares, out of which nearly 135 hectares are comprised of mangrove and marsh vegetation, and the rest are comprised of two remnants of tropical semi-deciduous forest surrounded by sequences of elements of water and underwater vegetation, a thorn forest and secondary vegetation. | ||
| General Info | Marina | Estero El Salado, Turtle Camp, Crocodile Preserve | $0.00 | |||
| General Info | Town: Sayulita & beyond | Buses don't go that far - maybe have to rent a car? | $0.00 |
You’ll hear the locals complain that Sayulita’s getting too big, but the truth is; this once sleepy surfing town still has plenty to offer. Small boutique shops, a number of tasty restaurants, and a unique blend of Mexican and expat culture dot the streets. The beach’s tame, reliable waves make for excellent beginner surfing opportunities, A prolific amount of vacation homes provide lodging in the hills above town and a number of small scale hotels line the streets. It’s been “discovered”, and it’s certainly changed in the past 10 years (even in the past 5 years!), but that doesn’t mean it won’t still provide a good option for people looking for an alternative to Puerto Vallarta.
Beyond Sayulita: Guyabitos & La Peñita Once you head North of Sayulita Mexican culture opens up tremendously. The majority of the tourist traps are behind you, and a vibrant, lively blend of local Mexican culture and people await. Rincon de Guabitos and neighboring La Penita offer a wonderful mix of retired expats and a thriving local economy. A majority of the “gringo” tourists here are visitors that have been coming for years. This region seems particularly popular with Canadians. Affordable second home options available for multi-month rentals make the perfect snow bird retreat. You don’t find much of the glitz and glamour available further South, but if you’re looking for a truly authentic Mexican vacation, you’re starting along the right track. |
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| General Info | Town: Yelapa | Our favorite - we want to go back! | $0.00 | |||
| General Info | Town: San Sebastian | Link includes info for getting there | $0.00 | A former mining town, San Sebastian is full of charming colonial architecture, cobbled streets and a laid-back vibe. You can get there via car, public transportation or day tour. | ||
| General Info | Town: El Tuito | Link includes directions for getting there | $0.00 | |||
| General Info | Bicycle Rentals | $0.00 |
Aequilibrium Bikes: Viena 350-5, Versalles, 48310. Opens 10AM no Sunday.
PVBikes: Royal Pacific Local 101, Marina Vallarta, 48335. Opens 8AM every day. Puerto Vallarta Cycling: Arroyito 170, Ojo de Agua, 48344. Opens at 11AM no Sunday. |
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| General Info | Walk to Jorullo Bridge | $0.00 | Follow the Rio Calle through Paso Ancho, Paso del Guayabo, and Los Almacenes to Canopy River Park and then Jorullo Bridge. | |||
| Handy | PV Area Map | $0.00 | ||||
| Reminder | Boca de Tomatlan | Boca is where you can take a boat to Las Animas (if you don't want to hike) or to Yelapa. | $0.00 |
Catch the bus to Boca de Tomatlan from the stop in front of the OXXO at the corner of Basillo Badillo and Constitucion.
There’s not a lot to do or see in Boca itself but there is a nice beach with a couple of restaurants and some pretty spots for photo ops. There are also a couple of stores where you can purchase drinks and snacks for the hike or a food stand where you can purchase a Torta to go (this is what we did). Info from https://livedreamdiscover.com/an-inexpensive-day-trip-from-puerto-vallarta-hike-from-boca-de-tomatlan-to-las-animas/ |
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