PUERTO VALLARTA ATTRACTIONS

Puerto Vallarta’s Shoreline

The 25- mile stretch of stunning beaches of Puerto Vallarta allows for plenty of attractions to take place in the area. Most of Puerto Vallarta beaches that lie not far from the town of Puerto Vallarta can be reached by public transportation but there are others, whose access is limited only by car or by boat. From reaching isolated areas on boat cruises to practicing water sports, you can be sure that your Puerto Vallarta vacations will keep you busy.

Puerto Vallarta Water Sports

If you are after water sports, Puerto Vallarta beaches will provide them. For instance, still waters of places like Las Animas and Yelapa will let you do a variety of water sports including water-skiing, parasailing, jet skiing and kayaking, while scuba diving will be best enjoyed in beaches such as El Morro, Islas Marietas, Punta Mita and Los Arcos. For extreme sports adventurers, there is always the bungee jump at Mismaloya or windsurfing in beaches like Playa de Oro and Boca de Tomates.

Fishing in Puerto Vallarta

Sport fishing seems to be a must-do in Puerto Vallarta especially in beaches like Yelapa, Punta Mita and Mismaloya since their waters are home to a great assortment of fish species, including sawfish, red snapper, tuna, marlin, dorado, sailfish and lobster. In addition, important fishing tournaments are held in Puerto Vallarta from November to May, e.g. The International Puerto Vallarta Sailfish and Marlin Tournament, that has brought international groups of fishermen every year since it was inaugurated in 1956.

Puerto Vallarta Outdoor Activities

Wonderful outdoor adventures are waiting for you in Puerto Vallarta, with canopy tours, where you will glide down cables from platform to platform experiencing nature’s wonders in a forest. You can also go for a horseback ride to explore exuberant tropical vegetation, hidden waterfalls and visit beaches like Playa de Oro.

For golfers, Puerto Vallarta features several golf courses including the Jack Nicklaus designed Four Seasons Golf Club Punta Mita, Marina Vallarta Golf Club and Flamingos Golf Club, near Nuevo Vallarta. Moreover, 2002 EMC World Cup was hosted in Nuevo Vallarta that also has 7 deluxe golf courses.

Puerto Vallarta Ecotourism

Puerto Vallarta embraces diverse natural scenarios like exuberant jungles, waterfalls, shores and sea, which allow for a wide diversity of life forms. For instance, the jungle contains vegetal species such as: palm trees, orchids, bougainvillea and many more. The fenlands’ wildlife of the area supports a huge ecosystem of fish and crustaceans. Bigger animals like sea turtles, crocodiles and monkeys also profit from the richness of the jungle. Bird species nesting in the area include the Tropical Kingbird, the Great Kiskadee and the Hooded Oriole.

In the waters of Banderas Bay, Humpback whales and dolphins give birth, nurse their calves and mate. Then, activities like hiking, snorkeling and diving in Puerto Vallarta become opportunities to watch the spectacular breaching of whales and the jump of dolphins in their natural settings.

The tours organized in Puerto Vallarta from November to May will take you around Banderas Bay and will let you admire not only beautiful landscapes but also the marine creatures.

Other eco tours include activities like mountain biking, hiking, bird watching and dolphin swimming will also bring nature closer to you in places that are real natural treasures waiting to be explored, such as Colomitos, Islas Marietas, Los Arcos, Boca de Tomates, Boca de Tomatlan.

Nuevo Vallarta and its unspoiled beaches also offer eco adventures like bay cruises, city tours, whale watching, swimming with dolphins, snorkeling, scuba, hiking, biking, horseback riding and many more.

Puerto Vallarta Art

Downtown Puerto Vallarta bears the art of the Huichol people, represented by handcrafted hats, baskets, ceramics, textiles, jewelry, and crafts; the Huichol people can also teach you how to create your own items using their techniques.

The cobblestone streets of downtown PuertoVallarta will also allow you to appreciate the colonial style specially when coming across constructions like the Main Plaza of Ignacio L. Vallarta, Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe Temple, Santa Cruz Church, etc.

More modern art manifestations are wood sculptures, paintings, and the murals painted by Manuel Lepe in the city hall, without forgetting the statues on the Malecon (boardwalk), e.g. the Sea Horse, the Statue of John Huston, and the Dolphin Fountain among others.