What to Do (And Avoid) in Puerto Vallarta

If you’re traveling to Puerto Vallarta for the first time or even if you’ve been there already, you probably have thought about what you want to do while you’re there. I recently traveled to Puerto Vallarta for my honeymoon and found new insight into popular spots, including what’s worth doing and what you can skip. 


1. What to Skip

Sayulita
Sayulita may be a popular spot, but what was once a sleepy hideaway for surfers has become overrun with tourists – so much so that you can barely find a spot on the beach unless you order drinks from one of the beach clubs there. To be honest, Sayulita doesn’t feel more interesting than other places in the Riviera Nayarit and isn’t the hidden gem it used to be. While you may see lots of people speak about this area, those of us who knew what it was like 15 or even 20 years ago know that it’s no longer a unique escape.

What to Do Instead

Lo de Marcos
Just further north of Sayulita, you’ll find Lo de Marcos, which is what Sayulita used to be. This town doesn’t have beach clubs along the coastline, which means you can sit and relax anywhere you want to, and if you are hungry or thirsty, you can find local restaurants in town. Lo de Marcos actually feels like an escape and an authentic Mexican village not overrun with tourism. 

2. What to Skip

Las Animas
Many travelers will often take a water taxi to Las Animas, one of the beaches south of Puerto Vallarta that’s only accessible by water taxi (or a hike through the jungle if you’re ambitious). Though it’s a beautiful area, it looks like every other beach and, depending on the day, could get somewhat busy.

What to Do Instead

Colomitos
Rather than go to Las Animas, I recommend Colomitos. It’s a small beach with beautiful teal water surrounded by jungle greenery. To get to Colomitos, you can hike through a jungle trail from Boca de Tomatlan. However, water taxis also stop here now as it’s become more popular in recent years – and truth be told, if you go here, you’ll understand why. Colomitos is more visually interesting, and they have a single restaurant where you can grab food or drinks. Keep in mind that water taxi fares back to Boca from Colomitos are 100 pesos per person, so be sure to have enough money available.

3. What to Skip

Resort Massages
You’ve probably heard resorts tout their fabulous spas, but these can be some of the highest prices around. Sure, the location is convenient, but after paying a good chunk of change for your flight and hotel, this could be a good opportunity to save money by going elsewhere for spa services.

What to Do Instead

Get a Massage in Old Town
Rather than the hotel spa, take advantage of local spas in downtown Puerto Vallarta, specifically in the city’s Old Town neighborhood. My husband and I wanted to get a massage and looked at multiple spas in Old Town, but the best deal, hands down, was the Eclipse Spa. Here, we got a 30-minute relaxing massage for my husband for just 300 pesos (or $17 U.S.) and a 30-minute deep tissue massage for 350 pesos ($20 U.S.). They even give you water bottles to take with you after and provide plenty of other services such as facials and body scrub treatments.

4. What to Skip

Señor Frogs
If this were the 90s or early 2000s, I’d say Señor Frogs is worth checking out. However, the popular venue is long-gone from its popular heyday. My husband had worked on a television show with some scenes that took place at a Señor Frogs, and he was curious to check out the real thing. Unfortunately, it did not live up to the hype. The Puerto Vallarta venue was barely busy and didn’t have the energy it used to. Plus, this is the third location that the nightclub/restaurant has moved to since the 2000s, and over that time, had gotten less and less exciting, unfortunately.

What to Do Instead

Visit a Local Tequila Distillery
OK. So this isn’t a nightclub, but you can get access to fantastic tequila without paying a cent (unless you choose to leave a tip or buy some yourself). Seriously! We visited Oscar’s Distillery in Old Town, a local tequila distillery. Our guide, Javier, was fantastic! I had emailed ahead of time inquiring about distillery tours, and for single groups or couples, we could just pop in anytime between 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Well, we came around 11, and Javier greeted us within less than 5 minutes and gave us a tour. We learned a lot about tequila's history and the production process, including what makes good tequila and what makes bad tequila (A.K.A. the kind that makes you sick). At the end of the tour, we tried three different types of tequila and even some tequila straight from the barrel. I would recommend this place in a heartbeat. It’s a short tour that won’t take up too much of your day, and as I mentioned, it’s totally free. That being said, we recommend tipping if you don’t plan to buy a bottle of their tequila.

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