Arrizabalaga Federico - Fodors Puerto Vallarta : with Guadalajara, Riviera Nayarit & the best beaches

Legendary restaurants: Eat barbecued snapper with your feet in the sand or chateaubriand with a killer ocean view.

Adventure and indulgence: Ride a horse, mountain-bike, or go four-wheeling in the mountains, dive into the sea, and relax at an elegant spaall in one day.

Natural beauty: Enjoy the physical beauty of Pacific Mexicos prettiest resort town, where cobblestone streets disappear into emerald green hills with the big, sparkling bay below.

Authentic art: PVs artists and artisansfrom Huichol Indians to expatsproduce a huge array of exceptional folk treasures and fine art.

Diverse nightlife: Whether youre old, young, gay, straight, mild, or wild, PVs casual and unpretentious party scene has something to entice you after dark.

The original town, Old Vallarta, sits at the center of 42-km (26-mile) Baha de Banderas, Mexicos largest bay, in Jalisco State. From here, the Sierra Madre foothills dive into the sea. Mountain-fed rivers nourish tropical deciduous forests as far north as San Blas, in Nayarit State. South of PV the hills recede from the coast, and the drier tropical thorn forest predominates south to Barra de Navidad.

Zona Romntica. South of the Cuale River, the Zona Romntica (Romantic Zone, including Col. E. Zapata) has PVs highest density of restaurants and tourist-oriented shops.

El Centro. Rising abruptly from the sea are the hilly, cobblestone streets of El Centro (Downtown), lined with white-washed homes and shops.

Zona Hotelera. Facing a busy avenue, the Zona Hotelera (Hotel Zone) has malls, businesses, and high-rise hotels.

Marina Vallarta. The shopping centers and deluxe hotels of Marina Vallarta are sandwiched between a golf course and the citys main yacht marina.

Olas Altas. On the southern edge of PV are the upscale residential neighborhoods of Amapas and Conchas Chinas, located on both sides of Highway 200.

Nuevo Vallarta. This area just north of PV is composed mainly of golf courses, exclusive condos, and luxurious restaurants, and has the second-highest number of hotels in the country.

Riviera Nayarit. Just north of Nuevo Vallarta, Riviera Nayarit has pristine beaches, luxurious resorts, and dozens of laid-back towns loved by artists, hippies, surfers, and celebrities.

South of Puerto Vallarta. This area stretches all the way to Mismaloya. South of El Tuito, Cabo Corrientes has tiny towns and gorgeous beaches.

Costalegre. A series of secluded bays and white-sand beaches located south of PV in Jalisco, with a few luxury resorts and hotels in Barra de Navidad.

San Blas. A region North of Riviera Nayarit, this rustic area has a few basic attractions but lots of Old Mexico culture and striking natural beauty.

Inland Mountain Towns. There are a few historic and tiny former mining towns within the Sierra Madre.

Guadalajara. Often called The Mexicans Mexico, Guadalajara is a vibrant, culturally rich city teeming with activity.

Tlaquepaque. A touristy yet quaint town filled with local arts and crafts as well as some great shopping.

The Scene

Mexicos second-most-visited destination after the Cancn/Playa del Carmen area, Puerto Vallarta is touristy. That said, this isnt a spring-break destination. Yes, twentysomethings party all night. But a sense of decorum and civic pride keeps things reasonably restrained. Most tour companies, restaurants, and hotels are run by locals who are happy to have youtourism is PVs only real industry.

Fast Facts

Nickname: Foreigners call it PV or Vallarta. A vallartense (person from Puerto Vallarta), however, is known as a pata salada (literally, salty foot).

State: PV is in the state of Jalisco, whose capital is Guadalajara.

Population: 255,861

Latitude: 20N (same as Cancn, Mexico; Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Hanoi, Vietnam)

Longitude: 105W (same as Regina, Saskatchewan; Denver, Colorado; El Paso, Texas)

Logistics

Getting Here: Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de Mxico (Benito Jurez; airport code: MEX) is the main airport to fly into. Puerto Vallartas small international Aeropuerto Internacional Gustavo Daz Ordz (PVR) is 7.5 km (4 miles) north of downtown.

Flights: Flights with stopovers in Mexico City can take the entire day. There are nonstop flights from a few U.S. cities, including Atlanta (Delta), Los Angeles (Alaska Air, American Airlines via Mexicana de Aviacin), San Francisco (Alaska Air, United, Mexicana), Seattle (Alaska Air), Phoenix (US Airways), Houston (Continental), Dallas (American), Denver (Frontier Air, United), Chicago ORD (American Airlines), and Kansas City, Missouri (Frontier Air).