With one backpack and a ton of anxiety, I landed in Puerto Vallarta, the first stop on my 3 month journey across Mexico.
Table of Contents
Airport to Hostel
I had originally planned to take the local bus to my hostel, Casa Kraken, from the airport but then decided to take a taxi. Once you get out of the airport, there are several taxis waiting right in front. I had read in previous blogs that these taxi's will charge more, so instead I walked over the flyway to the other side of the street and caught a taxi there. The taxi was 200 pesos from what I can remember.
Casa Kraken Hostel
Casa Kraken was an average hostel. It provided the basic amenities (lockers, sheets, WiFi) and also had free breakfast. The rooms and bathrooms were decent, I wouldn't say they were the cleanest but it was ok. The kitchen was fine and also had drinking water. The location was perfect, right across from the main plaza in the city and within walking distance to several bars, restaurants, Zona Romantica (main tourist area), malecon, and the bus stop to go to Boca de Tomatlan.
The hostel also hosts daily activities, none of which I attended, but this would be a great way to explore the area while also making new friends. They also have a rooftop bar which makes a great spot for watching sunset.
Things To Do
Walking Tour
My second day there I decided to go on the walking tour through the Municipal Tourism Office of Puerto Vallarta. This doesn't seem like a very popular walking tour seeing it was only me and another couple that decided to join that day, regardless, our tour guide was very friendly and informative. He spoke English, which was great since I was still working on improving my Spanish.
More information on the walking tour can be found at this website: https://visit-vallarta.com/adventures/tours/free-walking-tours/
Mirador el Cerro de la Cruz
This is a great, short hike/walk to get amazing views of the whole city. The hike starts near Restaurant & Bar El Panorama. In Google Maps, search "Inicio sendero cerro La Cruz" (https://goo.gl/maps/TGcxv3HRz5Y2Zpup6) and walk a block North, you should be able to see a set of stairs climbing up. The stairs are not too strenuous and you should be able to reach the top of the stairs within 10 minutes. From here you'll see a structure with multiple levels that you are able to climb and take pictures from. It is the same way back down.
Plaza de Las Armas, Zona Romantica, and Malecon
Plaza de Las Armas is the plaza directly across the street from Casa Kraken. When I was there, every afternoon and evening it was filled with food vendors and music. This is where I ate dinner almost every night. I was able to find everything from tacos, tortas, tostada, ice cream and more. It was such a fun vibe there.
Zona Romantica is much more touristy. Many of the popular bars and restaurants are lined up right on the beach. Every night you can see fireworks from the pirate ship show that sails by in the evenings.
Malecon is within walking distance of Casa Kraken and makes a perfect spot to watch sunset from. Closer to Zona Romantica, the malecon has several stands selling souvenirs and trinkets, there are street performers, and also several bars. The Los Arcos outdoor amphitheater hosts street performers most nights. From here you are also able to see the fireworks from the pirate ship show sailing by.
Boca de Tomatlan to Playa Las Animas Hike
Boca de Tomatlan is a small town about half an hour from Puerto Vallarta. From Boca de Tomatlan you can take water taxis to any of the beaches that cannot be accessed by the road. To get to Boca de Tomatlan, I had to catch a bus from the corner of Constitución and Calle Basilio Badillo near an Oxxo. You can also find this spot on Google Maps by searching for "Bus Stop to South Boca de Tomatlan" (https://goo.gl/maps/QwVV8Ams3V4DLYgu6). The bus cost about 10 pesos from what I remember.
Once you reach Boca de Tomatlan, you'll have to walk down the road into the town. There will be several people there asking if you need a water taxi to any of the beached and you are able to bargain the cost of the boat ride.
I ended up hiking to Playa Las Animas and I would highly recommend doing this as well. I did this hike twice, the first time was through an AirBnb experience and the second time was on my own. This hike is very do-able on your own if you know where you are going.
To get to where the hike starts, you will have to walk through a parking lot to a wooden bridge that will let you cross the bay. On Google Maps you will be able to find this by searching "Camino a colomitos" (https://goo.gl/maps/y1aMxYeERRs5y8jQA). Once you get across you will be walking behind several homes and it will almost feel like you are trespassing, but don't worry, you are not trespassing. You will walk in front of some beautiful houses and eventually reach a viewpoint area.
From here you can continue along the same path and eventually this will turn into a hike through the woods. After about a half hour or so you will reach Playa Colomitos, the first of the several beaches you will come along on your way to Playa Las Animas. My second time here I was stung by a jellyfish so beware of who you are swimming with. Luckily it was a small jellyfish and it didn't sting that bad.
Once you are done enjoying the beach, the hike will continue over the boulders on the left. From here on, the path is very straightforward. You will pass Playa Madagascar, Playa Hacamya, Playa La Troza (walk past the hotel and follow the signs), and Playa Caballo (stop at the food stand to get some fresh coconut water!). Once you walk past Playa Caballo, you will walk behind a hotel following the signs to Playa Las Animas and eventually reach the busy beach.
Playa Las Animas is a very busy beach with several restaurants along the beach and boats. Here, I enjoyed a great meal at Restaurant Bar Pichon and spent some time walking along the beach. From here you can either hike back, or take a water taxi like I did. The water taxi ride is definitely worth it to see the views from the sea. The ride was around 100 pesos per person one way. You're able to ask any of the boats along the beach if they would take you back to Boca de Tomatlan. Make sure to negotiate a price before getting on the boat.
Sayulita
Sayulita is one of those places I wish I had spent more time at. I only spent one day here and loved the vibes. There are many tourists here and the town also seems like a party town, similar to Tulum. I didn't have much time to explore the beaches, which is something I definitely plan to do next time I am here.
I did, however, get a chance to visit Playa la Lancha, a nearby beach that is easily accessible by car and a short walk through the woods. It's a beautiful beach with not too much crowd and plenty of sea life.
I also went to a small beach town called Litibu. This quaint town was very quiet when I went, but there was one pricey restaurant by the beach that was open called Litibu Grill. Litibu looks like a developing town with several beautiful house still in the process of being built. I can see this area becoming similar to San Pancho and Sayulita in a few years.
On the way back from Litibu to Sayulita, I stopped by a street side restaurant called Pollos a la Leña González for some food. Little did I know I had stumbled across a delicious quesadilla spot. I also ordered some Tamarind juice which was equally fantastic. This restaurant is located at this location, https://goo.gl/maps/M68DjnsqGcdeJw7n9.
San Pancho
San Pancho, or San Francisco as is noted on Google Maps, had a similar vibe to Sayulita but was much less touristy and much more laidback. This would be an excellent spot for anyone looking for a quiet getaway but also close enough to go out to party. San Pancho is about a 15 minute drive from Sayulita, and I believe there is a public bus that goes between these towns. Uber is also available in this area.
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