Jalisco (Pacific Coast)
Puerto Vallarta
A real Mexican town with a tiled malecon rather than a sealed sandbar: base in walkable Zona Romantica over the resort strips, and come December to March for dry days and whales in Banderas Bay.
Best length
7 nights (or 10-11 paired with the Riviera Nayarit / a city)
Airport
Lic. Gustavo Diaz Ordaz (PVR), ~6km north of Old Town
Airport to centre
Uber ~15-20 min and ~£5-7; official airport taxi ~£23
Best base
Zona Romantica for walkability; Marina/Nuevo Vallarta for resort calm
In short
Puerto Vallarta at a glance
Puerto Vallarta is the Pacific-coast counterweight to Cancun: a real Mexican town with a tiled malecon, cobbled hills and one of Latin America's strongest LGBTQ+ scenes, rather than a sealed sandbar of all-inclusives. Stay in walkable Zona Romantica if you want to step out to dinner instead of being shuttled to it, and treat the Marina and Nuevo Vallarta resort strips as quieter, more packaged alternatives. The trip you book matters most: target the December-March dry season — which is also humpback whale season in Banderas Bay — and check the GOV.UK detail, because its against-all-but-essential-travel warning for Jalisco covers only specific inland areas, not the coastal town. From the UK, TUI's direct Manchester flight (~11h45) is the one nonstop option; everything else connects.
The short version
- Stay in Zona Romantica (Old Town) for the most walkable, characterful base — restaurants, Los Muertos beach and bars on foot, no shuttle needed.
- Avoid building the trip around Nuevo Vallarta's big all-inclusives unless a sealed resort week is exactly what you want; you'll miss the town that makes Vallarta different.
- TUI flies direct Manchester to Puerto Vallarta (~11h45), usually weekly; from London and elsewhere you connect, often through a US hub.
- GOV.UK's against-all-but-essential-travel warning for Jalisco covers only specific inland areas — south and south-west of Lake Chapala towards Colima, plus some northern municipalities — none of which is Puerto Vallarta on the coast; the everyday-crime and insurance rules still apply (inherits Mexico GOV.UK review).
- Go December to March for the dry season and humpback whales in Banderas Bay; April is driest, the rainy season (June-October) brings humid afternoon storms.
Puerto Vallarta is the Pacific-coast answer to Cancun, and the difference is the whole point. Where the Riviera Maya delivers you onto a sealed sandbar of all-inclusives, Vallarta is a working Mexican town built up a cobbled hillside, with a tiled seafront malecon, a strong food scene and one of Latin America’s most established LGBTQ+ communities. You can still book the packaged resort week — they cluster in Nuevo Vallarta to the north — but the better trip stays in Old Town, the Zona Romantica, where you walk out to dinner instead of being shuttled to it. That single choice, resort sprawl versus walkable Old Town, shapes the whole holiday.
When you come matters almost as much as where you stay. December to April is the dry, humidity-free window, and December to March doubles as humpback whale season in Banderas Bay, when morning boat trips out of Los Muertos pier are the headline reason to visit in winter. The rainy season from June to October is hot, humid and storm-prone in the afternoons, but mornings usually stay clear and prices drop hard. One thing UK travellers should read carefully rather than skim: GOV.UK advises against all-but-essential travel to parts of Jalisco state, but those parts are specific inland municipalities — around Lake Chapala towards Colima and up in the north — not the coast, so the warning doesn’t cover Puerto Vallarta.
Getting here is the catch. TUI’s direct Manchester service (around 11h45, usually weekly) is the only nonstop from the UK; from London and everywhere else you connect, often through a US hub. Below, the structured planning — where to stay, what to book, airport transfers and a realistic budget in pounds — picks up from here.
Plan your Puerto Vallarta trip
Keep a first trip focused: book the big timed sights, then leave room for neighbourhoods and food.
Top things to do in Puerto Vallarta
Whale watching in Banderas Bay
Humpback whales migrate into Banderas Bay to breed and calve each winter, and a boat trip out to see them is one of Puerto Vallarta's standout experiences. The season is legally capped — roughly 8 December to 23 March — so it is a winter-only reason to visit. Morning trips tend to be calmer and better for breaches. Expect to pay from about £45–60 per person with a licensed operator.
The Malecon and El Centro
The Malecon is Puerto Vallarta's mile-long seafront promenade and the free, do-it-on-arrival walk: bronze sculptures, street performers, bars and the nightly sunset crowd. A few streets back, El Centro's cobbled lanes climb to the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe with its distinctive crowned tower. Walk it in the early evening when the heat eases and the promenade comes alive, not in the midday sun.
Where to stay first
The areas that make a first visit easier — not an exhaustive directory.
Zona Romantica (Old Town)
££ mid-rangeThe most walkable, characterful base, just south of the river: cobbled streets, Los Muertos beach, the best concentration of restaurants and bars on Basilio Badillo, and the heart of Vallarta's LGBTQ+ scene. It's lively and noisy near the main drag, so book a few streets back if you're a light sleeper.
Best for: First-timers, couples, food and nightlife, LGBTQ+ travellers
El Centro
££ mid-rangeDowntown around the malecon and the crowned church — atmospheric, central and well placed for the promenade and the bus south, though busier and with fewer beachfront rooms than the Romantic Zone. Good for sightseeing-first stays.
Best for: Sightseeing-first travellers who want the malecon on the doorstep
Marina Vallarta
£££ premiumA planned marina district near the airport with a yacht harbour, golf and a boardwalk of restaurants. Calmer and more polished than Old Town but lacking its character, and a taxi or bus from the action; suits a quieter, convenient stay.
Best for: Quieter resort-style stays, golf, families wanting calm
Nuevo Vallarta / Riviera Nayarit
£££ premiumThe big all-inclusive strip 20-30 minutes north, technically over the state line in Nayarit, with the wide beaches that package holidays sell. Easy and self-contained, but you're a drive from real Vallarta — choose it only if a sealed resort week is the point.
Best for: All-inclusive switch-off beach weeks, families
Airport to city centre
| Option | Time | Cost | Book ahead? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uber to Zona Romantica / El Centro | ~15-20 min | about £5-£7 (100-160 pesos) | Cheapest; pickup is across the footbridge outside the terminal |
| Official airport taxi | ~15-20 min | about £23 (~540 pesos) fixed | Easiest with big bags; buy the voucher inside |
| Pre-booked private transfer | ~15-20 min | from about £20-£30 | Worth it for groups or late arrivals |
| Local bus | ~30-40 min | about £0.45 (10 pesos) | Cheap but slow and awkward with luggage |
When to go
Sweet spot: December to April is the dry-season sweet spot: warm, low-rain days, comfortable evenings and the December-March humpback season in Banderas Bay. April is the driest month; late November and April-early May are the quieter shoulders with good weather. December's whale-and-sun peak and the Christmas/New Year window are the priciest and busiest.
The dry season (roughly November-April) is reliably sunny and humidity-free, with whales in the bay from about 8 December to 23 March and peak prices over Christmas, New Year and February-March. The rainy season (June-October) is hot and humid with heavy afternoon storms rather than all-day rain — mornings usually stay clear — and overlaps the June-November Pacific hurricane season, so flights and resorts discount hard. August is the hottest, most humid month.
What it costs
TUI's direct Manchester to Puerto Vallarta return runs roughly £430-£800, cheapest in the rainy-season shoulder (June-October) and dearest over Christmas, New Year and the February-March whale-and-sun peak. From London and regional airports you connect — usually through a US hub such as Dallas or Houston, which adds time and means clearing US transit security. Package deals often bundle the flight at a better effective rate than booking it alone.
Daily budget per person
| Street tacos (a meal) | ~£3-5 |
|---|---|
| Beer in a bar | ~£1.50-3 |
| Local bus single | ~£0.45 (10 pesos) |
| Uber across town | ~£3-6 |
| Whale-watching trip (Dec-Mar) | ~£45-60pp |
All peso figures use £1 ≈ 23.3 MXN (June 2026). Old Town taquerias and the south-of-the-river fish places are far better value than the malecon tourist restaurants or beach clubs, where a beer can hit £3-£4. Carry pesos for water taxis, buses and small stands, and watch the dollar sign — many tourist menus quote in US dollars, not pesos.
Book the essentials
Where to stay
Tours & tickets
Airport transfers
Stay connected
Also in Mexico
Puerto Vallarta FAQs
Is Puerto Vallarta safe given the GOV.UK warnings about Jalisco?
Where should first-timers stay in Puerto Vallarta?
Can you fly direct to Puerto Vallarta from the UK?
When can you see whales in Puerto Vallarta?
Do you need a car in Puerto Vallarta?
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