Things To Do In Puerto Vallarta

1. Check out the amazing bronze and sand sculptures along the Malecon.
2. Visit the iguanas in the trees at the Rio Cuale bridge.
3. Dance and party the night away at one of the Malecon’s many bars and nightclubs. 
4. Spend a day under one of the many palapas at Muertos Beach. 
5. Go on a whale watching cruise.
6. Rent a mountain bike (or take a bike tour) for a ride in the jungle or along the Rio Cuale. 
7. Ride the donkey at Andales Bar and party to “Who The ______Is Alice?!”
8. Race high in the air suspended on a cable over and through the jungle at Canopy Los Veranos
9. Have a romantic dinner at Vista Grill, La Palapa, Café de Artiste, or Palamar de Gonzalez Restaurants. 
10. Have a $1 Margarita at Cheeky Monkey overlooking the Malecon scene
11. Take a kayak trip to the great beaches along the South Coast.
12. Go to Boca de Tomatlan, then take a cheap water taxi to Las Animas or Yelapa Beaches.
13. Watch turtles hatch on the beach.
14. Watch the Pampantla Flyers perform on the Malecon while suspended upside down 50 feet in the air.
15. Buy chocolate bananas, corn, or fish on a stick from vendors on the Malecon.
16. Ride a horse through the jungle or to the waterfalls at Quimixto or Yelapa.
17. Take a walk on the Rio Cuale river walk.
18. Go deep sea fishing.
19. See the “human statues” on the Malecon.
20. Visit the flea market right next to the Rio Cuale.
21. Get a sunset drink high on the mountain at Las Carmelitas Restaurant.
22. Visit the native animal Zoo near Mismaloya.
23. Ride a banana boat.
24. Scuba dive at Las Marietas Islands or Los Arcos.
25. Buy a Cuban cigar or have a custom cigar made while you wait at the Vallarta Cigar Factory.
26. Go to La Playita’s happy hour overlooking the ocean in southside.
27. See the famous Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.
28. Visit one of Vallarta’s many art galleries.
29. Take a surfing lesson at Sayulita Beach.
30. See a bullfight on Wednesday nights.
31. Visit the Zocalo, the central square, for music and dancing on Thursday and Sunday evenings.
32. Go snorkeling at Los Arcos or Majahuitas.
33. Swim with dolphins at the Dolphin Adventure Center.
34. Play golf at one of Vallarta’s seven great golf courses.
35. Have a Malecon street artist draw your picture or caricature.
36. Hike to the hidden beach at Los Colomitos
37. Go swimming at beautiful Gemelas Beach on the southside.
38. Ride the pirate ship, the El Marigalante.
39. Travel to the city of Tequila to see how tequila is made.
40. Get a sunset drink on the cliff overlooking the ocean at Le Kliffe, the world’s largest palapa.
41. See the famous green flash as the sun sets over Bandaras Bay.
42. Fly or drive to San Sebastian, the quaint former mining town.
43. Hire a surf guide and explore some of the hidden surf spots on the Nayarit coast.
44. Ride the great waterslides at Splash Water Park
45. Visit one of the many uncrowded beaches on the Nayarit coast.
46. Watch the fireworks at the Malecon every night at 9 pm.
47. Parasail high over Bandaras Bay.
48. See a colorful Mexican fiesta.
49. Get an inexpensive massage.
50. Check out the view of the Marina from high atop El Faro Lighthouse Bar.
51. Take a villa tour with International Friendship Tours.
52. Tour Casa Kimberly, the former place of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.
53. Take a walking tour through the Malecon and El Centro.
54. Shop for tiles or Talavera pottery.
55. Get a temporary tattoo in the Centro.
56. Shop for silver, blankets, or clothes along Muertos Beach or in one of the many shops.
57. Hire your own panga and go fishing, snorkeling, or sightseeing down the coast south of Vallarta.
58. Be part of a America’s Cup yacht racing team.
59. If you’re there at the right time, try out the Festival Gourmet or Restaurant Week.
60. See a professional golf tournament
61. Have a laid back drink under the palapa at Burro’s Bar on Muertos Beach.
62. Try out the great spareribs and huge margaritas at Café de Olla.
63. Take salsa lessons at J & B Club.
64. Visit the native animal zoo near Mismaloya.
65. Take kiteboard lessons in Bucerias.
66. Go fishing for world class bass at Cajon de Pena Lake.
67. Try out as many of Vallarta’s hundreds of great restaurants as you can!
68. Visit the Botanical Garden past Mismaloya.
69. Watch the 9 pm fireworks from Barcelona Tapas Restaurant
70. Take an 8 wheel amphibian trip through the river and countryside of Nayjal ranch.
71. Take a hovercraft tour down the Ameca River to see crocodiles
72. Take a water taxi from Boca to Animas then hike 500 yards to beautiful coconut lined Caballos Beach.

Pizota Beach

Is a beautiful palm covered beach famous for its white sand. 10 minutes south of Yelapa by boat and about an hour by boat from Vallarta. You can take the water taxi from Boca and it will go to Yelapa and then Pizota. There is a small restaurant there for food. The beach is wrapped around the back of some rocks, so it is blocked from harsh currents and there is no sand kickup and the water is as clear as a pool for 15 feet deep. Good snorkeling. One of the nicest around and very few people know about it. If you want a deserted island feeling, this is it! You can hike through the mountainside between Yelapa and Pizota but it’s a 3 hour hike.

Majahuitas Beach

A few miles south of Mismaloya, accessible by boat only, has good snorkeling and is a beautiful beach, bordered by a tropical jungle. Forbes Traveler named it one of the most romantic beaches in the world. All the facilities are owned by Vallarta Adventures, so it is not a good beach to stay for an extended time because of lack of access to bathroom facilities, but is a beautifull short visit. Has good snorkeling. Majahitas can only be reached by boat. You can take an inexpensive water taxi from Boca de Tomatlan south of PV.

Las Animas Beach

Located about 20 minutes from Boca by boat. The first big beach after Boca, it has a small pier to unload, restaurants and bars on the beach, but not much more. It is uncrowded before teh tour boats get there and it's advantage compared to Majahuitas is that you have both bathrooms and places to eat and drink. The tour boats get there a little before noon, load up on food and booze, then they leave. Since it is the closest beach by boat, it is busier than the others down South. A little nicer than Yelapa. An alternative is to hike there and take a water taxi back to Boca. There is a pretty decent trail between Boca and Las Animas with a couple of usually deserted beaches to explore on the way (see Hiking Boca to Las Animas).

Mismaloya Beach

A small sandy beach on a beautiful jungle-fringed cove about eight miles south of Puerto Vallarta where the Mismaloya creek meets the ocean. This is where the "The Night of the Iguana" was filmed in 1963 — the movie that put Puerto Vallarta on the international tourist map. This is about a 20 minute drive from the Villa. From the highway, take the road to the beach to the left of the La Joya de Mismaloya Hotel. The beach has several small restaurants and there are boats for rent for a trip to the rock formations at Los Arcos or nearby beaches. Javy (Boating with Javy) is located here.

Las Gemelas Beach

This is a lovely sheltered little beach (actually composed of two separate beaches) south of town. One of the most beautiful white sand beaches in the region. It has trees that provide nice shade and a panoramic view of Los Arcos, which makes for a great sunset view. The perfect option to get away from city noises without going too far from Puerto Vallarta. Gemelas is one or two miles before you get to Mismaloya at kilometer 8.5 on the highway towards Barra de Navidad. From Villa Encantada take a taxi, or instead, walk to the bottom of the hill, cross the street, and walk 200 yards to the unsigned bus pullout. It’s only 5 pesos. Flag down the Mismaloya bus, and get off at Playa Gemelas (next to the El Presidente Hotel). Gemelas North: This is a lovely beach with water that has a flat sandy bottom. There is an area roped for swimming. One of the mildest south beaches for kids to play in the water. More trees than south beach. Look for the stairs down to the beach between Playa Gemelas Condominiums and Girasol Sur. If you are driving: Park on the left side of the highway, 50 yards to the left of the entrance to the Sierra Del Mar entrance, then walk 250 yards south looking for the stairs mentioned above. Gemelas South: More sloped but more private than the north beach. Reach from the north beach by walking around the rocks to the south. The far south end of the beach has a nice shaded area. Alternatively, walk to the south end of the parking lot for the Intercontinental Presidente Hotel, and go the left of the stone tile sign, down the stairs, through the hotel to the beach. This way is easier.

Playa Garza Blanca

At Km 7.1 south of town on the way to Mismaloya. The Garza Blanca Resort recently opened here right on the beach. They imported beautiful white Hawaiian type sand and although only about 20 meters by 200 meters, it is one of the more beautiful beaches on the southside with a beautiful view of Los Arcos. There is a great roped off area for swimming. The shallow water is a little rocky with small rocks, but it is a great place to chill out and swim. To access it, look for the Garza Blanca resort at Km 7.1 as you are going on the highway south of town. 50 yards before the resort there is a small parking area. Park here and then walk up to the gated Resort entry. Just to the right you will see a bricked walking path down to the beach.

Conchas Chinas Beach

Conchas Chinas Beach - Best picturesque beach on the South side. Great diving through caves and tunnels, and visiting “Lovers Beach”, accessible only by a surface swim through an archway. All these are volcanic formations. Located just a 20 minute walk from Villa Encantada. More private than Los Muertos Beach. You can take a 30 minute beachside walk from Conchas Chinas all the way to Muertos Beach in Zona Romantica.

Los Muertos Beach

Los Muertos Beach is considered the most popular beach of Puerto Vallarta, located along the picturesque “Bahia de Banderas,” or Banderas Bay. It is long and wide with small waves that are great for swimming. It is lined with beachfront hotels and restaurants and is usually bustling with activity--sun worshipers by day, and the dining and nightlife crowd after dark. The beachfront bars and restaurants in this area are a great place to catch one of the incredible Vallarta sunsets. This is also where you will find many water sports, including jet skiing and parasailing. A famous section of this beach is called Blue Chairs and is Puerto Vallarta’s most popular gay beach. Along this beach are some of the most popular beachfront restaurants in PV such as La Palapa, El Dorado, Daiquiri Dicks’s, and Coco Tropical, as well as hangouts like the Oasis Beach Bar and Burros Bar. The pier at Los Muertos is where many people board the daily cruise ships bound for the South Shore villages of Las Animas, Quimito or Yelapa. Water taxis from the pier can also take you directly to these destinations.

Puerto Vallarta Beaches

There are 90-100 miles of sensational coastline (and an estimated 30-40 miles of sandy beaches) on Banderas Bay, the largest natural bay in Mexico and the seventh largest in the world. To add to the pleasure of these beaches from November to March, sightings of whales are common and dolphins are in the Bay all year round. Beaches to the north tend to be wider and longer with more opportunities for swimming and surfing. Beaches to the south tend to be beautiful sandy coves with the mountains coming right down to the sea.