Puerto Vallarta Information

Puerto Vallarta is located in the state of Jalisco, on the central Pacific coast of Mexico. The small city, with a population of about 200,000, sits at the mouth of Banderas Bay, the largest bay in Mexico. Puerto Vallarta is a popular vacation destination, and is quite tourist-friendly: it's the second most-visited resort in Mexico. (Cancun is first.) To the west by the water are white sand beaches, while to the east are the Sierra Madre mountains and their foothills. The landscape also features mountain rivers and tropical forests. Most of the hotels are north of the city center, along the shore. East of the city are residential areas. The old town, also called La Zona Romantica, sits at the heart of Puerto Vallarta, and is less touristy than the rest of the city.

Puerto Vallarta's airport is Gustavo Diaz Ordaz International Airport: its three-letter code is PVR. Most major American airlines fly there, as does Aeromexico. The trip takes three hours nonstop from Los Angeles. You can also catch a tour bus down to Puerto Vallarta, or book one of many cruises that stop at the port. If you live close enough, you can drive down to the city on a toll road. If you book your trip with a travel agency, it may arrange for a private car to pick you up from the airport and take you on day trips.

Once you're in Puerto Vallarta, you can rent a car for $40 to 50 a day. Prices will be higher during peak tourist season. You can also rent scooters and trail bikes. Taxis are easy to find, and the fares are established by the government, so there's less chance you'll get ripped off. These taxis are white. The yellow taxis are usually cheaper, but non-regulated in terms of price. There's also good, reliable public transportation. You can catch a local bus from the airport to the Zona Romantica for 5 1/2 pesos in 2009. That's about 40 American cents.

Water taxis can take you to beaches only accessible by boat. You can catch a panga, a local boat that's designed like a dugout canoe, to nearby beaches such as Yelapa.

Fishermen sit on the pier at Los Muertos Beach, in the Zona Romantica, the southern area of downtown. Close by is Conchas Chinas Beach, where you can snorkel. You can also go shopping here, on Olas Altas and Basilio Badillo streets, and eat at trendy restaurants. Musicians will come to play for you while you have dinner. Some are hired by the restaurants, but some are freelancers who'll charge you per song. Ask how much it's going to cost before you ask them to play for you.

El Centro is the heart of downtown, where the seafront boardwalk, the Malecon, is full of street performers. This area of town is the oldest, and has cobblestone streets. Puerto Vallarta has a lively art scene, and plenty of galleries. From October 2009 through May 2010, the city will host an Old Town Art Walk, a tour of galleries displaying paintings, contemporary photography and sculpture.

Puerto Vallarta is the number one gay vacation spot in Mexico. Over a dozen gay-friendly hotels are located in the southern part of Old Town, and gay beach life centers around an area called The Blue Chairs. The scene is diverse in terms of age and lifestyle: some older men and women come here to relax, while many young beach bums come to party, and vice versa. The scene is also not limited to tourists: plenty of gay Mexicans, from Puerto Vallarta and other cities, love this vibrant vacation spot as well.