Best Things to Do in Puerto Vallarta
The essentials for a first trip, from the Malecón to the water — without the filler.
You could fill a week here without trying. This is the shortlist we'd give a first-time visitor — the things that are genuinely worth your time, grouped so you can build your own days around them.
Walk the Malecón
The seafront boardwalk is the city's living room: sculptures, street performers, sand artists, Vallarta dancers and sunset crowds, running from the town centre down toward Old Town. Do it in the late afternoon and let it spill into dinner. At the town-centre end, downtown has the crowned Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the main square.
Spend a day on Playa Los Muertos
The main beach of Zona Romántica, with beach clubs serving you on loungers, roaming vendors and a constant stream of people. Watch the flags — the Pacific has rip currents.
Explore Old Town (Zona Romántica)
Cobbled streets, galleries, coffee shops and the densest cluster of restaurants in the city along Basilio Badillo. It's also the heart of the LGBTQ+ scene. Our neighbourhood guide has the detail.
Get out on the water
The bay is the reason to be here. Snorkelling at the Marietas, whale watching in winter, a boat to Yelapa or Las Caletas — the water trips are the highlight for most visitors. See which are worth it in our day trips guide and the Marietas breakdown.
Eat, seriously
Puerto Vallarta punches far above its weight on food, from street tacos and birria to rooftop fine dining. Eating your way through Old Town is itself one of the best things to do here.
Watch a sunset from a rooftop
The west-facing coast means reliable sunsets over the bay. A rooftop bar in Old Town, a drink, and the sky doing its thing — a simple, free highlight most nights of the year.
Explore by category
Tours & Experiences
Every bookable tour, sorted by what's worth it.
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Boat Tours
Every kind of boat trip, compared.
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Snorkeling
Los Arcos and the best spots.
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Islands near Puerto Vallarta
Which you can land on, and which are for divers.
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Fishing
Charters on Banderas Bay.
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Sports
Golf, paddleboarding, sailing, cycling and races.
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Events & Festivals
Pride, Day of the Dead, Fiestas de Guadalupe and more.
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The Malecón
The seafront boardwalk, sculptures and sunsets.
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Shopping
Markets, silver, Huichol art and what to bring home.
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Isla Río Cuale
The shady river island between downtown and Old Town.
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Nightlife
Bars, rooftops and clubs in Old Town.
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Gay Puerto Vallarta
The scene, the beach and the 2026 district.
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Zona Romántica
Old Town: streets, beach, food and nightlife.
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Playa Los Muertos
The city's liveliest beach and the pier.
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All the Beaches
From Los Muertos to the quiet south-shore coves.
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Day Trips
Every boat trip and excursion, compared.
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Where to Eat
Tacos, restaurant row and rooftop dining.
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Food Tours
The fast way to eat well all week.
Read →Best tours & experiences, ranked
If you only book a handful of things, make them these. Each has its own honest guide.
- Marietas Islands — the signature boat trip: snorkelling, seabirds and the access-capped Hidden Beach.
- Whale watching — the highlight of the season if you're here December to March.
- Yelapa — a boat-only village with waterfalls; cheap to do yourself by water taxi.
- Sunset cruise — the bay faces west, so this rarely disappoints.
- Los Arcos snorkelling — clear, protected water only twenty minutes offshore.
- Food tour — do it on day one and you'll eat better all week.
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How this ranking is made: we weigh whether you can do it yourself, real interest, time actually spent on the activity, group size, duration door to door, what's included, departure point, season, and physical effort. Commission rates play no part. See the full method.
Pick by what you're into
| If you like… | Do this |
|---|---|
| Wildlife | Whale watching (Dec–Mar), Marietas seabirds |
| Food | Food tour, then eat your way round Old Town |
| Adrenaline | Ziplines and canopy tours in the Sierra Madre |
| Quiet beaches | Conchas Chinas or the south shore by boat |
| Nightlife | Old Town bars and the LGBTQ+ scene |
| Doing nothing | A lounger at Los Muertos and a sunset cruise |
How to fit it together
A workable rhythm: one big boat trip, one land activity, and at least one day with nothing planned. Mornings are best for anything on the water (calmer seas, better light), afternoons for the beach or shade, evenings for the Malecón and dinner. One significant activity per day is enough — stacking two leaves you too tired to enjoy either. If you'd rather follow a plan, our itineraries lay out 3, 5 and 7-day versions day by day.
If you only have one day
Walk the Malecón in the late afternoon, eat in Old Town, and spend the middle of the day on Los Muertos. That's the city in miniature and it costs almost nothing. If you have a second day, add one thing on the water — that's what people remember.
What to skip, honestly
- The "free tour" offered at the airport or on the Malecón. It's a timeshare presentation, and it will cost you a morning.
- Booking three boat trips. They're long days. Two in a week is plenty; see day trips.
- Paying tour prices for bus rides. Sayulita and Bucerías are easy and cheap independently.
- Eating only on the Malecón. The tourist strip is the weakest part of a very strong food city — walk two streets inland.
Rainy day and indoor options
In the green season an afternoon downpour is likely rather than possible. Good wet-weather fallbacks: the galleries and shops of Basilio Badillo, the cultural centre and craft stalls on Isla Cuale, the municipal market, a long lunch, or a food tour (they run rain or shine, and the rain usually passes between stops).
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