Mexico Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit
Situated on the curve of the Pacific coast’s Bahia de Banderas is the busy town of Puerto Vallarta, overlooked by jungle-clad mountains and flanked by dozens of golden sand beaches.
Overview
With its superbly scenic Pacific coast setting, backed by mountains and flanked by dozens of golden beaches, Puerto Vallarta is one of Mexico’s liveliest resorts. International as it is, many visitors find there’s plenty about ‘PV’ that makes it feel more Mexican than Cancún. There’s something for everyone here: beyond the main hotel and entertainment zones are the atmospheric cobbled streets of the picturesque historic centre, with a number of gourmet restaurants. In high season there seems to be something happening every day: a parade, food festival, musical performance or exhibition. The palm-lined waterfront strip (malécon) is choc-a-bloc with bars and boutiques and the marina bulges with luxury yachts. Boats come and go from nature reserves and dolphin spotting trips.
You don’t have to go far beyond Puerto Vallarta to find more low-key surroundings. A scattering of discreet luxury hotels occupies Punta Mita and the exquisite stretch of coast now known as the Riviera Nayarit. Meanwhile, the beach town of Sayulita – long popular with surfers – manages to hold on a laid-back, hippy-chic vibe.
Things to do
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Accommodation
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Where to go when - our guide to Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit
The weather in Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit is wide and varied
Situated on the curve of the Pacific coast’s Bahia de Banderas is the busy town of Puerto Vallarta, overlooked by jungle-clad mountains and flanked by dozens of golden sand beaches. This is an excellent beach destination, with sunshine reputedly on 360 days of the year. Most rain falls between June - September, though it is hot and humid year round. Puerto Vallarta has a fiesta, show or parade seemingly most weeks of the year, from the folklore festival in April to Independence Day celebrations in September.
View our Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit weather guidePapagaio
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Sophie Barber - Travel Expert
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Kathryn Rhodes - Travel Expert
Kathryn backpacked across Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru before joining us. She has a degree in Philosophy and French and is a keen netball player.
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A former JLA tour leader, Carrie brings a wealth of on-the-ground experience to our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours department.
Ben Line - Travel Expert
Ben fell in love with Latin America on a six month backpacking trip from Colombia to Mexico in 1995. Since then he has explored most of South America, including living in Peru for a year. He is now Head of Sales.
Evie Oswald - Travel Expert
It's hard to believe that Evie has had time to cram so much in to her life so far. Having lived as a child in the Americas and Europe she found herself immediately attracted to Latin America.
