What Is Puerto Vallarta? The City, the Bay and Its Neighborhoods
A port city on Banderas Bay with a historic center, hillside neighborhoods and boat-only beaches to the south: how the pieces fit together.
Puerto Vallarta
A port city on Banderas Bay with a historic center, hillside villa neighborhoods and a south shore of boat-only beaches.
Puerto Vallarta is a working Mexican city on the eastern shore of Banderas Bay, in the state of Jalisco, backed by the Sierra Madre. Its airport sits inside the urban area, and the city runs south from Marina Vallarta and the Hotel Zone through the historic center and the Romantic Zone to the hillsides of Amapas and Conchas Chinas and a south shore where water taxis reach beaches with no road.
That mix of town and coast is what sets it apart: dinner on foot in the old town, a villa with a view on the hill above, and boat days along the jungle coast. Our guides start with the neighborhoods and arrivals, then the seasons and the south shore. Punta Mita lies across the bay in Nayarit.
Start here
How the city, its neighborhoods and the south shore fit together, and how Puerto Vallarta relates to Punta Mita.
Quick facts
- State
- Jalisco
- Bay
- Banderas Bay, shared with Nayarit to the north
- Airport
- PVR, about 1 km north of Marina Vallarta
- Old town
- The Romantic Zone, south of the Cuale River
- Villa hillsides
- Amapas and Conchas Chinas
- South shore
- Mismaloya to Boca de Tomatlán; Yelapa by boat
- Rainy season
- June to October
- Across the bay
- Punta Mita, in Nayarit
Plan your trip
Where to Stay in Puerto Vallarta: Neighborhoods Compared
The Romantic Zone for walking, the hillsides for a villa with a view, the south shore for seclusion: how Puerto Vallarta’s neighborhoods compare.
Getting to Puerto Vallarta: Airport, Transfers and Timing
The airport sits inside the city. How to handle transfers, where each neighborhood lies from the terminal, and when to arrive.
Best Time to Visit Puerto Vallarta: Seasons and Whale Months
Dry winters with whales, value in late spring and November, and a green, quiet rainy season: how the year works in Puerto Vallarta.
How Luxury Vacation Rental Rates Work—and What Your Quote Should Include
A price for your dates, a “from” rate or a rate confirmed on request: what each one means for villas, chalets and other luxury vacation homes—and what your written quote should include before you pay.
Neighborhoods and the south shore
Conchas Chinas and Amapas: The Hills Above Old Vallarta
Private villas with bay views, minutes from the Romantic Zone: what the hillside offers, the stairs it demands, and the coves below.
The South Shore of Puerto Vallarta: Mismaloya to Yelapa
Where Highway 200 ends and the pangas take over: Mismaloya, Los Arcos, the boat-only beaches and villas between jungle and sea.
Staying in a private villa
Browse villas in Puerto Vallarta (opens in a new tab)
The publisher has an ownership interest in this rental business.
All Puerto Vallarta guides
- Best Time to Visit Puerto Vallarta: Seasons and Whale Months
- Conchas Chinas and Amapas: The Hills Above Old Vallarta
- Getting to Puerto Vallarta: Airport, Transfers and Timing
- The South Shore of Puerto Vallarta: Mismaloya to Yelapa
- What Is Puerto Vallarta? The City, the Bay and Its Neighborhoods
- Where to Stay in Puerto Vallarta: Neighborhoods Compared