What is the safest part of Puerto Vallarta to stay in?

The Marina and the Romantic Zone are considered some of the safest areas to stay in Puerto Vallarta. Both areas are popular among tourists and offer a variety of accommodations, restaurants, and attractions. The Marina is known for its upscale atmosphere, luxury resorts, and high-end shops and restaurants. It has a very secure, controlled environment with 24/7 security personnel. The Romantic Zone offers a more authentic Mexican experience with cobblestone streets, colorful colonial buildings, and a vibrant mix of galleries, cafes, and bars. As a central tourist area, it also has a strong police presence and is considered very safe.

Where do locals go in Puerto Vallarta?

Locals in Puerto Vallarta enjoy spending time at the city's beautiful beaches, scenic parks, and lively local markets. Popular beach spots include Playa de Oro, Playa Las Animas, and Playa Camarones for their soft sand and calm waters. Many locals visit the Vallarta Botanical Gardens to enjoy the lush vegetation and hiking trails. They also frequent authentic local food venues like Birrieria las 3 Regiones taco stand, cafes like Cafecito Vallarta, and neighborhood bars like La Cerveceria Union. The downtown Lazaro Cardenas market is a favorite for produce, spices, crafts.

Is Downtown Puerto Vallarta nice?

Yes, downtown Puerto Vallarta is an exceptionally nice and popular area, celebrated for its vibrant mix of historic Mexican charm and a lively beach town atmosphere. It features a picturesque historic center with cobblestone streets, colorful buildings, and the iconic Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe church. The downtown seamlessly blends into the scenic Malecón, a beautiful oceanfront boardwalk lined with fascinating sculptures, shops, and restaurants, making it perfect for strolling and enjoying the stunning ocean views. The area offers an excellent variety of dining, from upscale restaurants to authentic street food, along with fantastic shopping in boutiques and art galleries. Adjacent to the main center is the popular Zona Romántica (Romantic Zone), known for its trendy vibe and energetic nightlife. The entire downtown is considered safe and is very walkable, allowing visitors to easily explore its captivating blend of culture, cuisine, and coastal beauty on foot. Tip: For an unforgettable experience, head down to the Malecón or any beachfront spot about 30 minutes before the scheduled sundown to watch the spectacular sunset over the bay.

What is considered old town in Puerto Vallarta?

Old Town, also known as the Romantic Zone or Zona Romántica, is considered the historic heart of Puerto Vallarta. It is characterized by its picturesque cobblestone streets, classic whitewashed buildings, red-tiled roofs, and a lively mix of shops, galleries, restaurants and bars. Nestled between the Sierra Madre mountains and Banderas Bay, Old Town has a traditional Mexican village charm with its colonial architecture and slower pace compared to the rest of Puerto Vallarta. Its romantic ambience comes from the area's natural beauty, outdoor cafes, and charming boutique hotels. Old Town offers visitors a taste of an authentic Mexican neighborhood.

El Salado Beach, Marina Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta

Table of Contents

Features & amenities

Restaurants

Bars

Hotels

Swimming

Water Activities

Turtle Release

Marina Vallarta

Summary

El Salado Beach is a stunning 1.5-mile beach located in Marina Vallarta.
The beach edges along many important hotels and resorts, providing easy access for guests.
The beach area primarily caters to guests staying at the resort hotels in Marina Vallarta.
There is one public access point at the end of Paseo Bocanegra.

During fine weather, weekends, and the high season, visitors can rent Jet Skis and go on banana boat tours.
The beach can be nearly empty in the low season, offering a more tranquil experience.
In the high season, the beach fills up with people looking to relax or partake in beach and water activities.

Puerto Vallarta Malecon (Boardwalk) A City Favorite

Puerto Vallarta Romantic Zone (AKA: Old Town Or South Side)

Mismaloya Beach, Puerto Vallarta, A Complete Guide

Los Muertos Beach The Most Popular One In Puerto Vallarta

Introduction

El Salado Beach in front of BVG, Marina Vallarta

Marina Vallarta, a Puerto Vallarta area, is directly south of the international airport and has high-end hotels, condo complexes, magnificent houses, restaurants, stores, a marina with a long, pedestrian-friendly boardwalk, and a golf course.

The beach at Marina Vallarta largely serves resort hotel guests, with some hotels sectioning off the beach in front of their premises with massive mounds of rock, making public access challenging.

El Salado Beach (Playa El Salado) is a stunning 1.5 mile beach on the north to south mid-point of Bay of Banderas. Hotels and condominiums like Velas Vallarta and Bay View Grand line the shores of the beach; Marriott and Westin are on the southeastern end of El Salado.

El Salado Estuary (Estero)

The beach gets its name from the El Salado Estuary (Estero El Salado)

Puerto Vallarta’s El Salado Estuary (Estero El Salado) is a 168-hectare mangrove and marshland preserve containing both fresh and salt water, making it an ideal breeding ground for a variety of fish that later migrate to Banderas Bay.

An estuary (in Spanish Estero or Estuario) is defined as a body of water located along a coastline where fresh water from rivers mix with salt water from the oceans. Transitional places between land and water, they are sheltered from many of the harsher elements that seas are exposed to, such as waves, severe winds, and storms.

In comparison to other ecosystems of equivalent scale, such as woods, grasslands, and agricultural fields, estuaries are extremely productive.

The Estero El Salado in Puerto Vallarta is a crucial resource for the region. This natural region is a vital supply of drinking water and is home to a wide variety of organisms, making it an urban estuary. El Salado Estuary is home to more than 100 birds (both terrestrial and aquatic), 29 amphibians and reptiles, 10 mammals, and, of course, a large number of fish.

What to do in El Salado Beach

There is a lot of room for sunbathing at Playa El Salado, which is often deserted during the off-season. The beach is more crowded during the summer months, and parasailing, windsurfing, banana boats, and jet skiing are some of the sports available there. Sailboats, stand-up paddle, and sea kayaks are available for rent at some of the resorts. Learn more about the sea turtle conservation efforts and maybe even participate in helping out in some of the baby sea turtle’s release events in the late summer and early fall.

Where to stay at El Salado Beach

The El Salado Beach seaside sequence of condos, hotels and resorts from north to south is:

Bay View Grand Condos
Velas Vallarta Hotel
Caracoles Condominiums
Portofino Condos
Marriott Hotel
Shangri-la Condos
Meliá Hotel
Villa Pacífico Beach Club
Mayan Palace Hotel
The Westin Resort Hotel
Tres Mares Condominium

Where is El Salado?

El Salado Beach is the beach of Marina Vallarta, so you’ll find it on the seaside edge of Marina Vallarta. It’s located between Boca de Tomates Beach to the north (the airport beach) and the Puerto Vallarta harbor area to the south, also the mouth of the El Salado estuary.

El Salado Beach location map

How to get to there

If you aren’t staying at one of the resorts or condos, getting to the beach is a bit of a challenge. El Salado is located immediately to the north of Bayview Grand Condo and immediately south of Puerto Vallarta International Airport, Bocanegra Passage (Pasaje Bocanegra) still offers a viable access point.

Head north from the Hotel Zone, turn left at the second entrance of Marina Vallarta (on the street that edges along the north side of the Plaza Marina shopping mall) and continue towards the beach (westward).

Mozayko Vallarta, Marina Vallarta, Natasha Moraga

Along the way you’ll encounter one of the hidden treasures of the Marina Vallarta. Located close to the seventh hole of the Marina Vallarta Golf club course. Natasha Moraga’s stunning mosaics can be found on the northern side of Albatros Street. Her vibrant Episode 2 (2015) spans the length of a few city blocks and covers an area of over 500 square meters, making it the second largest mosaic mural in all of Mexico. Natasha Moraga is known for her trencadís mural technique, which is the art of mosaic made from broken tiles.

Conclusion

There aren’t many seaside tourist attractions for those who aren’t vacationing in Marina Vallarta. If seeing the Marina Vallarta beach is on your list, you can walk to restaurants close to the Ameca River at Boca de Tomates or stretch out a beach towel and watch planes take off. There is on-street parking along Bocanegra and on-foot and car access is controlled from 7AM to 8PM.

FAQ

What is the safest part of Puerto Vallarta to stay in?

The Marina and the Romantic Zone are considered some of the safest areas to stay in Puerto Vallarta. Both areas are popular among tourists and offer a variety of accommodations, restaurants, and attractions. The Marina is known for its upscale atmosphere, luxury resorts, and high-end shops and restaurants. It has a very secure, controlled environment with 24/7 security personnel. The Romantic Zone offers a more authentic Mexican experience with cobblestone streets, colorful colonial buildings, and a vibrant mix of galleries, cafes, and bars. As a central tourist area, it also has a strong police presence and is considered very safe.
Where do locals go in Puerto Vallarta?

Locals in Puerto Vallarta enjoy spending time at the city’s beautiful beaches, scenic parks, and lively local markets. Popular beach spots include Playa de Oro, Playa Las Animas, and Playa Camarones for their soft sand and calm waters. Many locals visit the Vallarta Botanical Gardens to enjoy the lush vegetation and hiking trails. They also frequent authentic local food venues like Birrieria las 3 Regiones taco stand, cafes like Cafecito Vallarta, and neighborhood bars like La Cerveceria Union. The downtown Lazaro Cardenas market is a favorite for produce, spices, crafts.
Is Downtown Puerto Vallarta nice?

Yes, downtown Puerto Vallarta is an exceptionally nice and popular area, celebrated for its vibrant mix of historic Mexican charm and a lively beach town atmosphere. It features a picturesque historic center with cobblestone streets, colorful buildings, and the iconic Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe church. The downtown seamlessly blends into the scenic Malecón, a beautiful oceanfront boardwalk lined with fascinating sculptures, shops, and restaurants, making it perfect for strolling and enjoying the stunning ocean views.

The area offers an excellent variety of dining, from upscale restaurants to authentic street food, along with fantastic shopping in boutiques and art galleries. Adjacent to the main center is the popular Zona Romántica (Romantic Zone), known for its trendy vibe and energetic nightlife. The entire downtown is considered safe and is very walkable, allowing visitors to easily explore its captivating blend of culture, cuisine, and coastal beauty on foot.

Tip: For an unforgettable experience, head down to the Malecón or any beachfront spot about 30 minutes before the scheduled sundown to watch the spectacular sunset over the bay.
What is considered old town in Puerto Vallarta?

Old Town, also known as the Romantic Zone or Zona Romántica, is considered the historic heart of Puerto Vallarta. It is characterized by its picturesque cobblestone streets, classic whitewashed buildings, red-tiled roofs, and a lively mix of shops, galleries, restaurants and bars. Nestled between the Sierra Madre mountains and Banderas Bay, Old Town has a traditional Mexican village charm with its colonial architecture and slower pace compared to the rest of Puerto Vallarta. Its romantic ambience comes from the area’s natural beauty, outdoor cafes, and charming boutique hotels. Old Town offers visitors a taste of an authentic Mexican neighborhood.