Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Church of Our Lady

The Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, dominating the central part of Puerto Vallarta, is the city’s best-known architectural landmark. The church was built over 12 years (1929-1941), followed by renovation over the next 45 years. The beautiful church is topped with a crown, a copy of the tiara worn by the wife of the Emperor of Mexico, Maximilian I. The crown on top of the church is an exact replica of the previous crown. The original crown was destroyed in an earthquake in 1985.

Los Arcos Amphitheater

Los Arcos Amphitheater is a popular landmark and a well-known symbol of Puerto Vallarta. Los Acros is often used as an open-air theater; all special events are celebrated here on weekends and on holidays.

Malecón Promenade

The highest concentration of shops, restaurants and cafés is centered on the Malecon, the waterfront street of Puerto Vallarta. From here you can enjoy a beautiful view of the city and the ocean; there is great shopping and the best restaurants. The Malecon is an important landmark of Vallarta and a popular place for tourists to relax. Here, street vendors, clowns, musicians and people in creative professions make their living. Along the Malecon runs a collection of statues by famous Mexican sculptors Sergio Bustamante and Alejandro Colunga.

Kasa Kimberley

This building was purchased by Richard Burton for Elizabeth Taylor in 1960, when she turned 34. Since then, the house has stood virtually untouched for thirty years; Taylor visited it extremely rarely, never stayed overnight, and stopped visiting after Burton’s death. In 1990, it was acquired by an American family. Today, the house is open to visitors from 9:00 to 18:00. Although the building is not in the best condition and needs renovation, it is still one of the most romantic places in Spain-there’s literally an aura of love here, the energy of Elizabeth Taylor. Visitors won’t be left indifferent by the pink little bridge-the “arch of love,” the flower-covered walls, and partially worn signs and inscriptions.

Los Arcos Marine Sanctuary

The marine reserve Los Arcos is located 12 km from Puerto Vallarta. This territory has had the status of a National Marine Park since 1984. The park offers divers exciting underwater snorkeling. There are several small islands, reefs, tunnels, “pinnacles”, arches, and coral.

Beaches

For many years, the beaches have been the main attraction of Puerto Vallarta. Along the vast Bahía de Banderas, there are 42 km of beaches-from those constantly packed with tourists to those that are rarely visited. Playa Los Muertos is the most popular beach in the city (also known as Playa Olas Altas or Playa del Sol). Playa Mismaloya is located in a beautiful bay about 10 km south of Puerto Vallarta. The water is clear, and the beach is known for snorkeling. Las Animas, Quimixto and Yelapa are the most remote beaches from Puerto Vallarta. From these beaches, you can go up into the jungle, walk along trails, and see waterfalls. Getting to these beaches is only possible by boat, which departs from the cruise ship pier.

Botanical Garden

The Botanical Garden is located 18 km south of Puerto Vallarta. In this green botanical garden there are more than 3000 species of plants at an altitude of 400 m above sea level in a unique dry tropical ecosystem. The garden is home to agave, orchids, and other species of local plants. The garden has a restaurant. For those tourists who would like to refresh themselves, they can swim in the crystal-clear Rio Los Horcones River.

Dolphinarium

The Puerto Vallarta Dolphinarium is a famous dolphinarium in Mexico, which was organized by members of the International Marine Animal Trainers Association (IMATA). The dolphinarium’s history began in 1994 with a unique interactive program that allowed guests to get up close and interact with dolphins. Today, programs featuring manatees, sea lions, sharks, and dolphins are offered here. After everyone who wants to swim with the dolphins has done so, you can also ride the water slides. For adults, there is a large pool on the dolphinarium grounds, and there is also a playground for children.

Las Animas Amusement Park

The Las Animas entertainment park combines a wide range of leisure options for both adults and children. The adventure park is focused on preserving native plants and wildlife and offers eco-tourism activities. The park is located in one of the most beautiful coves in the world, overlooking Banderas Bay. Here, you can enjoy attractions such as traversing zip lines and rope walkways, crossing a hanging bridge, visiting the monkey bridge and exploring a rope “web,” as well as rock climbing and balancing on beams. The park has a souvenir shop and a restaurant. And you can also learn about the oldest process of making authentic Mexican tequila.

Aquaventure Water Park

Aquaventuras Park is one of the most amazing tourist attractions in the city. Here, there are attractions for visitors of all ages: for children-water slides and children’s playgrounds, swimming with dolphins and watching sea lion shows; for adults-more serious attractions, lessons in interacting with marine mammals and feeding them, water dances with dolphins, and much more. The park offers package sales of available attractions-for individual tourists as well as for entire families.

Trip to the Hidden Beach

Marieta Islands, located a few kilometers off the Mexican coast, were formed thousands of years ago as a result of volcanic activity. Here is one of the most idyllic places in the world with crystal-clear water and a sandy beach-the so-called Hidden Beach, which was formed due to the erosion of the surrounding rocks. Hidden Beach in Mexico is a beautiful place offering unique opportunities for diving; this is where you can observe amazing marine life-you’ll find more than 100 species of reef fish. A tour of the islands is a unique opportunity to see their incredible beauty and visit Hidden Beach.

Eco tour through the jungle

This exciting tour begins by boat from Puerto Vallarta to a beach near the jungles located on the southern shore of Banderas Bay. From here, tourists are taken by off-road vehicle to a camp located at an altitude of 650 m above sea level in the Sierra Madre mountains. After arriving at the camp, tourists transfer to mules and go even higher to the level of the subtropical forest, where thrilling zip-line descents begin in the jungles, near waterfalls. This is one of the best excursions.

For a more detailed list of excursions and their prices, you can familiarize yourself after booking your cruise in your “Client Personal Account”.