Tours in Puerto Vallarta

Walk the Malecón in the evening and you will understand Puerto Vallarta faster than any guidebook could explain it. Families drift along the sea wall, kids chase each other between the sculptures, and someone is always selling something cold from a cart. The mountains come down almost to the water behind you, green and steep, and the bay curves away in front.

Start in the old town, Zona Romántica, where cobbled streets run uphill past small cafés and taco counters. Find the church with the crown on its tower and look up at it from the street below. Cross the river by the footbridge and the pace changes again. Go hungry, eat standing up at least once, and try the fish tacos and a cold agua fresca.

But the real draw here is the water. The bay is edged with beaches that you cannot reach by road, and the way in is by boat. That is how you get to Yelapa, a fishing village tucked into a cove, where there are no cars and the day moves slowly. A speedboat run out of the bay takes you past the rock formations at Los Arcos, then to clear water for snorkelling and a stretch of sand to yourself. A walk inland brings you to a waterfall. Bring a towel and expect to get salty.

Beyond the coast there is plenty more. Tequila country, the mountain villages, and the whale-watching waters of the wider bay all pull at visitors. If something here is not listed below, ask. A local guide can often arrange it.