Puerto Vallarta Profile
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| Beautifully situated on Banderas Bay, PV is charming but bustling, a major resort with many satellite towns up and down the bay as well as planned tourist zones such as Marina Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta for a resort vacation experience |
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| Swimming | | | Good beaches north and south of town |
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| Surfing | | | Good surfing at Punta de Mita, 20 miles away |
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| Snorkeling | | | Los Arcos Marine Reserve is a beautiful spot where you can view the rock formations and swim thru the arches. Sea life includes angelfish, damsels, parrot fish, lobsters, puffer fish and possibly mantas and stingrays. |
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| Diving | | | Plenty of good dive sites, including night and deep dives |
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| Bike Riding | | | Half dozen companies offer mountain biking into the hills but it town theres too much traffic. |
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| Fishing | | | Many companies offer sportfishing yearround |
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| Hiking | | | Not much organized hikes, but plenty of opportunities for hiking in the surrounding hills |
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| Walking | | | Beach walks, walking through town; cobblestone streets |
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| Golf | | | A half dozen good 18-hole courses; south of PV there are challenging, fun courses at El Tamarindo and Grand Bay Isla Navidad |
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| Kayaking | | | Usually too much ocean surge/wind for a leisurely paddle | |
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| Boating | | | Good boating; big marina, organized day and night cruises |
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| Sailing | | | Good sailing; big marina, annual regatta in March. Marina in Nueva Vallarta does repairs. Good days trips include a sail to the Tres Marias islands or to Yelapa. |
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| Good Food | | | Two major gourmet festivals each year, and tons of wonderful restaurants |
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| Art | | | Many galleries and artists, weekly art walk in high season |
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| Jet Skis | | | found in the hotel zones and on beaches like Yelapa and Las Animas in high season |
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| Club Scene | | | Many clubs and also gay bars, it's a party town! |
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| Supermarket | | | Imported foods and gourmet shops can be found |
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| Museums | | | small archaeology museum, maritime museum |
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| Sightseeing | | | Trips to mountain towns, Yelapa, Costalegre, and northern beaches |
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| Spanish School | | | Good Spanish school in town |
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| Tennis | | | Most major hotels have a few; only a few private venues |
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| Handicrafts | | | Great variety of items from Guadalajara, Huichol yarn paintings and beadwork, and much more. |
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| Shopping | | | An excellent place to shop for Huichol art, glass, and ceramics. Lots of cool boutiques. |
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| Movies | | | Half a dozen good theater complexes with movies in English |
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| Jungle | | | Jungle terrain, very tropical |
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| Mountains | | | Beautiful setting, surrounded by the Sierra Madre del Sur |
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| Ocean | | | Lovely tropical beaches, some suitable for swimming |
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| Rivers | | | A half dozen rivers drain into large Bay of Banderas |
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| Ranch | | | Ranches in small towns outside Vallarta |
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| Country | | | Plenty of countryside around if you want to escape the crowds |
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| Town | | | Old PV, while crowded, still has a small-town flavor; lots of smaller towns nearby |
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| City | | | Bigger by the day, with creature comforts as well as traffic |
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| Humid | | | Break a sweat over brunch |
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| Single | | | A great place to be single |
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| Middle Class | | | Myriad possibilities; deals in low season |
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| Luxurious | | | Luxurious houses along the coast |
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| Winter | | | Just about perfect |
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| Summer | | | Hot and humid but many places with A/C |
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| All Year | | | Most people avoid September |
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| EnglishSpeaking | | | Large gringo community, thousands of tourists, gringo-run clubs; locals speak English. |
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| Mexican Community | | | Lots of gringos, but lots of Mexicans as well. |
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| International Airport | | | Large international airport with direct flights to U.S. and Europe. |
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| Border | | | About 1000 miles |
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Weather | | | This area is very hot and muggy in the summer and being in the city makes it even more so. The winters are great. Summer is the rainy season. |
