The seaside town of Puerto Vallarta is simply an incredibly town. It is culturally rich, expertly fuses Spanish architecture with modern buildings and is dotted with cobbled streets in the Old Town.

When you arrive at Licenciado Gustavo Diaz Ordaz International Airport, the Puerto Vallarta Airport, the first thing you’ll realize is that it is clean, small and surprisingly intimate. A lot of people at the airport speak English and Spanish, too, which can be very helpful if your Spanish vocabulary is limited. A taxi from the Puerto Vallarta Airport is easy to find. There are yellow taxi signs right outside the airport that you can’t miss. If you do look lost, don’t worry. Someone will probably walk up to you to ask if you need a taxi. The rates are rather cheap, too, and if you don’t have pesos on you, some take credit cards or American dollars.

Taking Uber from the airport is a bit more complicated. You have to exit the airport and walk over a bridge and around the corner to the bus stop. This is the Uber pick-up spot. Remember, too, that in order to arrange for transport with an Uber driver, you must have access to Wi-Fi.

While the airport can offer you pesos in exchange for your own currency, it’s best to avoid the airport exchange rate. It can be rather high. Your best bet is to exchange your currency in downtown Puerto Vallarta or at a local ATM.

Vacation Rentals

When you’re driving through Puerta Vallarta, you’ll see that the town is split into the Northern shore close to Punta de Mita, Nuevo Vallarta (New Vallarta), the Marina, El Centro and the southern side which covers the Old Town and the Malecon. Choosing your vacation rentals will depend on what kind of neighborhood you are looking to stay in. Puerto Vallarta can offer bustling and touristy, in places like the Malecon, or quaint and secluded, in places like Bucerias.

Yes, there are plenty of boat rides, water activities and water sports to partake in. However, the real allure of Puerto Vallarta is simply the culture. Walk along the cobbled streets in the Old Town (Zona Romantica) to discover the shops and restaurants. The Romantic Zone is a popular neighborhood for tourists and it’s fun to wander along the streets here, pick out interesting snacks in their mini convenience stores and discover authentic Mexican food. Puerto Vallarta has a great sampling of restaurants, and most aren’t very expensive.

 

El Centro is the heart of the city where you’ll find brand name stores, restaurants, theaters and more. This is where you’ll get the commercial, big-city feel and where you’ll find places like Walmart or the Galerias Vallarta which has more than 90 brand-name stores.

If you want to move away from the crowds and you’re looking for vacation rentals in a quaint neighborhood, the Casago vacation rentals in Bucerias are a good choice. Bucerias sits between Nuevo Vallarta and La Cruz de Huanacaxtle. You’ll find cobblestone streets, vendors, a small church and a nice variety of restaurants. There is also a small open air market located in Bucerias Centro.