21 best things To do in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Puerto Vallarta is a destination that has been welcoming travellers for lots of years, and it’s one of our much-loved places to visit in Mexico. There are many fun things to do in Puerto Vallarta — it has something for everyone.

Whether you’re a backpacker on a budget, a digital nomad in Mexico seeking to spend a month, a couple wanting a week-long vacation, or an expat seeking to clear up down, you’ll find activities in Puerto Vallarta to keep you busy. 

The city is split up into neighbourhoods (zones), with the limitless things to do in Puerto Vallarta spread out along Banderas Bay and beyond. In reality, it doesn’t really matter which part of the city you stay in, as getting around is easy.

You will, however, want to choose your zone very carefully based on the vibe you’re after and the budget you have.

Here’s my list of the top 21 things to do in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico!

Table of Contents
1. Walk…Everywhere!
2. join a Food Tour
3. See Rhythms Of The night (one of the best things to do in Puerto Vallarta)
4. enjoy Sunset
5. kick back on Playa las Gemelas
6. join a Booze excursion (with a side of food)
7. Eat Fresh Oysters
9. walk The Malecon
10. join a chocolate Making Class
11. mountain Biking Trip
12. chill Out on Los Muertos Beach
13. wander The Old Town
14. Go scuba Diving
15. join a complimentary walking Tour
16. join the complimentary Art Walk
17. visit the Church Of Our lady Of Guadalupe
18. visit Mismaloya
19. check Out The Markets
20. Do Some Hiking
21. spend A night On The Town
Bonus Activities!
Now You know What To do in Puerto Vallarta

Here’s a quick rundown of the zones in Puerto Vallarta starting at the airport and going south:

Marina – a lot more upscale than the hotel zone, with the Marriott Hotel, Westin & more.

Hotel zone – just a few mins drive from the airport, this area has lots of hotels, restaurants, malls, a Walmart & Sams Club.

Centro (Old PV) – smaller homes, residential area, the Malecon (oceanfront promenade) runs along here, lots of restaurants and bars. This area is on the north side of the River Cuale and uses cost effective accommodation.

Centro (Romantic Zone) – located on the south side of the River Cuale, you’ll find many bars, cafes, restaurants and Playa Los Muertos Beach. This is a popular area with a large LGBTQ community. The accommodation ranges from budget to top end.

Conchas Chinas – indicating “Chinese Shells” based on the seashells found here, this is a a lot more affluent/posh area of Puerto Vallarta with gated communities and high-end condos.

Learn a lot more about where to stay in Puerto Vallarta with our accommodation and neighbourhood guide. And, for a complete rundown on travelling to the city of PV, check out our in-depth guide here.

Note, this post has been updated in 2022 to include the current best things to do in Puerto Vallarta, the current prices and addresses, and more. take pleasure in your trip.

1. Walk…Everywhere!

I have to put walking as #1 on the list of things to do in Puerto Vallarta. exploring on foot is the best way to get a feel for the city, and a lot of areas of PV are reachable by walking.

Mexico is already one of the least expensive countries to travel to, but when you can do things for free, like walking and sightseeing, you can save even a lot more money.

Walking the streets of Puerto Vallarta is the best way to see it all
This is a great way to see what the vendors are selling, to people watch, and to get a lay of the land. You never know what you’ll stumble across when discovering the city on foot — just make sure to wear good shoes as the sidewalks and roads are very uneven. 

Note: the best time to travel to Mexico if you want to walk around cities would be in the wintertime months, or in the carry season. Otherwise, it can be unbearably hot and you’ll a lot of likely want to be at the beach all day.

2. join a Food Tour

Did you know that Mexico’s cuisine has made the list of Intangible cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO? This award hasn’t been approved to any other national food group.

Mexican food is so much a lot more than tacos and quesadillas and the best way to learn a lot more about the tasty cuisine is to join a tour. This is a need to do in Puerto Vallarta for foodies.

We’ve done food excursions all around the world, and our much-loved ones are in Mexico.

In Puerto Vallarta, check out Vallarta Food Tours. This company uses a mix of culture, walking, and food tours, making it a great way to learn about the city of PV while concurrently feasting and working off the calories.

Visiting the taco stands is a highlight of a food excursion in Puerto Vallarta!

There are a few foodie excursions on offer with Vallarta Food Tours, but we went on the “Original downtown Tour“, which took us through the center of PV on both sides of the river. We ate many dishes and tried some drinks as well. You can also join their evening taco tour.

We highly recommend this tour! Click here to learn a lot more and check out the video we made:

3. See Rhythms Of The night (one of the best things to do in Puerto Vallarta)

If you’re trying to find a tiny Cirque de Soleil-type cultural show and dinner experience, then Rhythms of The night will be something you won’t want to miss!

We saw this performance and although we’re not big fans of large group tours, this show was spectacular and worth every penny. This is one of the top excursions in Puerto Vallarta.

The evening starts with a sunset cruise (including open bar) across Banderas Bay to Las Caletas, which is a beautiful private cove. When you arrive, you’ll be greeted by a beautifully lit area with tiki torches and candles.

You’ll then be shown to your seat in the outdoor auditorium, which is surrounded by palm trees. The seats are all staggered, so even though there are people sitting in front of you, you’ll have no issues seeing the show.

Watching Rhythms of The night – we don’t normally love touristy shows, but this one was great!

The show depicts various stories of the ancient Hispanic civilization and Mexican folklore. during the performance, there’s live music, dancing, contortionists, fire twirlers, and more.

Following the show, you’ll take pleasure in a large buffet dinner before returning to Puerto Vallarta by boat.

If you’re wondering what to do in Puerto Vallarta at night, this is it. Don’t miss this show! Click here to learn a lot more about the excursion and to book tickets.

⇒ See Also: things To do in Mazatlan – 21 Experiences You Don’t want to Miss

4. enjoy Sunset

There’s just something about the sunsets on the Pacific Coast, and in particular, Puerto Vallarta. some of the best sunsets we’ve ever seen have been from here. get hold of a drink and take pleasure in the show.

Great checking out places include anywhere along the Malecon, up the hill behind the Church of Our lady of Guadalupe, or from El Barracuda which is our much-loved beach bar.

Once the sun goes down, the party starts in PV — there are so lots of bars and clubs, the nightlife in Puerto Vallarta is legendary.

The sunsets in Puerto Vallarta are spectacular

*Note: Puerto Escondido is another epic Pacific coast destination for sunsets in Mexico. If you have a chance, try to visit there as well.

5. kick back on Playa las Gemelas

Surprisingly, just about 20 minutes drive south of Puerto Vallarta, you’ll find beaches that look like they must be Cancun or Playa del Carmen rather than the Pacific. I think this is one of the best beaches in Mexico.

Playa las Gemelas has turquoise water and whitish sand. When we visited, there were quite a few waves, but no riptides or undertow, and the waves were fun to swim in.

Other visitors have experienced completely calm water here, so it really just depends on the weather and the time of year.

There are just 2 condominium complexes on the beach and nothing else…not even any toilets. Bring a cooler filled with beer, water, and snacks, and spend the day.

The walk to the beach is fairly steep and down some uneven steps, but it’s worth it when you see the view.

To reach here, you’ll want to park at Condominios Girasol Sur (in front along the road). There is no actual parking for the beach, so you’ll need to find some on the street, or in the few roadside spots in front of Girasol Sur Condos.

Alternatively, you can take a local bus and get dropped off here. This is by far our much-loved beach in Puerto Vallarta. Don’t miss it! Click here for directions.

Hiking down the steps to Playa las Gemelas

6. join a Booze excursion (with a side of food)

For those of you who like to drink tequila – it’s Mexico, who doesn’t?! – this excursion is for you.

During our recent trip to Puerto Vallarta, we joined the highly rated Mex-ology excursion and took pleasure in a late afternoon of Mezcal, Tequila, Raicilla, craft beer, Kahlua coffee and other handcrafted cocktails.

To go along withthe booze, you’ll get some tasty food to help soak up the alcohol.

The dishes we had were full portions of fish tacos, meat tacos, seafood “enchiladas”, onion rings, crickets (yes, crickets!) and delectable dessert.

Not only will you be having fun, and feeling a bit tipsy by the end of it, but you’ll learn a lot about the traditions and creation of these alcoholic beverages.

Tasting Mezcal, with a side of crickets on our food & booze tour

We had a great day with our guide. So much fun in fact, that she took us out for some late-night shenanigans where the expats and locals like to hangout.

Click here to learn a lot more about the Mex-ology Tequila, Tacos & cocktails excursion on get Your Guide, or if you prefer, you can learn a lot more and book through Viator.

7. Eat Fresh Oysters

While Mexico is one of the best countries in the world for food and there’s absolutely a Puerto Vallarta restaurant for everyone, often it’s great to eat street (beach) food. If you’re an oyster lover, you’ll be delighted to know that you can get fresh oysters on the beach.

Just under the bridge that crosses the River Cuale, you’ll see lots of vendors selling these tasty morsels.

Plastic tables and chairs are set up so you can sit and take pleasure in your plate of food by the water, or you can take them to go. squeeze some lime juice on, sprinkle with some salt and add some hot sauce if you like. Enjoy!

☞ SEE ALSO: Playa del Carmen Mexico: The utmost travel Guide

8. visit San Pancho

About an hour’s drive from Puerto Vallarta is the beach town of San Pancho (San Francisco), which is one of the best day trips from Puerto Vallarta.

This small town isn’t as quiet as it once was, but it’s still a great place to visit. What’s unusual is that even though it’s not a very big place, there are lots of things to do in San Pancho.

You can go golfing for the morning (or late afternoon), eat some really good international food, take Spanish lessons, do yoga, go surfing, enjoy the baby turtles be released and more.

It’s a cool place to spend the afternoon as it’s just an hour away from Puerto Vallarta. update 2022: sadly, the golf course in San Pancho is closed now.

To get from Puerto Vallarta to San Pancho, you can rent a car, take the bus for around 50 pesos, or join a day excursion of San Pancho and nearby Sayulita.

Note: the ocean here is quite rough and isn’t a great place for swimming. You could check out Bucerias for swimming.

9. walk The Malecon

One of the lots of great things about Puerto Vallarta is the long Malecon (oceanfront promenade) which runs for about 1.5 kilometers (1 mile). This is the best spot to take pleasure in a stroll, without having to deal with the busy traffic that whizzes along the narrow streets.

Along the Malecon, you have the beautiful ocean on one side, and lots of shops, restaurants, and bars on the other (selling $1 margaritas and Coronas). There are also many art installations and street performances here.

The Malecon is the hot-spot, especially in the late afternoon and evenings when it’s a cooler temperature. and actually, wandering along the Malecon is one of the most popular things to do in La Paz as well.

The Malecon always has something going on

Where to stay in Puerto Vallarta

There are many resorts, hotels, boutiques, hostels, Airbnbs, and apartments for rent in Puerto Vallarta. There really is something for everyone, with Airbnb and Booking.com being the most popular ways to book. 

10. join a chocolate Making Class

The Choco museum is one of the lots of complimentary things to do in Puerto Vallarta. If you’re interested in learning the history behind cocoa, plus finding out how chocolate is made (from harvest to