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
- Beaches in Vallarta and the bay area, beach guide
- Camarones beach
- Conchas Chinas beach
- Cuale River Island a downtown oasis
- El Púlpito (The Pulpit)
- Gringo Gulch history
- Las Amapas beach
- Las Pilitas
- 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.
- Best Beaches for… list
- Top 5 Beaches in Puerto Vallarta
- Top 10 Beaches in Vallarta & the Bay
- Top 10 Romantic Experiences
- Top 10 Things to do (Mostly Free)
- Top 10 Things to do with Kids
- Top 10 Tours & Activities
- Top 10 All-Inclusive Hotels
Enjoying Puerto Vallarta
A more general list of things to do in Puerto Vallarta, includes food, Mexican culture, and sports activities.
- Art Galleries
- ArtWalk
- Bars in town
- Culture & Arts
- Fishing – Fishing Report
- Golf
- Grills you’ll enjoy
- Huicholes – Wixárika Art
- Motorcycle tours in PV
- Mountain biking
- Nightlife – We recommend
- Papantla Flying Men
- Parasailing
- Plans for 1, 3 & more days in PV
- Restaurants and Cafes
- Romantic Places & Ideas
- Scuba diving
- Shopping
- Skydiving
- Sports & Activities
- Surfing
- Sweets
- Tacos
- Tequila, Mezcal & Raicilla
- Typical dishes
- Vanilla
- Vegetarian Restaurants
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.
