30 Puerto Vallarta Travel Tips You Can’t Ignore: What the Guidebooks Won’t Tell You

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Highest Rated Tours & Activities

Favorite Food tour

Best waterfall & snorkel cruise

Rhythms of the Night

Zip line tour

Hidden Beaches hike

Whale Watching  

Natural Hot Springs

Baby turtle release

Crocodile Sanctuary

Hop-on Hop-off bus

Best Time to Visit Puerto Vallarta

The best months of the year to visit Puerto Vallarta are from November to April. This is the high season when the weather is consistently warm, with sunny days that aren’t too humid and minimal rain. 

November and April are the two best months to visit for great weather, fewer tourists and slightly lower prices. 

We’ve also noticed the week after american thanksgiving is pretty quiet. 

Many people visit year round, but it starts to get very hot and muggy in June and especially from July through October when it’s the rainy season.

Best Neighborhoods to Stay in

Nuevo Vallarta

You’ll find the larger all inclusive resorts and condos, with miles of perfect beach.

Favorite hotel: RIU Palace Pacifico

Here’s my video tour of the RIU Palace Pacifico.

Marina Vallarta

High end resorts and condos & close to the airport and golf courses.

Cons: it’s not super authentic, pretty expensive and has limited beach access. 

About a 200 peso taxi ride into downtown (10km)

Hotel Zone

More affordable all-inclusive resorts and hotels in all price ranges, most are beachfront. Great for families and first time visitors.

About a 30 to 40 minute walk to the downtown area. 

Favorite hotel: Hotel Mio

Centro

Range of boutique hotels and Airbnbs, close proximity to Malecon and lots of great restaurants.

Favorite hotel: Luna Liquida

Only 16 rooms, laid back and quiet with a rooftop pool and patio area with views of the entire city.

Zona Romantica

Oldest part of the city, fun and lively and high concentration of restaurants, coffee shops and bars for nightlife as well as close proximity to main beaches and the main pier. 

Favorite hotel: Rivera del Rio – quiet area, super unique & great rooftop pool (& hot tub).

Favorite hotel: Pinnacle 179 – it’s brand new, adults only and has another fantastic rooftop pool. 

Conchas Chinas

Great area if you’re looking for more of a couples quiet and romantic getaway, the Conchas Chinas neighborhood has some beautiful spots with great views and amazing sunsets. 

South Hotel Zone/Mismaloya

Finally, there are a few resorts south of the city, located on wonderful beaches in what’s called the south hotel zone. 

Many people stay at the Barcelo resort.

Airport Tips

I’ve written a detailed post here, which covers everything you need to know for navigating the Puerto Vallarta International Airport.

What About Getting Sick?

The food in Puerto Vallarta is perfectly safe to eat (and very delicious).

If you do get sick, I recommend lots of rest, fluids (look for a drink called Electrolit) and buy a box of Treda (red box), which helps with diarrhea.

If possible, I recommend building in a ‘buffer day’ into your itinerary.

If someone does get sick, that’s the day you don’t have any planned and can rest up and not miss out.

If no one gets sick, then you have a bonus day to use however you want!

What about the ice & water?

Restaurants and food establishments use filtered water and all the ice is made form filtered water as well.

We drink bottled water (or if you order water at a restaurant it will be bottled).

We aren’t hesitant to order ice in our drinks, so just do what you feel comfortable with.

Restaurant Culture

And also at restaurants, generally you’re left to enjoy your dining experience and not be bothered – you won’t be checked up on every 5 minutes like in the US or Canada. 

So the service might seem ‘slow’ at first, but that’s just the way it is – eating is a social experience meant to be enjoyed. 

So if you need something you can just signal to the servers and they will help you out right away. 

And when you’re done and want your bill, you can say “la cuenta por favor’ which means the check please. 

local tip: if you need your bill quickly, you can signal for ‘la cuenta’ by making eye contact with your server and then making the motion for the bill with your hands (pretend you’re writing in your hand).

Currency &  Money Tips

Puerto Vallarta’s currency is the Mexican peso and cash is predominantly used. 

Avoid currency exchanges and ATMs at the airport. 

Instead, head to a bank and use the ATM machine to withdraw pesos with your debit card. 

Look for ATMs that have a fee of 35 pesos or less. Some charge as high as 80 pesos. 

safety tip: Never accept help from a stranger at an ATM! This is how many people get scammed.

You can pay for excursions with your credit card, but you’ll usually save money by paying in cash. 

Some restaurants accept credit cards, but not all. 

If you see the term ‘solo efectivo’ that means cash only.

Bathrooms

There are plenty of public bathrooms located throughout the city.

But you will likely encounter an attendant who will charge maybe 10 to 15 pesos to get in – this is why it’s good to keep some spare change on you at all times. 

Or just make sure you use the washroom every time you sit down to eat or drink.

Insider tip: the bathrooms at the municipal building (by the Puerto Vallarta letters sign) are free to use during business hours. Just make sure to grab some toilet paper before you enter.

Tips for Visiting the Beaches

There are several beaches in Puerto Vallarta, the largest and busiest being Los Muertos.

It’s perfectly fine for swimming and there are all kinds of beach bars and day clubs if that interests you. 

Read the flag color

Do pay attention to the flags though – red means do not swim, purple means there’s sea life in the water which could be anything from crocodiles to jelly fish.

The Red Tide

Sometimes there’s a phenomenon called the ‘red tide.’ It’s a type of algae bloom that can occur on occasion and you’ll recognize it easily by the reddish-brown water.

This is toxic to humans and animals so it’s advisable to stay out of the water until it goes away.

Beach Vendors

If you’re a first time visitor, you should probably prepare yourself for the number of vendors on the beach who will approach you selling anything from trinkets and jewelry to blankets to hats and sunglasses. 

They’re respectful and just trying to make a living, if you’re not interested you can just say “no gracias” which means no thank you and they will be on their way. 

However, this does catch people off guard since there can be a lot of vendors to the point where you might be approached every couple of minutes. 

I would say you do get used to it, so don’t be alarmed – and we’ve found some cute little souvenirs this way.