Things to Do in Puerto Vallarta & Banderas Bay on Vacation Club Promo

Banderas Bay Whale Watching: Humpbacks from December to April

Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Whale Watching · Banderas Bay

Banderas Bay Whale Watching

One of the prime humpback whale calving grounds in the eastern Pacific — from mid-December through late March, 350-500 humpbacks migrate to Banderas Bay. February and March deliver multi-whale breaching, mother-calf pairs, and singing males. 95%+ sighting rates at peak.

Dec-AprWhale season

$70Standard tour

3 hrTour length

12 minWalk to marina

Why Banderas Bay is a top humpback whale destination

Banderas Bay is the second-largest bay on Mexico’s Pacific coast — a 100-kilometer-wide horseshoe protected by mountains on three sides, with deep water and warm temperatures that make it one of the prime humpback whale calving and mating grounds in the eastern Pacific. From mid-December through late March, roughly 350-500 humpbacks migrate to the bay from feeding grounds in Alaska, give birth to calves, and stay through the winter before heading back north.

El Malecón: The 1-Mile Boardwalk That Defines Puerto Vallarta

Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Boardwalk · Centro Vallarta

El Malecón

The 12-block oceanfront boardwalk in downtown Puerto Vallarta — bronze sculptures from the city's open-air art tradition, sand sculptors, palapa cocktail bars, and sunset over Banderas Bay framed by the Cathedral spire. The heart of the city in a way no other Mexican beach town has.

10 minFrom Krystal PV

$5Taxi from resort

1 mileBoardwalk length

SunsetBest time

The 1-mile boardwalk that defines Puerto Vallarta

El Malecón is the 12-block oceanfront boardwalk that runs along Puerto Vallarta’s central downtown — about 1 mile of red-brick pavement, sand sculpture artists, palapa cocktail stands, public bronze sculptures, and the most-photographed sunset in Mexico’s Pacific coast. It’s the heart of the city in a way that no other Mexican beach town has — Cabo has its marina, Cancún has its Hotel Zone, Vallarta has the Malecón.

Los Arcos National Marine Park: Vallarta's Best Snorkel & Scuba Destination

Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Marine Reserve · South Vallarta

Los Arcos National Marine Park

A federally protected cluster of granite islets 8 km south of Vallarta — deep clear water, healthy reef, and the densest fish population of any accessible snorkel spot near the city. Half-day trip from Mismaloya beach by public panga or organized snorkel tour.

8 kmSouth of Vallarta

$70Snorkel tour

40 ftVisibility

Year-roundOpen

The granite islets and the snorkel reef south of Vallarta

Los Arcos National Marine Park is a small protected reserve about 8 km south of Puerto Vallarta — a cluster of granite islets rising 25 meters out of Banderas Bay, with deep clear water around them, a healthy reef ecosystem, and the densest fish population of any easily-accessible Vallarta snorkel spot. The park has been federally protected since 1984 and is the most popular snorkel destination from the city.

Marietas Islands & Hidden Beach: The 100-Meter Beach Inside a Volcanic Crater

Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Marine Day Trip · UNESCO Biosphere

Marietas Islands & Hidden Beach

A volcanic archipelago 22 km off Vallarta's coast, with a 100-meter sandy beach hidden inside a crater that you reach by swimming through an underwater tunnel. The most photographed beach in Mexico, capped at 116 visitors per day, accessible only through licensed operators.

45 minBoat from marina

$110Standard tour price

116Daily visitor cap

UNESCOBiosphere status

The hidden beach inside a volcanic crater

The Marietas Islands (Islas Marietas) are an uninhabited volcanic archipelago about 22 km off Puerto Vallarta’s coast, designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and Mexican National Park. The islands are famous for one thing: Playa del Amor (Hidden Beach), a 100-meter sandy beach that sits inside a crater hole in the volcanic rock — accessible only by swimming through a 30-meter underwater tunnel at low tide.

Puerto Vallarta Beaches Ranked: From Las Gemelas to Sayulita

Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Beach Comparison · Banderas Bay

Puerto Vallarta Beaches Ranked

Banderas Bay's 100-km horseshoe contains dozens of beaches across Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit. Some are stunning. Some are surf-only. A few are boat-access exclusives. The honest ranking — Las Gemelas, Las Animas, Yelapa, Los Muertos, Mismaloya, Sayulita, and the rest.

100 kmBay coastline

12Beaches ranked

#1Las Gemelas

ResortCamarones

The Banderas Bay coast, ranked honestly

Banderas Bay’s 100-kilometer horseshoe contains dozens of named beaches across the Vallarta corridor (the southern bay, Vallarta proper) and the Riviera Nayarit (the northern bay, Nayarit state). They aren’t interchangeable. Some are stunning swimming beaches; some are surf beaches with riptides; some are boat-access only. This is the no-bullshit ranking based on water quality, accessibility, and what each beach actually does well.

Puerto Vallarta Food Scene & Best Restaurants

Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Food & Dining · Centro & Romantic Zone

Puerto Vallarta Food Scene & Best Restaurants

Vallarta has been a serious food town since the 1980s — 300+ restaurants in walking distance of downtown, with the densest cluster in the Romantic Zone. World-class tacos al pastor, fresh Pacific seafood, regional birria, and a fine-dining scene worth multiple evenings off the resort.

300+Restaurants downtown

$5Taxi to Romantic Zone

CashMany spots

18%Standard tip

Why Vallarta has Mexico’s best Pacific food scene

Puerto Vallarta has been a serious food town since the 1980s, when American and European expatriates settled the Romantic Zone and the city’s tourism economy started supporting actual culinary investment instead of just tourist-traps. Today, Vallarta has more than 300 restaurants in walking distance of downtown, with the densest concentration in the Romantic Zone (south of the Cuale River) and a secondary cluster along the Marina Vallarta area.

Sayulita Day Trip from Puerto Vallarta

Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Day Trip · Riviera Nayarit

Sayulita Day Trip from Puerto Vallarta

A Pacific surf town 45 km north of Vallarta in Nayarit — Pueblo Mágico, beginner surf capital of the Mexican Pacific, walkable cobblestone center with multicolored papel picado banners, and a low-key bohemian energy that feels more Costa Rica than Mexico.

45 minDrive from Vallarta

$5-8Bus each way

$50Surf lesson

Pueblo MágicoFederal designation

The surf town 45 minutes north of Vallarta

Sayulita is a small Pacific beach town on the Riviera Nayarit, about 45 km north of Puerto Vallarta in the neighboring state of Nayarit. Population around 4,000. It’s one of Mexico’s designated Pueblos Mágicos (Magical Towns), with a vibe distinct from anything in the Vallarta corridor — surfboards everywhere, hammocks strung between trees, multicolored papel picado banners over the streets, and a permanent low-key bohemian energy that’s more Costa Rica than Mexico.

Sierra Madre & Tequila Country Day Trip from Puerto Vallarta

Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Inland Day Trip · Sierra Madre

Sierra Madre & Tequila Country Day Trip from Puerto Vallarta

The Sierra Madre Occidental rises directly from Banderas Bay's eastern shore — a wall of mountains containing colonial towns, working raicilla and tequila distilleries, spring-fed swimming holes, and Mexican rural cuisine 90 minutes from the resort. The cultural counterweight to a beach week.

90 minDrive from Vallarta

$120Typical guided tour

8 hrFull day

CashDistillery purchases

Inland Mexico, 90 minutes from the bay

The Sierra Madre Occidental rises directly from Banderas Bay’s eastern shore — a wall of mountains that defines the bay’s geography and contains some of the most beautiful inland Mexican landscapes within a day-trip range of any Pacific coast resort. About 90 minutes east of Vallarta is El Tuito, a colonial mountain town surrounded by working tequila farms (the agave-growing region extends from Jalisco’s tequila heartland down through this Sierra range), small-batch raicilla distilleries (raicilla is the regional cousin to tequila and mezcal — same agave plant, different processing tradition), and rural communities that look like they haven’t changed in 200 years.

The Romantic Zone (Zona Romántica): Old Vallarta South of the River

Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Neighborhood · South of Cuale River

The Romantic Zone (Zona Romántica)

Puerto Vallarta's original neighborhood, south of the Cuale River — cobblestone streets, art galleries, the city's densest food scene, the iconic Los Muertos Beach and Pier, and Latin America's most established gay-friendly enclave. Old-Mexico Vallarta, walkable.

15 minTaxi from Krystal

$7Taxi from resort

12 blocksWalkable core

EveningBest time

The walkable old-Mexico neighborhood south of the river

The Romantic Zone (Zona Romántica), also called Old Vallarta or Olas Altas, is the original Puerto Vallarta neighborhood — south of the Cuale River, 12-15 walkable blocks of cobblestone streets, small plazas, art galleries, sidewalk cafés, and the city’s densest cluster of restaurants. It’s where the locals live, where the LGBTQ+ scene concentrates, where the food is best, and where most travelers who come back to Vallarta a second time end up staying.

Yelapa: The Boat-Only Beach Village Day Trip from Puerto Vallarta

Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Boat-Only Beach Day · South Banderas Bay

Yelapa

A small fishing village on the southern shore of Banderas Bay, no roads in or out, accessible only by boat. 45 minutes south of Vallarta on a public panga. A waterfall, a curve of golden beach, palapa fish lunches, and the slowest-paced day trip available.

45 minPanga from Vallarta

$25Public water taxi RT

5 hrTypical visit

4:30 PMLast panga back

The boat-only beach village 45 minutes south

Yelapa is a small fishing village on the southern shore of Banderas Bay, accessible only by boat. About 1,500 residents, no roads in or out, no cars on the dirt-and-cobblestone paths. A waterfall, a beach, a handful of palapa restaurants, and the slowest-paced day trip available from Puerto Vallarta. It’s been a quiet getaway since the 1960s when a small American expatriate community discovered it; that vibe hasn’t changed much.