Best Things To Do in Puerto Vallarta

Sightseeing/Landmarks | Top 10/Best Options | Enjoy Vallarta | Ecotourism/Nature | Day trips

Surrounded by the towering Sierra Madre mountains, the white edges of beaches and the sparkling depths of the Pacific Ocean, Puerto Vallarta is a tropical destination of contrasts and beauty.

There are many unique and wonderful things to do in, and near, Puerto Vallarta. Here is our list of all the fun things to enjoy in the area, you'll surely find many options for your specific taste and by reviewing this section you make sure you don't miss out on anything.

Sightseeing & Landmarks in town

Here's a list of things to do and see, most of them in Puerto Vallarta's downtown area.

Attractions and Sightseeing
- North Zone
- Nuevo Vallarta
- Marina Vallarta
- Hotel Zone
- Downtown
- Romantic Zone
- South Zone
Beaches in Vallarta and the bay area, beach guide
Camarones beach
Conchas Chinas beach
Cuale River Island a downtown oasis
El Pulpito & Las Pilitas
Gringo Gulch history
Las Amapas beach
Lookout on Matamoros
Lookout on La Cruz
Los Muertos beach / Pier at Los Muertos beach
Malecon, downtown boardwalk
Malecon Arches
Museums & culture
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish/Church, the "Cathedral"
Puerto Vallarta City Sign
Papantla Flying Men (Pole Flyers)
Sculpture Guide & Malecon sculptures
Seahorse statue
Things to do in Puerto Vallarta

Top Options

Here's what we consider the best or top options in each category for Puerto Vallarta.

Enjoying Puerto Vallarta

A more general list of things to do in Puerto Vallarta, includes food, Mexican culture, and sports activities.

Ecotourism and Nature

P.V. would not be such a beautiful destination if it wasn't graced with such its lush and diverse natural environment.

Birdwatching - Birding in Vallarta
Canopy Tours (Zip-line options)
Ecotourism
Humpback Whales
Jorullo Bridge, longest hanging bridge in the world
Leatherback Sea Turtles
Nature & Biodiversity
Reef fish
River Crocodiles
Sea Turtle Protection
Sunsets
Vallarta Botanical Gardens (VBG review)
Vallarta Zoo

Recommended Day trips

Wonderful coastal towns, beaches, colonial towns to visit, lots of fun things to do near Puerto Vallarta. Some need to travel a bit and might require a trip that lasts a whole day, or a bit longer, to make it enjoyable.

Boca de Tomatlan (Jalisco)
Bucerías (Nayarit)
Colomitos (Jalisco)
Chacala (Nayarit)
Destiladeras beach (Nayarit)
El Eden (Jalisco)
El Pitillal (Jalisco)
El Tuito (Jalisco)
Garza Blanca (Jalisco)
Hidden Beach, Marietas Islands (Nayarit)
La Caleta (Nayarit)
La Cruz de Huanacaxtle (Nayarit)
Las Ánimas de Quimixto (Jalisco)
Las Caletas (Jalisco)
Las Gemelas (Jalisco)
Los Arcos (Jalisco)
Majahuitas (Jalisco)
Marietas Islands (Nayarit)
Mascota (Jalisco)
Mismaloya (Jalisco)
Navidad (Jalisco)
Nuevo Vallarta (Nayarit)
Punta de Mita (Nayarit)
Quimixto (Jalisco)
Riviera Nayarit
San Pancho (San Francisco) (Nayarit)
San Sebastián del Oeste (Jalisco)
Sayulita (Nayarit)
Tehuamixtle (Jalisco)
Tequila (Jalisco)
Vallarta Botanical Gardens (Jalisco)
Yelapa (Jalisco)

From the simple cobblestone streets in the downtown area to sophisticated amenities provided at Grand Tourism hotels, Puerto Vallarta is always a great beach destination choice.

Puerto Vallarta offers each guest their own unique and ideal vacation mix of not only relaxation and wonder, but also tranquility and action.

If you'd like to arrive by sea, the Banderas Bay area boasts a number of modern and sophisticated Marinas, and for those who like golf, Vallarta has eight championship golf courses.

You can also feel assured by the knowledge that the city also offers top-level hospitals, no unsavory surprises here.

No matter your particular preferences or indulgences, there's a part of Puerto Vallarta that's just right for you and your personal vacation.