Best Things To Do in Puerto Vallarta

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

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

There are many unique things to do in and near Puerto Vallarta, we've added a list of all the fun things to enjoy in the area, you'll surely find many options here and you won't miss out.

Sightseeing & Landmarks

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

Attractions and Sightseeing
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 Cerro La Cruz
Los Muertos Beach
Malecon, downtown boardwalk
Museums and culture
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish/Church, the "Cathedral"
Pier at Playa Los Muertos
Puerto Vallarta City Sign
Papantla Flying Men (Pole Flyers)
Sculpture Guide & Sculptures on the Malecon
Seahorse Statue
The Malecon Arches
Things to do in Puerto Vallarta

Top Options

Here's what we consider the best top options in each category.

Enjoying Puerto Vallarta

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

Ecotourism and Nature

PV would not be a beautiful destination if it wasn't graced with such a 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

Recommended Day trips

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

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)
Yelapa (Jalisco)

From its simple cobblestone streets in the town center to sophisticated services provided by Grand Tourism hotels, Vallarta is always at its most accommodating.

Puerto Vallarta offers each unique guest their own ideal vacation blend of relaxation and exhilaration; tranquility and activity.

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 vacations.