General Puerto Vallarta Data

ATM's and Credit Cards :

You can find ATM machines throughout Puerto Vallarta, both at the banks, the airport, in supermarkets and in strategic locations around town, ATM's are linked to the Cirrus and PLUS systems and offer service in English and Spanish, dispensing pesos at the current exchange rate.

Credit cards are widely accepted at businesses and hotels all over Puerto Vallarta. Visa and Mastercard are the cards of choice but American Express is also widely accepted, though not as much as the two first ones. There is sometimes a 6% charge using American Express cards and often 2 to 3% on Visa and Master Card, this is the case in SAM's for example.

Sometimes using credit cards is beneficial as purchases will be converted into dollars at an exchange rate that is much better than what you will obtain by paying in dollars at a hotel.

For the current exchange rate (reference only) use the following link:
Yahoo Currency Converter

Business hours :

Most shopping malls are open from 9 AM to 8 PM

Normal business hours are:

Monday to Friday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM, usually with a two hour break from 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM.

Some public offices work from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM without breaks and close after that.

Mexico, as most American countries, has a more relaxed view of working schedules, some businesses, such as Banks and Supermarkets are very strict, but shops and others can have working schedules that vary quite a bit from the norm, opening earlier and closing later.

Customs :

Upon arrival at the International Puerto Vallarta airport you will be asked to push a button that will randomly determine if your baggage will be checked or not. If you get a green light you are free to continue to the exit gate, if you get a red light you will need to take your bags to the customs counter and have them checked. This system is totally random and tends to show many more green lights than red lights. Please check at the Mexican consulate in your city for necessary documents to come to Mexico, or even easier, visit the US Travel Gov site for more information.

Eating schedules :

Desayuno - Breakfast: 7-10am
Almuerzo - Snack: 11 - 12am old tradition, no longer used in cities.
Comida - Lunch: 2pm - 4pm
Cena - Dinner: 8pm - 10pm

Electricity - plugs :

Mexico operates on the same 110-volt - 60Hz current as the USA, the plug is a two flat prong type, same as the US but without the third rounded earth prong (image).

If you are arriving with three prong plug applications, we recommend you bring a three to two prong adapter just in case.

In case you forget it you'll be able to find these adapters at hardware stores or SAMS in Puerto Vallarta.

Language :

Mexico's official language is Spanish, in Puerto Vallarta you'll find that many locals can speak or understand Engish. Hotels, restaurants and services in general have staff that can handle English more or less fluently.

Try to learn some Spanish and use it whenever possible, this will be appreciated and nobody will laugh at you, so relax and practice a bit. Check out a few useful phrases and words in Spanish.

News in English:

There are a few regular publications in English in Puerto Vallarta. PV Tribune is one, Vallarta Today another one. You'll normally find them in the hotel lobbies. More Vallarta Newspapers in English

Puerto Vallarta demographic data :

Puerto Vallarta has a population of 255,725 inhabitants based on the 2010 population census, this makes it the 6th largest city in the state of Jalisco (state capital: Guadalajara). Puerto Vallarta is the government seat of the Municipality of Puerto Vallarta which includes the city itself and populated areas outside of the town itself, from the northern border with the state of Nayarit, which is established by the Ameca river and to Boca de Tomatlan in the south.

Public Holidays :

Public holidays by law are now moved sometimes to the closest work day, normally a Friday or a Monday, so do check on the official holiday calendar each year. The official celebrations are (though, as stated the date can vary):

1. January 1st - New Year
2. February 5th - Anniversary of the Constitution
3. March 21st - Benito Juárez Birthday
4. May 1st - Labour day
5. September 16th - Mexico's Independence Day
6. November 20th - Day of the Mexican Revolution
7. December 1st (each 6 years) - Elect President is empowered.
8. December 25th - Christmas.
9. Federal and Local Law can determine holidays due to local elections: in Puerto Vallarta November 12th.

Sales Tax - Departure tax :

There is a 15% tax applied to all purchases, restaurant bills, store purchases, hotel stays and excursions. You can request a tax refund. You can find affiliated stores and services at: Taxback

Additionally there is a 2% tax on your hotel stay, this tax is gathered for promotion of the tourist destination.

All guests departing by air must pay departure tax. Sometimes it is paid at the airport upon departure, other times, it is included on airline tickets issued outside of Mexico (inquire upon booking). The tax is charged for all visitors over the age of two.

Telephones :

Telephone calls (both local and international) are considerably more expensive than in USA and other countries. A sizeable tax is added to all international calls and most hotels add a service charge for placing long distance calls. Ask the hotel operator about these charges before placing a call.

Money saving tips:

1. Limit long distance calls
2. Bill the call to your international phone calling card
3. When possible use public telephones for long distance (the ones clearly marked TELMEX)
4. Purchase a "debit card" for local calls within Mexico. These cards are accepted at all "LADATEL" public phones found in most airports. Cards can be purchased at airport shops and allow you to make calls without fumbling for change. Rates to call the USA using a LADATEL card run about $3/minute.

Puerto Vallarta Time Zone :

Puerto Vallarta is Central Standard Time all year round. Use this link to find out what the current time in Puerto Vallarta Mexico - another page with the time in Puerto Vallarta>>

Water in Puerto Vallarta :

Do drink the water! Purified water is standard in all hotels and restaurants. In addition Puerto Vallarta's water authority (SEAPAL) has received special recognition certifying the cleanliness of the local water supply for five consecutive years.

If in doubt you can buy bottled mineral water in almost any store and hotels offer them in your room if you prefer..

Weights and measures :

1 centimeter

=

0.3937 inches

(Degrees Cº + 17.8) x 1.8

=

Degrees F°

(Degrees F° -32) x 0.5555

=

Degrees Cº

1 foot

=

0.3048 meter

1 gallon

=

3.7854 liters

1 gram

=

0.0353 ounces

1 hectare

=

2.471 Acres

1 inch

=

2.54 centimeters

1 kilogram

=

2.2046 pounds

1 kilometer

=

0.6214 miles

1 liter

=

0.2612 gallons

1 meter

=

3.2808 feet

1 meter

=

39.3696 inches

1 mile

=

1.6093 kilometers

1 ounce

=

28.35 grams

1 pound

=

0.4536 kilograms

What to wear :

Mid-December to February: During the day the weather is temperate and you can wear light clothes. Warm clothes at night during the local winter (that would be a light sweater or a cotton jacket. Temperatures go down before sundown around 6 or 7PM until 9AM aprox. when the sun comes back up again.

March to June: Light clothes, there is normally a bit of wind and skirts are not recommendable, specially short skirts and of light materials.

July - Mid-October: The rainy season begins, bring rain clothes along and/or umbrellas, you can buy a cheap umbrella in town if needed. The weather is in no way cold in these months, quite the contrary, temperatures up to around 32 - 34 ºC (90 - 93ºF) on some days, specially in August and September and it is very humid, expect to sweat a bit, so bring extra shirts or blouses.

Mid-October - beginning of December: The climate is temperate, no rain, very little breeze and quiet, light summer clothes are recommended and at night you can also use long sleeve blouses or shirts when going out to a restaurant or bar at night.