Puerto Vallarta

Located in the pacific ocean, Puerto Vallarta is one of the paradises of Mexico. You will find nice beaches, water sports, tour boats, hiking, nightlife, but still experience the traditional small Mexican town vibe. When we arrived we were pleasantly surprised to find that the city still keeps that traditional charm of a small Mexican town.

During the day we spent our time laying at the beach, drinking Victoria and Coronas, walking around town, or going on tours. After sunset, you can spend your nights searching for the many sculptures along el Malecon or you can go stroll down Paseo Diaz Ordaz street where will find a variety of bars, restaurants and nightclubs. However, try not to miss the pop-up market that sets up at Plaza de Armas Park every night from Thursday through Sunday. Here you will find stands with plenty of street food to choose from, such as; tacos, sopes, tortas, pozole, freshly made churros, coffee, candies, and many more Mexican traditional dishes. Around 7pm live music will start playing and those who are brave will start dancing.

If you are like us and like view points, then we recommend walking over the Mirador Cerro de la Cruz. It is quite a hike up the hill and a few stairs but once you reach the top you will be rewarded by breathtaking views of the town and the pacific ocean.

There are plenty of tours in Puerto Vallarta. We planned to visit La Playa Escondida located in the Marietas Islands, this beach is popular because it it is believed to have been formed many years ago by military bombings creating crates and hence a hidden beach. The beach can only be accessed by swimming through a small opening on the side of the island, unfortunately due to rough waters we were not able to go inside. However, we were able to visit another beach that had better access but just like La Playa Escondida, we had to jump from the boat and swim to shore.

The second tour that we did included a visit to Los Arcos (The arches national park) which is basically a rock formation that resembles arches. We snorkeled and paddle boarded around the island, then we headed over to Playa las Animas for lunch. This beach is located in the far side of the town and can only be accessed by either a tour boat or a water taxi. We really enjoyed this beach because it's secluded from the busy resort areas.