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Puerto Vallarta

Mexico travel guide

What to see in Puerto Vallarta

A Pacific town with a malecón, beaches and jungle tumbling down to the sea.

Updated 19 October 2026 · How we make our guides

Photo: Another Believer · CC BY-SA 3.0

Puerto Vallarta highlights

The places you can’t miss. In the app we sort them by day and close to each other.

  1. Malecón

    A promenade with sculptures facing the bay.

  2. Zona Romántica

    Cobbled streets and Los Muertos beach.

  3. Marieta Islands

    With the Hidden Beach, where access is limited.

  4. Yelapa

    A village reachable only by boat.

  5. Whales

    Humpbacks from December to March.

Day trips from Puerto Vallarta

We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

Some links are affiliate links: if you book through them, Bagintravel may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

When to travel to Puerto Vallarta

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Puerto Vallarta are from December to May. If you can, avoid September, October (pacific hurricane season).

  1. Jan no warnings
  2. Feb no warnings
  3. Mar no warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May no warnings
  6. Jun with warnings
  7. Jul with warnings
  8. Aug with warnings
  9. Sep with strong warnings
  10. Oct with strong warnings
  11. Nov with warnings
  12. Dec no warnings
  • from June to November

    Pacific hurricane season

    There’s a risk of hurricanes from June to November; September and October are the worst months.

    What to do: Book with free cancellation and take out insurance that covers bad weather.

Typical food of Puerto Vallarta

The dish you have to try there and how to make it at home, to whet your appetite before the trip (or to go back to Puerto Vallarta from your kitchen).

Pescado zarandeado
Photo: El Nuevo Doge · CC0

Pescado zarandeado

Fish butterflied, brushed with a sauce of chillies, garlic and soy sauce, and grilled over coals in a basket that gets “shaken”. It’s the dish of the coast of Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta.

  • Serves 4
  • 50 min

Ingredients

  • 1 whole fish of 1.5 kg, butterflied (snapper or sea bass)
  • 3 soaked guajillo chillies
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • Salt and pepper

How to make it at home

  1. Blend the chillies with the garlic, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice, salt and pepper.
  2. Spread the flesh side of the fish with the mayonnaise and then the sauce.
  3. Place it in a fish basket and grill it over coals, skin side first, for about 15 minutes.
  4. Turn it over and grill the flesh side for another 10 minutes, brushing on more sauce.
  5. Serve with tortillas, red onion, cucumber and salsa.

The trick: If you don’t have a grill, cook it under a hot oven grill.

Where and what to eat

To eat like a local: the fonda (family-run eatery). The dishes you can’t miss are in the Mexico guide.

Frequently asked questions about Puerto Vallarta

What to see in Puerto Vallarta?

Malecón, Zona Romántica, Marieta Islands, Yelapa and Whales.

What to see in Puerto Vallarta in one day?

Don’t miss Malecón, Zona Romántica, Marieta Islands, Yelapa and Whales. To split it into days and areas without crossing the city back and forth, the Bagintravel app plans your trip in a minute.

What’s the best time to travel to Puerto Vallarta?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Puerto Vallarta are from December to May. If you can, avoid September, October (pacific hurricane season).

What day trips can you take from Puerto Vallarta?

Marieta Islands.

What is the typical food of Puerto Vallarta?

Pescado zarandeado. Fish butterflied, brushed with a sauce of chillies, garlic and soy sauce, and grilled over coals in a basket that gets “shaken”. It’s the dish of the coast of Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta.

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Guide reviewed 19 October 2026. Places, areas and seasons: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.