Must-see attractions in Puerto Vallarta

  • Puerto Vallarta Botanical Garden.

    Jardín Botánico de Vallarta

    Puerto Vallarta

    For a change of scenery from the beach, head for the tropical highlands of the Sierra Madre mountains and wander the well-curated Jardín Botánico de…

  • Beach in Yelapa, Mexico.

    Yelapa

    Puerto Vallarta

    Home to a small fishing community, the picturesque beach of Yelapa hugs an emerald coastline backed by jungle-shrouded mountains. The remote coastal…

  • Playa Palmares

    Puerto Vallarta

    Graced with golden sands and serene aqua-green shallows, Playa Palmares is one sweet strip of coastline. Hugging an undeveloped shore about 6km (4 miles)…

  • Villa Mandarinas, Mismaloya, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

    Mismaloya

    Puerto Vallarta

    Mismaloya, the location for the 1964 film The Night of the Iguana, is about 12km south of Puerto Vallarta: you can still see the dilapidated Iguana sign…

  • Playa Conchas Chinas

    Playa Conchas Chinas

    Puerto Vallarta

    Around 3km south of downtown is the beautiful condo enclave of Playa Conchas Chinas. It's a tiny cove favored by families for the shallow and sheltered…

  • Mexico, Banderas Bay, Small Bay at Boca de Tomatlan

    Boca de Tomatlán

    Puerto Vallarta

    Boca de Tomatlán is a seaside village that’s less commercialized than Puerto Vallarta and a good place to munch ceviche tostadas on the beach. You can get…

  • Museo del Cuale

    Puerto Vallarta

    On Isla Río Cuale, this museum has a small but very well-presented collection of pre-Hispanic ceramics by the Chupícuaro culture (400 BCE–200 CE), plus…

  • Isla Río Cuale

    Puerto Vallarta

    A trip to Vallarta wouldn't be complete without lingering on Isla Río Cuale, a sand island that appeared in the river mouth in the 1920s and was then…

  • Playa de las Ánimas

    Puerto Vallarta

    Playa de las Ánimas is a long, sandy beach with a small fishing village and some palapa (thatched-roof) restaurants offering fresh seafood. It's also a…

  • Playa de los Muertos

    Puerto Vallarta

    Despite its name, Playa de los Muertos (Beach of the Dead) is a lively beach which is handy for downtown. At the southern end of the beach, a stretch of…

  • Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe

    Puerto Vallarta

    The crown-topped steeple of the Parish Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the town's central cathedral, is a Vallarta icon, and the hand-ringing of the…

  • Playa de Quimixto

    Puerto Vallarta

    This beach, just beyond Las Ánimas, has a waterfall accessible by a half-hour hike or by hiring a horse (M$300) on the beach to take you up.

  • Playa Olas Altas

    Puerto Vallarta

    The handiest beach to the Zona Centro is Playa Olas Altas, just south of the Río Cuale.

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