Fiestas de Guadalupe

The city's biggest and most heartfelt festival — twelve nights of processions to the church.

By Sam Med · 1–12 December · Last updated September 2026

Procession of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mazatlán, Mexico. Photo: DogeGamer2015MZT, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

From 1 to 12 December, Puerto Vallarta honours the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico's patron saint, in what is the city's largest and most deeply felt celebration. Each night, groups — businesses, neighbourhoods, families — process through downtown to the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe with its distinctive crown-topped tower.

How the processions work

The nightly peregrinaciones (pilgrimages) wind through downtown to the church, and the groups are organised: a hotel's staff one night, a neighbourhood the next, a school, a union, a family. Each brings music — brass bands, drums, sometimes dancers in traditional dress — and often a decorated float or an image of the Virgin. The walks typically start in the early evening and continue late; the closer to the 12th, the bigger.

Where to stand

The processions converge on the church from several directions through downtown, so almost anywhere in the centre works. For atmosphere, the streets approaching the church are better than the square itself, which gets very full. The Malecón stays busy throughout.

The 12th of December

The feast day is the climax: the largest processions, fireworks, and crowds through the night. If you want to see one night, make it this one — and expect street closures, packed restaurants and slow taxis.

What to know as a visitor

This is a religious observance — an authentic religious and community festival, not a tourist show, which is exactly what makes it worth seeing. Watch, photograph the public processions, and be unobtrusive inside the church.
Downtown gets very busy in the evenings — expect crowds, fireworks, road closures and a packed, joyful atmosphere, and allow extra time.
Street food stalls appear all around the centre; it's one of the best times of year to eat on the street.
It falls just before the Christmas price peak, so it's a good-value window with excellent weather — a great reason to be in town in early December. See best time to visit.