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Puerto Vallarta Article
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Puerto Vallarta Retirement Profile

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

Swimming
Good beaches north and south of town

Surfing
Good surfing at Punta de Mita, 20 miles away

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.

Diving
Plenty of good dive sites, including night and deep dives

Bike Riding
Half dozen companies offer mountain biking into the hills but it town theres too much traffic.

Fishing
Many companies offer sportfishing yearround

Hiking
Not much organized hikes, but plenty of opportunities for hiking in the surrounding hills

Walking
Beach walks, walking through town; cobblestone streets

Golf
A half dozen good 18-hole courses; south of PV there are challenging, fun courses at El Tamarindo and Grand Bay Isla Navidad

Kayaking
Usually too much ocean surge/wind for a leisurely paddle

Boating
Good boating; big marina, organized day and night cruises

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.

Good Food
Two major gourmet festivals each year, and tons of wonderful restaurants

Art
Many galleries and artists, weekly art walk in high season

Jet Skis
found in the hotel zones and on beaches like Yelapa and Las Animas in high season

Club Scene
Many clubs and also gay bars, it's a party town!

Supermarket
Imported foods and gourmet shops can be found

Museums
small archaeology museum, maritime museum

Sightseeing
Trips to mountain towns, Yelapa, Costalegre, and northern beaches

Spanish School
Good Spanish school in town

Tennis
Most major hotels have a few; only a few private venues

Handicrafts
Great variety of items from Guadalajara, Huichol yarn paintings and beadwork, and much more.

Shopping
An excellent place to shop for Huichol art, glass, and ceramics. Lots of cool boutiques.

Movies
Half a dozen good theater complexes with movies in English

Jungle
Jungle terrain, very tropical

Mountains
Beautiful setting, surrounded by the Sierra Madre del Sur

Ocean
Lovely tropical beaches, some suitable for swimming

Rivers
A half dozen rivers drain into large Bay of Banderas

Ranch
Ranches in small towns outside Vallarta

Country
Plenty of countryside around if you want to escape the crowds

Town
Old PV, while crowded, still has a small-town flavor; lots of smaller towns nearby

City
Bigger by the day, with creature comforts as well as traffic

Humid
Break a sweat over brunch

Single
A great place to be single

Middle Class
Myriad possibilities; deals in low season

Luxurious
Luxurious houses along the coast

Winter
Just about perfect

Summer
Hot and humid but many places with A/C

All Year
Most people avoid September

EnglishSpeaking
The gringo belt stretches from Puerto Vallarta north thru the Riviera Nayarit. The nearby communities of Nuevo Vallarta and Bucerias are also very popular. English is widely spoken.

Mexican Community
Lots of gringos, but lots of Mexicans as well.

International Airport
Large international airport with direct flights to U.S. and Europe.

Border
About 1000 miles

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.