What is it?

Puerto Vallarta is a Pacific coast city in Jalisco where jungle-clad mountains plunge straight into the turquoise curve of Banderas Bay, Mexico's largest bay. Its heart is the Zona Romántica and old town, a maze of cobblestone lanes, red-tiled roofs and bougainvillea-draped balconies crowned by the crown-topped tower of the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Once a sleepy fishing and mining supply village, it exploded onto the world stage in 1963 when John Huston filmed 'The Night of the Iguana' here and Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor conducted their famous affair in a villa above town. Today the Malecón boardwalk pulses with monumental bronze sculptures, sand artists, mariachi and the smell of grilled marlin tacos, while the surrounding coastline hides beaches reachable only by boat. It's a rare place that manages to be a full-blown resort destination and a genuinely lived-in Mexican town at the same time — one of Latin America's most welcoming and openly LGBTQ+-friendly cities.

Where is it?

Puerto Vallarta sits on Mexico's central Pacific coast in the state of Jalisco, about 350 km west of Guadalajara, with Nayarit's Riviera (Sayulita, Punta Mita, San Pancho) just across the bay to the north. Base yourself in the Zona Romántica for walkability and nightlife, Marina Vallarta for calm, or take a water taxi from Boca de Tomatlán to roadless southern villages like Yelapa, Quimixto and Las Ánimas. The dry season from November to April brings sunshine and humpback whales (December–March), while May and October offer warm seas, lush green hillsides and lower prices.

What makes it worth it?

Few places compress so much into one bay: in a single day you can hike through jungle to a waterfall, snorkel with tropical fish at Los Arcos, eat a life-changing $2 taco al pastor and then watch the sun melt into the Pacific from a rooftop with a mezcal in hand. Visitors consistently describe the warmth of the locals as the thing that stays with them — 'we came for the beach and left with friends' is practically the town's unofficial motto. The Malecón at dusk, when the sky turns tangerine and the Voladores de Papantla spin from their pole to the beat of a drum, is the kind of moment travellers replay in their minds for years. Whale season adds another layer of awe: humpbacks breaching within sight of your breakfast table. Come for a week, and you'll understand why so many people arrive on holiday and quietly start looking at apartments.

How accessible is it?

Puerto Vallarta is one of Mexico's easiest destinations to reach, with Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport (PVR) served by direct flights from dozens of US, Canadian and Mexican cities; roughly 5–6 million visitors pass through the region each year. Most nationalities, including US, Canadian, UK and EU citizens, need no visa for tourist stays up to 180 days. Budget travellers can manage on $50–70 USD a day with hostels and street food, mid-range visitors should plan $120–200, and luxury resorts, private yacht charters and fine dining push well beyond $400. The city itself is very walkable but hilly and heavily cobblestoned, which can be tough on those with mobility issues; taxis, Uber and cheap local buses fill the gaps. Book accommodation well ahead for December through March and Semana Santa, pack reef-safe sunscreen and insect repellent for jungle excursions, and stick to bottled water.