Puerto Vallarta Vacations

General Information About Puerto Vallarta Vacations

Puerto Vallarta, an old colonial city in Mexico, located on the Pacific Ocean, has grown over the years into a vibrant package holiday destination. All-inclusive Puerto Vallarta vacations have become the economic focus of this once quiet fishing town, made famous in the 1960s as the featured location for the movie "Night of the Iguana." In addition to the many all-inclusive Puerto Vallarta vacation resort hotels, Vallarta Nayarit, just a few kilometres north, offers all-inclusive vacation packages at a newer resort development that features exclusive resorts and beautiful golf courses. Reliable tourist infrastructure in Puerto Vallarta was built in the 1970s and 80s, and further expanded to include Nayarit resort development in the 90s. In addition to the tourist traffic generated by the variety of all-inclusive Puerto Vallarta packages, this destination also operates as a well-developed cruise ship stop. A Puerto Vallarta vacation is certain to include many photo opportunities, as interesting landmarks are plentiful along the cobblestone streets of this holiday hot spot. Of particular note, the Parish Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and The Malecon – a paved walkway along the shore – offer sights to delight the senses during your all-inclusive Puerto Vallarta package holiday. Additionally, the surrounding mountains and rain forest, in addition to creating beautiful setting for your Puerto Vallarta vacation, present great opportunities for a variety of fun vacation activities.

All-inclusive Puerto Vallarta vacation packages satisfy a wide range of tastes, appealing to families, couples, singles, and the gay community. For those in search of nightlife, Puerto Vallarta vacation packages are a great option, and the downtown nightlife is not to be missed. If a quieter pace is desired, all-inclusive Puerto Vallarta packages at the resorts in Nayarit are the way to go. While on your Puerto Vallarta vacation, if you wish to explore your surroundings, a rental car is a good option in most cases. However, high traffic volume and hectic driving/parking conditions in some locations should be avoided on your Puerto Vallarta package holiday. Buses are a great option for travel from the downtown area to Nayarit. From south of the city, or the Holiday Inn, a 15-20 minute trip will take you downtown – 20-30 minutes to downtown from the Marina. From Nayarit, a $25-$30 cab ride, 40-45 minutes in duration, will get you downtown. On Puerto Vallarta vacations, you have many options for getting around from place to place.  

When planning a departure date for your all-inclusive Puerto Vallarta vacation, you might want to consider coordinating your travel to coincide with one of the many exciting local festivals. From the last week of May to the first week of June, enjoy The May Festival, featuring a parade, outdoor concerts, art expositions, and more. Also, consider The Mariachi Festival, which takes place in September, or the International Sailfish Fishing Tournament in November. Enhancing your all-inclusive Puerto Vallarta vacation package with one of the many local festivals is a great way to get the most out of your holiday experience.

Puerto Vallarta vacations appeal to a wide spectrum of travellers, and the downtown area is particularly welcoming to the gay community, as well as singles and couples in search of great nightlife. For those looking to experience true colonial Mexico, Puerto Vallarta vacations are the the way to go – a wide range of activities, and a great blend of old and new. Although the tourist infrastructure in Puerto Vallarta is quite reliable, we recommend bottled water.

Sand and Sun on Your Puerto Vallarta Vacation

There are a variety of beaches to enjoy on your all-inclusive Puerto Vallarta vacation, varying by location. Los Muertos Beach is located downtown, toward the south end of town.  It is more of an urban beach, typically populated with locals and the gay community. This beach is relatively wide, featuring dark-coloured, coarse sand, and is rather steep nearby the Krystal Hotel. For those booking Puerto Vallarta packages in Nayarit, enjoy comparably better conditions at Nuevo Vallarta Beach, with its calmer swimmable waters, wider expanse, and better sand quality. Although it may not compare to a Caribbean or Mayan Riviera beach, this is definitely the nicest beach in Puerto Vallarta. The Marina features man-made beaches of decent quality. In La Jolla De Mismaloya, the beach has suffered badly from erosion, so beach lovers may wish to consider another resort option when booking an all-inclusive Puerto Vallarta package.

When considering an all-inclusive Puerto Vallarta vacation, you can generally count on warm weather year round. Although cooler in January, the sunshine keeps things comfortable throughout the day. If your Puerto Vallarta vacation is booked from November to January, you can expect temperatures ranging from an average of 22?C - 25?C (72?F - 77?F). Weather conditions, although very good, are not as predictable as Acapulco, where the weather is all but guaranteed. Nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range, the Puerto Vallarta landscape is very lush and mountainous. Although occasionally hazy, the mountains are a striking feature set against the bay.

Although Puerto Vallarta vacations are generally less impacted by hurricanes when compared with Caribbean destinations (last serious hurricane to hit was in 1959), the possibility remains. However, when booking Puerto Vallarta vacation packages, you can rest assured that tour operators will not fly you into a hurricane, and will act fast to get you out in the event of any development. You can find great Puerto Vallarta vacation package deals during hurricane season, and the economic advantage is well worth considering. We recommend that you speak with one of our tripcentral.ca agents to fully understand the great value benefit vs. limited risk associated with travel to this region during hurricane season.

Things to See and Do on Your Puerto Vallarta Package Vacation

If you are looking for nightlife, Puerto Vallarta vacations have so much to offer, and downtown is the place to be.  There are lots of open bars and discos to enjoy, centred around a main boardwalk. Nightlife in Puerto Vallarta has more of a Mexican flair than what can be found in Cancun. For a Mexican fiesta experience on your Puerto Vallarta vacation, be sure to visit The Krystal Hotel where you will find weekly features, including bulls, fireworks, piñatas, and a full Mexican dinner. The Marina, not offering much in the way of nightlife, features a cafe and patios.

On your Puerto Vallarta package holiday, you will find plenty of restaurants to tempt your palate, particularly in the downtown area and up into the foothills at the south end. Restaurants are generally high-end, including a full range of both local and chain establishments. The Marina offers even more dining opportunities, and is similar to the waterfront in downtown Toronto.  Carlos & Charlie's and Carlos & Brian, both well known, are found here.
 
For the shopping fanatic, Puerto Vallarta vacations provide plenty of opportunity to escape the larger malls and enjoy shopping at smaller specialty stores. In addition to the higher-end shops at the Marina, enjoy browsing the flea market, City market (Cuale), and various local shops. Banking is readily available downtown, but more limited in Nayarit which offers little in the way of shopping to enhance your all-inclusive Puerto Vallarta package holiday.
For sports enthusiasts, sportfishing, parasailing, and bungee jumping are all available to bring a bit of added excitement to your Puerto Vallarta vacation.  Although snorkelling is limited, there are some opportunities worth investigating, and scuba diving is a great option at Los Arcos, in the La Jolla area. For the golfing aficionado, there are plenty of golfing options – all good quality and reasonably priced. Just one hour drive north of Puerto Vallarta, in the Punta Mita area, is an outstanding golf course, located at the Four Seasons. Although slightly more expensive, this course meets high-end North American standards, and is quite challenging. Whatever your golfing preference, Puerto Vallarta packages can certainly meet your golfing needs.

Further enhance your Puerto Vallarta package holiday experience with one of the many day trip opportunities available. These include horseback riding, jeep tours, waterfall tours, zip lining, boat/snorkelling trips, deep sea fishing, and a variety of beach water sports. 

All-Inclusive Puerto Vallarta Vacation Package Availability, Accommodations, and Value

You have many hotel resort options available to you when booking your all-inclusive Puerto Vallarta vacation package, and flights are widely available across most of Canada. Puerto Vallarta is a very popular destination out of Western Canada and, although offered year round from Toronto, is particularly popular during the winter season. Montreal also offers Puerto Vallarta vacation departures during the winter season. However, Atlantic Canada does not offer Puerto Vallarta vacation package flights, connecting flights through Montreal or Toronto are the best option.   All-inclusive Puerto Vallarta vacation hotels vary considerably, including low and high rise hotels, hotel chains, and even two bedroom apartments with kitchen facilities – some that can accommodate longer stays.
 
For those planning a wedding in the sun, Puerto Vallarta vacation packages designed to suit your dream wedding are widely available and customizable. With all that Puerto Vallarta vacations have to offer, this is a great destination for any wedding.

Puerto Vallarta vacations offer very good value and variety when compared with other comparable holiday packages, and are generally less expensive than Cancun and the Caribbean. Speak with one of our tripcentral.ca agents, and find out all you need to know about booking your all-inclusive Puerto Vallarta vacation today.