Puerto Vallarta is a beautiful destination in Mexico that is perfect for a long weekend trip! Back in January, my friends and I visited over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend and had an amazing time! I would recommend coming in the winter months as the weather is really nice in Puerto Vallarta this time of year! Keep reading for the full Puerto Vallarta travel guide on how to spend 5 days!
To give you some background, this is my second year going to Puerto Vallarta. One of my friends has family here, so it’s an easy place for us to visit. With that said, his family graciously hosted us in their home in Bucerias, so I don’t have any recommendations of hotels to stay at in Puerto Vallarta itself. There are plenty of hotels along the beachfront area, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding a nice option.
However, I would personally recommend staying in Nuevo Vallarta as I love this area! There are also several hotels located here, such as the Villa del Palmar Flamingos Beach Resort and Spa, Villa la Estancia Beach Resort and Spa Riviera Nayarit, Hotel Riu Palace Pacifico, Hotel Riu Vallarta, Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit, and the Marival Emotions Resort and Suites.
Puerto Vallarta Travel Guide
Day 1
On your first full day in Puerto Vallarta, start with breakfast at Karen’s Place in Bucerias. This place is so good! The food is delicious and the restaurant is located right on the beach so the views are gorgeous – highly recommend coming here!
Then, head to downtown Puerto Vallarta and walk around – don’t miss the Cathedral and the Malecon (boardwalk along the beach)!
While in downtown Puerto Vallarta, stop by a few of the art galleries to browse. I would recommend Galleria Dante, which is a beautiful art gallery with a lovely courtyard (the above pictures were taken there – loved these pieces!). Then, head to Joe Jack’s Fish Shack for appetizers and drinks on the upstairs rooftop. It’s a perfect place to sit and relax while enjoying some delicious appetizers and margaritas! For another option, you can also get amazing cocktails from Di Vino Dante.
After spending most of the day in the downtown area, head back to Bucerias. In the evening, grab cocktails at La Negra, a fun local bar.
Day 2
The next day, either spend the day relaxing at the beach or take a boat trip to the Marietas Islands. We took the Marietas Islands boat trip and really enjoyed it! On the boat trip, you’ll get to visit several islands and the famous “Hidden Beach”. To get here, you have to swim through a cave (see the third picture above), which will take you to a small beach.
If you visit Puerto Vallarta in the winter, this is humpback whale season, and hopefully you’ll be lucky enough to spot several whales during your boat trip! We were able to see a few whales and even a mother and a calf, likely just a few weeks old, swimming side by side! We also spotted several blue footed boobies, one which flew alongside our boat for several minutes!
We had such a great time on the boat trip and I would highly recommend fitting this into your itinerary! My friend’s parents set it up for us, but it seems like there are many companies that offer boat trip packages, such as this one. If you’re interested, I would ask the concierge at your hotel for recommendations of reputable companies.
After the boat trip, spend the rest of the afternoon at the beach. Pick up some sandwiches from Paninos and enjoy lunch on the beach with a few beers. That night, I would highly recommend having dinner at Mark’s Bar and Grill. I’ve been here twice and the food and drinks are really good! Make a reservation in advance as it gets crowded.
Day 3
The next day, it’s time to temporarily say goodbye to Nuevo Vallarta/Bucerias and head to Sayulita for the night! Sayulita is a cute little beach town about a 30 minute drive away. I would recommend staying one to two nights so you can really experience Sayulita. We stayed at The Phoenix Sayulita, which was a lovely hotel! It’s located in a quiet area that’s just a short walk from town and a few minutes walk to the beach.
Note: if you don’t want to visit Sayulita, you can stay in Puerto Vallarta the whole trip and soak up the beaches here! However, I would highly recommend at least heading to Sayulita for a day – it’s such a cute town!
Once you arrive in Sayulita, spend some time walking around the cute town and then grab lunch. We had lunch at a little restaurant located right next to Restaurant El Costeño. I didn’t catch its name, but walk down 1 Delfines road and right before it dead ends at the beach, you’ll spot a restaurant with a few tables under some umbrellas right next to the larger El Costeño. My friends all raved about their seafood tacos and burritos. I personally love their veggie burritos, giant portions of guacamole, and delicious/strong margaritas! If you can find it, you must eat here!
Afterwards, spend the rest of the day at the beach. For dinner that night, you can grab some tacos at the local stands or have a full sit down meal at La Rústica. It might sound weird to get Italian food while in Mexico, but their food is so good! We loved their mushroom truffle pizza, pasta dishes, and margaritas.
Day 4
The next morning, start the day with brunch at ChocoBanana. Then, set off for a short hike from the beach through the jungle to Playa Malpasos. This beach was beautiful and very quiet since it’s a bit off the beaten path. I don’t have exact directions for how we got there – my friend has been here several times so he showed us the way. However, this blog and this article give some directions for how to get there.
In the afternoon, walk back to Sayulita and grab tacos at some of the local vendors. To be honest, I’m not usually one to eat street food, but I would highly recommend it in Sayulita! Some of the best food we ate on this trip was from the street vendors. Tacos y Mariscos “El Rinconcito” is a local favorite for seafood and worth a try. Our personal favorite was the nearby Tacos El Ivan – the food was so good and super cheap! Also, make sure to pick up a bag or two of freshly made churros from the vendor down the street – my mouth is watering just thinking about them! Then, after dinner, it’s time to head back to Bucerias.
Day 5
To wrap up this Puerto Vallarta Travel Guide, spend your last morning at the beach to soak up the sun and then have a lazy lunch at The Fat Boy. This restaurant was another favorite of ours from our last trip and is a place I would definitely recommend! The food is delicious and the location is ideal – it’s located right on the beach! Then, take your time walking back along the beach taking in your last few moments. All too soon, it’s time to say goodbye to this tropical paradise and head back home! Hasta luego, Puerto Vallarta!
I hope this Puerto Vallarta travel guide helps if you are planning a trip here! It is such a beautiful place and one I would highly recommend spending a long weekend or even a week!
For more travel guides, also see How to Spend a Weekend in Carmel and Pebble Beach and How to Spend a Weekend in Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo.
