Things to do in Puerto Vallarta
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Eco Ride
Surrounded by the mountains, jungle and sea, Vallarta offers some truly thrilling mountain biking. This outfit offers guided one-day cycling tours suited for beginners and badasses alike. The most challenging is a 50km expedition from El Tuito (a small town at 1100m) through Chacala and down to the beach in Yelapa. The views are stunning.
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Joe Jack’s Fish Shack
Seafood aficionados flock to this joint for fish and chips, garlic shrimp, whole red snapper and great slabs of mahi mahi. Large groups are graciously accommodated on the pleasant rooftop terrace. The service is jovial and quick, and the music classic rock.
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Davannayoga
Yoga Alliance–certified Davannayoga offers a wide-ranging schedule of yoga classes, including the popular Sunset Yoga, held daily on a rooftop high above Vallarta.
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Café de Olla
This well-loved traditional Mexican restaurant nurtures a lively atmosphere with its sidewalk grill and open kitchen.
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Café des Artistes
Many consider this to be Vallarta’s finest restaurant. Whether or not you’re prone to superlatives, you’re sure to enjoy its romantic ambience and exquisite French cuisine. The service is formal but unobtrusive, and reservations are recommended.
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Casa de Pancho
It couldn't be more simple: a few plastic tables set up in a mostly-bare room. But the economical pozole, enchiladas and other basic dishes are simply splendid. Carlos, the genial waiter/cook/owner, loves to spread the gospel of salsa.
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Banderas Scuba Republic
Banderas Scuba Republic maintains a high degree of professionalism with its small-group excursions to both well-known and lesser-known sites. Private diving tours (from M$5200) are also offered.
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Fredy’s Tucan
This gringo breakfast paradise serves waffles, omelets and almost anything else you could want in an ample courtyard three blocks from the beach.
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Andale
Party hearty with throngs of young vacationers to very loud classic rock.
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El Arrayán Cocina Tradicional
Owner Carmen Porras takes special pleasure in rescuing old family recipes from obscurity and finding new converts for real traditional Mexican cuisine. Her restaurant, with its open kitchen and romantic courtyard, emphasizes local ingredients: the delicious panela cheese comes straight from the small dairy south of Puerto Vallarta, and the corn used for the tortillas is locally produced and comes directly from the mill. House specialties include crispy duck carnitas with orange sauce – scrumptious! – and rib-eye steak marinated in Mexican spices and tequila. Raise a toast to a truly memorable meal with a shot of fiery raicilla, a rare agave distillate produced in Jali…
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Mama Rosa
Grab a table on Mama Rosa’s pleasant outdoor patio and load up on sopes (tortillas with a layer of beans, cheese and salsa), tamales, chilaquiles, nopales, chorizo, eggs and delicious salsas from the scrumptious breakfast buffet. Supplement it all with bottomless cups of café de olla (Mexican coffee spiced with cinnamon) or chilled glasses of the homemade basil-lemon drink, and don’t forget to save room for the tantalizing desserts, including rice pudding, honeyed bananas and cheesecake.
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Jardines Botánicos de Vallarta
Orchids, bromeliads, agaves and wild palms line the paths of this gorgeous nature park, located half an hour south of Puerto Vallarta. Butterflies flit by as you dine at the open-air restaurant. Follow hummingbirds down paths and through fern grottoes. Slap on some bug juice and make a day of it. Take the ‘El Tuito’ bus (M$20) from the corner of Carranza and Aguacate in Puerto Vallarta, or hop in a taxi (about M$200).
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Plaza de Toros
Mexico's Pacific Coast is considered a region without much local enthusiasm for bullfighting, and bullfights performed here are largely motivated by the tourist dollar. Having said that, Puerta Vallarta has the largest and newest plaza along the coast - it's a smaller version of the famous Plaza del Toro in Mexico City. Anyway, you know the deal: red cape, angry bull, cheering crowds, blood. Buy your tickets at the plaza.
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Chez Elena
Back in the martini era this small, atmospheric restaurant was a meeting place for the likes of Liz Taylor, Richard Burton, Peter O’Toole and other well-known appetites. Without having ever let down its culinary standards, it’s still imbued with gracious allure. Try the savory Maya pork dish called cochinita pibil with achiote chili sauce. And by all means, take in the view from the rooftop lounge.
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Bahía de Banderas
Below the warm, tranquil waters of the Bahía de Banderas is a world of stingrays, tropical fish and garishly colored corals. Great spots for diving and snorkeling are Los Arcos, the rocky islands south of the city center, and the Islas Marietas, which are surrounded by reefs, tunnels, walls and underwater caves. Dolphins, whales and giant manta rays are often sighted between December and April.
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Red Cabbage Café
Though the atmosphere is casual, with fabulous eclectic and bohemian artwork, the food is serious and features old recipes and uncommon indigenous sauces. The soups – including a cream of peanut and a piquant tortilla soup – are to die for. It’s a pleasant 10-minute walk from the Zona Romántica; from Cárdenas turn right on Rivero del Río, just before the Río Cuale bridge. No credit cards.
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Mariscos Tino’s
Calling itself the catedral de los mariscos (seafood cathedral), this family-run Vallarta favorite opened a new branch on the malecón in summer 2009. Feast in the upstairs dining room on dishes like pescado zarandeado and sopa siete mares (a savory stew of fish, shrimp, octopus, mussels and more). And parents, rejoice – there’s even a kids’ play area!
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Marigalante
If your tot has a pirate fetish, the little lad or lassie won’t tolerate missing a cruise on the Marigalante, a reproduction Spanish galleon that does pirate-themed daytime cruises (adult/child M$1100/550) from 8am to 3pm Monday through Saturday. It departs from the Terminal Maritima in Marina Vallarta, off Blvd Francisco Ascencio opposite Sam’s Club.
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Uncommon Grounds Chill Out Lounge
This welcoming restaurant-café is an agreeable place to spend an evening. Beautifully presented dishes with amiable names (anyone for a ‘Planet Utopia Salad’?) are trotted out from the kitchen with panache by hosts Lydia and Anne. Vegetarians are well taken care of, as are those in need of a cocktail. You can also get a chair massage and shop in the small boutique.
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Rancho El Charro
Rancho El Charro is recommended for its healthy horses and scenic three- to eight-hour trots into the Sierra Madre. Some rides are suitable for kids. Setting it apart from competitors are its multiday tours, including the tempting ‘Overnight Lost in the Jungle Ride’ (M$4500). It provides transportation from Puerto Vallarta hotels.
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Puerto Vallarta Sunset Cruise and Candlelight Dinner Show
5 hours (Departs Puerto Vallarta, Mexico)
by Viator
By night, Las Caletas is transformed into a magical paradise and the perfect setting for this exclusive evening excursion. Rhythms of the Night is an amazing jo…
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from USD$92.99 -
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Vallarta Adventures
These guys do it all with humor, enthusiasm and professionalism, offering snorkeling trips to Yelapa and the Islas Marietas (adult/child from M$700/500), diving trips (from M$1200), whale-watching excursions (adult/child M$1100/750), trips to San Sebastian (M$1050/725) and other historic towns, zip-line canopy tours (M$1025/715) and much more.
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Planeta Vegetariano
This gem of a place with only 10 tables eschews cheese for fresh, dairy-free dishes like soy enchiladas, banana lasagna (yes, that’s right) and a wide range of creatively conceived salads. The economical buffet and homey atmosphere cause many Vallarta visitors to forget about all that culinary din and return again and again.
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Spaggia
Overlooking Playa Camarones, this cosmopolitan beach restaurant knows how to make an impression. Even in the heat of the afternoon the feeling is breezy and contemporary. Dine on rack of lamb, seafood pozole, tuna sashimi, baked oysters, or pan-fried duck - but be sure to wait at least 20 minutes before taking a dip.
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Los Xitomates
This innovative restaurants targets younger diners with its hybrid alta cocina Mexicana (gourmet Mexican) cuisine, which takes pre-Hispanic and Mexican recipes and rounds them out with Mediterranean, Asian or Caribbean influences. It can be noisy when busy, but the service is always top notch.
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