Did you know that Puerto Vallarta wasn't named Puerto Vallarta until 1918?
It was named Las Peñas de Santa María de Guadalupe named after Guadalupe Sánchez, the person who founded the city in 1851. Then in 1918, it got renamed to Puerto Vallarta in honor of its ex-state governor, Ignacio Luis Vallarta.
Puerto Vallarta is not only has a great history, it has amazing food, scenery, and lots of activities. The problem is that there are so much to do, eat and see, but not enough time in a day for you to see them all. So, if you don't plan ahead, you could be missing out on many things.
This article has everything you need to know to have a fun and safe trip to Puerto Vallarta.
Before You Travel to Puerto Vallarta: Things You Need to Know
It's important to have all the information you need before you travel anywhere. It's especially important if it's a country you've never been to before. For Jo & I, it's Puerto Vallarta. Puerto Vallarta has been on our list because we've heard so many good things about it. Even with the research and planning we did, the trip could've been better. That's why there are things you need to know before to travel to Puerto Vallarta.
Where is Puerto Vallarta located?
It's located on the west coast, on the Pacific Ocean side of Mexico, in the State of Jalisco, below Texas. It's confusing because you would think that it has Los Angeles time zone, but no. If you look at the map of Mexico, it curves inwards. Which puts Puerto Vallarta in a different in the CST zone instead of PST zone and that means that Puerto Vallarta is 2 hours ahead of Los Angeles time.
What is the currency used in Puerto Vallarta?
The currency in Puerto Vallarta is the Mexican Pesos. It's okay to use US cash, but what I learned from this is that if you use US cash to pay, they can use the exchange rate anywhere from 18% - 20%. It's better to either exchange it in the US at your bank, at an ATM in Puerto Vallarta or at the hotel you're staying with.
What is the language used in Puerto Vallarta?
They speak Spanish, but many of the people in Puerto Vallarta spoke enough English for us to get our message across.
Is the water safe to drink?
The tap water there isn't exactly pristine. If you want to avoid upset stomach and
diarrhea, opt to drink out of water bottles and have anti-nausea and anti-diarrhea
pills ready. Also bring anti-diarrhea pills and tums in case you need it.
Best Time to Travel to Puerto Vallarta: Avoid the Heat and Rain
Ugh, it's too hot & humid. Nooo, it's too wet & rainy. When exactly is the best time to go to Puerto Vallarta? Then the best time to go would be any time from November to January. That's when the temperature has dropped, the chances of rain are lower, and not hot and humid. Obviously, it's not possible to escape the humidity, but at least it's not BOTH hot & humid. If I had a chance to do this trip again, I would definitely go end of fall/ beginning of winter.
Based on Timeanddate, here's a list of the hottest, coldest, wettest, windiest, and annual precipitation:
Transportation to Puerto Vallarta
How to get to Puerto Vallarta from the airport?
Take a Taxi
After landing, as you make your way to the exit, make sure you avoid talk to the people
that are asking you whether you need or have a ride or give you free tequila shots. They
will try to sell you vacation packages. We almost got hooked, but adamantly said no
before leaving. There are plenty of taxis for you to take to your place of stay.
Book an airport transport service
We opted for the airport transport service, which in our opinion, it is safer and less
hassle. Our service included a round trip ride from the airport to the hotel and
back. We booked through Expedia and for a set price.
When we exited the airport, we found the rep from the Gray Line company already
there and waiting. We checked in with them and was on our way to the hotel. If
there is a big group, they provide a van, but they sent us a car instead because
there was only two of us.
To get a ride back to the airport - we called them 2 days before our flight to
confirm the time of the flight and time that we were to be picked up to go to our
airport. After we checked out, the Gray Line rep was already there waiting for us.
As soon as we checked in with him. Our ride pulled up and we were on our way to
the airport.
Where to Stay?: All Inclusive or Not?
All inclusive resorts. This is more bang for your buck. Since the food: buffets, restaurants & room service and drinks are already included in the price that you pay, you do not have to spend extra money.
A quick note, we thought that room service and restaurants were included at every all inclusive, but we quickly learned that we were wrong. Room service was included in our all inclusive trip in Cancun, but not here.
So before you book an all inclusive, make sure you check what's included and what isn't. That way you are not caught by surprise.
If you prefer to stay at a non all inclusive:
Where to Eat?:Enjoy the Food Scene
These are just a few places that we ate at. The options for food are endless, we weren't able to go to all of it. Here's a few that we did try:
We ventured out of the hotel for breakfast and found this cute breakfast/brunch café that's 2 minutes walking distance from the hotel .
The staff the was so nice and some of them barely spoke English, but they spoke enough understand what we wanted. One of them best service moment we had was when we asked for to go boxes, and the servers grabbed our plates, and we told her that we could do it, if she brought us the boxes. She looked us in the eye and said "No." Customers are kings, but not in this case. This is NEXT LEVEL service, in my opinion.
A Page in the Sun is a library and an art gallery where you can eat and enjoy your morning/ early afternoon.
The food at this café wasn't so bad either:
This French toast was my least favorite out of all the things that we ordered. At first it was bland, but after I added the syrup it became the right level of sweetness. It would've been even better if the French toast itself had some sweetness to it, so that if guests decided they don't want syrup, then it would still be good.
Honestly, if this is a small cup of hot chocolate, then what would a large size of hot chocolate look like?? I'm a lover of hot chocolate, so I try hot chocolate everywhere I go. It's also because it's made differently in every country. For example, hot chocolate in Italy is melted chocolate, it's thick, rich, dark, and dippable (if you want).
This is a coffee cake, except it tasted more like banana bread. But I think I get what they're thinking because translation and how we perceive it can be different. So in the US, we have a version of coffee cake that we're used to and it's a sweet cake that we eat with coffee or tea. But for them, I think that the term "coffee cake" is loosely interpret as whatever cake you eat while you're enjoying your tea and coffee. Don't quote me on it, though. This is just my opinion about why it was banana bread and not coffee cake.
Jo absolutely loved this chilequilles. Everything about it was good. From the fresh chips to the boldly flavored sauce to the queso fresco.
TACOS! That's a must have in Mexico because the local ingredients aren't the same and the way it's made it's different. This place was recommended to us by our airport transport service driver. It's super close to the hotel - a 2 minute walk.
The employees barely spoke English, but they understood enough to take our order.
When we got al pastor tacos, we were expecting it to be chopped up like how it is in the US. But this, THIS it so much better. It's not greasy and there's fresh pineapples. We could taste each of the flavors.
Mar y Vino
This restaurant is located at the Playa Los Arcos on the second floor. Jo & I got the some plates to share: lobster bisque and volcano fillet. The food wasn't bad, but it wasn't that special either, but I'm also really picky with my food. Jo, on the other hand, thought that the food was good.
The service for this restaurant was good. They checked up on us often, probably because we were a big group.
The thing I liked most about this restaurant is the view. It has a good view of the sunset and the beach.
Things To Do: Explore & Have Fun
Ziplining, Mule Ride & Tequila Tasting
We were picked up at the Canopy River office and then taken to the jungle.
Ziplining was so much fun except for the part we had to do alot of hiking up to get the next zipline. Honestly, it would've been okay if we were prepared for it, but it was SO worth it. We book the zipline, mule ride, and tequila tasting with photos package through a company called Canopy River.
Zipline through the jungle was so amazing! This is why I said I said the hike up was worth it! After ziplining through 12 of them, you get to right the mule up to the top.
The mule ride up was bumpy, and those mules were so stubborn. At some point, my mule cut in front of all the other mules and then stopped to eat and refused to move.
After all that, there's a restaurant you can eat at for lunch or you can go to the tequila tasting.
We were caught in the jungle rain and it was amazing! Very cold, but also so beautiful!
Walk Malecon Street
4D Museum
This 4D museum is art made from opals found in Mexico and around the world. The tour gives you a history of the gemstones and it's rarity.
Relax by the beach or the pool
If you decide you want to just chill by the beach or pool. Don't forget to bring the essentials with you.
Beach/pool protection list:
Sunscreen
Hat
Sunglasses
Swimsuit
Sandles
Water shoes
Towels
At the end of the day...
Puerto Vallarta is pack with adventures, foods, lively night scene, and relaxation. There's something for every type of traveler. We didn't plan too much for this trip because we wanted to relax, eat, and enjoy the downtown area as much as we could and hopefully you can do the same with this ultimate guide filled with information from location to activities & food.
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