Nuevo Vallarta Vacations


	One of Mexico's most popular vacation spots, Puerto Vallarta is on the edge of the Sierra Madre range and has been attracting outsiders since the 16th century. Its Bahía de Banderas drew pirates and explorers as early as the 1500s; it was used as a stopover on long trips as a place for the crew to relax (or maybe plunder and pillage). Sir Francis Drake apparently stopped here. In the mid-1850s, Don Guadalupe Sánchez Carrillo developed the bay as a port for the silver mines by the Río Cuale. Then it was known as Puerto de Peñas (Rocky Port) and had about 1,500 inhabitants. In 1918 it was made a municipality and renamed for Ignacio L. Vallarta, a governor of Jalisco. In the 1950s Puerto Vallarta was essentially a pretty hideaway for those in the know -- the wealthy and some hardy escapists. When it first entered the general public's consciousness, with John Huston's 1964 movie The Night of the Iguana, it was a quiet fishing and farming community. After the movie was released, tourism boomed, and today PV (as it's now called) is a city with some 250,000 residents. Airports, hotels, and highways have supplanted palm groves and fishing shacks. About 3 million people visit each year, and from November through April cobblestone streets are clogged with pedestrians and cars. There are now nearly 18,000 hotel rooms in Puerto Vallarta, with another 4,000 in Nuevo Vallarta, on the bay's northern edge in Nayarit State. A more profound and lasting effect on the landscape is the result of the city's vast popularity and resulting growth. But while PV has spread north and south over the years, every attempt has been made to keep intact the character and image of downtown. City ordinances require houses there to be painted white with red-tile roofs, limit the number of floors, and dictate other architectural details. Pack mules still occasionally clop down the streets and, in the background, velvety green hills look so close they seem to spring from the sea. Steep mountain roads curve and twist through jungles of pines and palms, and rivers rush down to meet fine sand beaches and rocky coves. Nuevo Vallarta related links: Nuevo Vallarta Hotels \| Nuevo Vallarta Vacation Specials Mexico Vacations

Weather & When to Go

October through May are generally the driest months in Mexico; during the peak of the rainy season (June-September), it may rain for a few hours daily. But the sun often shines for the rest of the day, and the reduced off-season rates may well compensate for the reduced tanning time.

Mexican resorts -- where the vast majority of tourists go -- are at their most crowded and therefore most expensive from December through the second week after Easter. Another peak time is during July and August, school-vacation months, when Mexican families crowd hotels. To avoid the masses, the highest prices, and the worst rains, consider visiting Mexico during October, November, April, or May, just not during the traditional holiday periods -- Christmas through January 6, Three Kings Day, Semana Santa (Holy Week, the week before Easter), the week after Easter, and summertime school vacations -- nor over the extended national holiday weekends called puentes (bridges). Hotel rates at the beach resorts can fall as much as 30% in the shoulder season, 50% in the off-season.

Attractions & Excursions

Central Puerto Vallarta has several major components. The Zona Hotelera (Hotel Zone), with most of PV's deluxe resorts, is north of town. Still farther north is the Marina Vallarta, a public marina that's practically a town unto itself with more resorts as well as restaurants, minimalls, condos, an 18-hole golf course, a 355-slip marina, a cruise-ship pier, and the Royal Pacific Yacht Club. Farther north is Nuevo Vallarta, just over the state line in Nayarit, at the mouth of the Río Ameca. This beautiful community with beachfront houses and condos on canals with direct access to the bay is home to several all-inclusive resorts.

Downtown, a.k.a. Viejo Vallarta, is the heart of the city, where many two- and three-story houses have been converted to shops, galleries, and restaurants. Dividing downtown in two is the Río Cuale. This river -- which ranges from ebullient to anemic, depending on the rains -- embraces a sliver of an island with cultural center, museum, restaurants, and shops. South of downtown and the Río Cuale, Olas Altas and Los Muertos are two beaches backed by lively outdoor restaurants and modest hotels. If you head farther south still, en route to Manzanillo, the coast is sprinkled with some of the Mexican Riviera's most exclusive resorts. You won't see them from Carretera 200 (Highway 200); most are on the beach, down manicured but unpaved roads.

A rental car is helpful to fully explore the Zona Hotelera, marina area, Nuevo Vallarta, and the many beaches and small towns north to Punta de Mita. That said, at a minimum of $50 per day for car rental, many visitors will save money using taxis and city buses, and thus avoid hassles with parking (not to mention drinking and driving). Taxis cruise up and down the main drags, and buses fly along -- most at a terrifying speed. A car is a serious hindrance downtown and in the Río Cuale area. You can see most of the interesting sights on foot -- just be sure you wear comfortable shoes for the cobblestone streets.

Entertainment

Puerto Vallarta is a party town, where the discos open at 10 PM and stay open until 3 or 4 AM. A $12 cover charge is the norm (at least for men) in the popular discos, many of which are at hotels. Mexican fiestas are popular and can be lavish affairs with buffet dinners, folk dances, and even fireworks. Make reservations with the hotels that host them or with a travel agency.

Shopping

Puerto Vallarta has been described as a shopper's paradise. There are plenty of malls, small specialty shops, and fine-art galleries. This is a great place to shop for handicrafts, from the region and throughout Mexico. Masks, pottery, lacquerware, carved-wood animals, hand-dyed woven rugs, and embroidered clothing are just some of what's available in shops and markets. If possible comparison shop; quality varies.

In the Mercado Municipal, at Avenida Miramar and Libertad, flowers, piñatas, produce, and plastics are all shoved together in indoor and outdoor stands that cover a full city block. The strip of shops along Isla Río Cuale is an outdoor market of sorts, with souvenir stands and exclusive boutiques interspersed with eateries.

The highway on the north side of town is lined with small arcades and large shopping centers. The best selections are at the huge Paradise Plaza, next to Paradise Village Resort in Nuevo Vallarta, where you'll find boutiques as well as a bank, a hair salon, a video arcade, and cafés.

Dining

Puerto Vallarta has a wide array of restaurants, some with spectacular views, others hidden in the small, romantic patios of former homes.

Cuisine styles have become increasingly sophisticated in recent years, as competing resort settings elsewhere in Mexico have learned a thing or two about international dining. Most dining establishments in Puerto Vallarta are known for seafood, but you can also find excellent South American cuisine styles as well as traditional Mexican fare.

Lodging: Hotels & Accommodations

The small one-of-a-kind hotels found in Nuevo Vallarta are without the glamour and glitz with an emphasis on luxury, comfort and reasonable rates. Most of Nuevo Vallarta's hotels are on the west and south ends of the island. The larger resorts are in Puerto Vallarta, while the approximately 4,000 rooms can be found in Nuevo Vallarta. Enjoy a Nuevo Vallarta luxury vacation package at the top luxury hotels!
View Nuevo Vallarta hotels on a map

Call 1.800.635.1333
to book your vacation


	Dine Nuevo Vallarta cuisine is famous for its pico de gallo—a fruit-and-vegetable salad sprinkled with lime and chile de arbol—and signature sweets like nut paste and fruit rolls. Boat Adventure Several boats leave Nuevo Vallarta each morning for a 2-hour trip to Yelapa, a bohemian village beloved by American retirees and other beach bums. Shop Vallarta is known for its gorgeous ceramics, which range from affordable souvenir trinkets to world-class artistic pieces.


	Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Resort (All Inclusive) Vallarta Palace (All Inclusive) Allegro Nuevo Vallarta (All Inclusive)

Copyright ©2006 by Fodors.com, a unit of Fodors LLC. All rights reserved.
©2006 Classic Vacations, LLC. All rights reserved. Classic Custom Vacations, Classic Vacations, Classic, Classic Hawaii, Classic Mexico, Classic Caribbean, Classic Europe, Classic Tahiti, Classic Experiences, are trademarks or registered trademarks in the United States and other countries. All other product and service marks used herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.


	Call your Travel Agent or 1.800.635.1333 for planning assistance.	Top



For phone orders, please mention: D000022	©2008 Classic Vacations, Inc. All rights reserved


Photo:Corbis/Iconica/Getty Images	Site Map\|Privacy policy\|Terms of use\|About us\|Find a travel agent	Travel Agents

Quick Links: Email Newsletter