Located on the west coast of Mexico and sheltered from the colder, rougher Pacific Ocean by the Bay of Banderas, Puerto Vallarta is a colorful, buzzing vacation destination and cultural center for both the country’s residents and for Americans traveling from the north. Whether you decide to stay at one of the many all-inclusive resorts dotted along the shoreline, or in vacation rentals independently in the city, there are dozens of amazing activities for families in the area, from exploring the many natural wonders to checking out the city itself.
During our stay, we opted for a combination of the easy life at Dreams Vallarta Bay Resort and exploring the city when we weren’t lounging by the pool or reading on the balcony. I think the area is so amazing for kids because of the huge range of activities, both urban and natural, and because of the warmth and vibrance of the people and area.
It’s also super-easy to get around, with tons to do within the walking-friendly neighborhood of Zona Romantica and with Ubers costing no more than $10-15 to cross the entire city.
While you likely won’t get to do everything on the list (and if you do: I commend you!) this is a good place to pick and choose what sounds most fitting for the people in your family.
Dreams Vallarta Bay Resort
The first question to answer is always — where to stay? We opted for the all-inclusive Dreams Vallarta Bay Resort, which, like all Dreams resorts, is specifically designed with families in mind. We loved that everything across the resort was family-friendly, from the pool areas to the restaurants, while anyone who might have a distaste for children has the option to stay across the way at the adjoining Secrets resort (so you know everyone around you is at the very least tolerant of littles).
If you have the budget, an all-inclusive means never worrying about food or meal prep, plus lots of free activities for the whole family to enjoy without every having to plan. Dreams also helped book our day trips, too. It’s such a great way to minimize your mental load and daily labor during a vacation — and at least to our family, it’s well worth the splurge.
Perhaps most importantly, Dreams Vallarta Bay offers the Explorer’s Club, an extended-hour childcare service that allows kids to have a complete blast while their parents catch a sit-down meal alone or chill on the beach for a few hours without having to worry about anyone drowning. Outfitted with a huge range of both indoor and outdoor activities, the space is appropriate for kids 3-12 and offers parents peace of mind with direct communication via phone and text.
It also has an area for older teens where they can lounge about, play video games, play tabletop games, or just socialize with other kids who are trapped with their families all week.
Whale Watching
By far my favorite thing to do in PV was see the whales! Because the area is on the edge of a large, protected bay, about 700 humpback whales and their babies winter there in the warmer, calmer waters while the newborns build up their blubber and learn the ways of the world.
I was absolutely flabbergasted to find that I could easily see whales swimming in the ocean, breaching, playing, and smacking their tails on the water all from my balcony at the Dreams resort — and I couldn’t believe how close they would swim to the shore. In fact, there was a “Whale alert” bell that the resort would ring if whales were close to the shore and playing.
Of course, if you want to see whales closer up, there are a number of options. Going out on a paddle board or kayak can be a great way to get up close while feeling nearer to the water — but might be a tiny bit scary for some kids. Smaller rubber motor boats can move faster and get closer to the whales, but have less amenities than larger tour boats. We opted for a larger boat that held over 100 people — the perk there was that it wasn’t as rough and there were plenty of snacks, drinks, and restrooms.
You can also see orcas and dolphins in the area, though we didn’t catch any during our stay in mid-January. Peak season for whales is February to March.
Bird Watching around the Marietas Islands
There a number of excuses to get on a boat during your stay in Puerto Vallarta, and one of my very favorites was to go bird-watching at the Marietas Islands. Located far into the bay (you cannot see them from the city), these federally protected uninhibited lands are incredibly beautiful and lovingly preserved. Because many activities, included hunting, is banned on the islands, it is a popular rest stop and breeding ground for dozens of bird species, including the spectacular blue-footed boobies and the lovely red-billed tropicbirds. My favorite is the magnificent frigate bird, which I never grew tired of watching soar over the ocean during our week-long trip.
Bird-watching trips are often paired with other adventures to the islands, including snorkeling and visits to isolated private beaches — and they’re a great choice if you have little kids who can’t yet swim in the open ocean.
Snorkeling
We chose a bird-watching and snorkeling combo trip to the Marietas Islands, which was perfect for seeing the plethora of life both in the sky and under the waves. While the water was admittedly juuust a bit chilly in January, we were treated to many types of tropical fish as well as a super-cool octopus. Others on our trip spotted sea turtles and manta rays.
While the snorkeling waters aren’t crystal clear, and aren’t what you might be used to if you’ve vacationed on the gulf side of Mexico, it’s still such a cool way to connect with the land and see what’s under the waves.
If you’re lucky, and visiting during the winter months, you can even hear whales singing when your head is under the water. Wow!
The Malecon Boardwalk
The bustling cultural center of the city is located in Zona Romantica — and the most popular area is the beach and boardwalk along the shore. Slowly work your way down the beach, stopping to examine the many whimsical sculptures, the tons of street vendors, and street entertainment.
This is a great place to eat lots of street food, buy handmade souvenirs, or just sit on the beach and relax. It’s also an amazing place to people watch.
And it’s so easy with kids. There are tons of places to stop and sit down, take a break, and eat a taco (while the parents have a cold cerveza). There are also a good number of clean public bathrooms — just don’t forget that they cost 10 pesos (about 50 cents) to enter.
At the end of your time, try to catch the sunset over the water at one of the many beachside bars or restaurants before heading back to your hotel or rental.
Mirador de la Cruz (Hill of the Cross)
Puerto Vallarta sits right next to the ocean, and not too many blocks to the east, it rolls uphill into the mountains. At the edge of one of these hilly neighborhoods is the Mirador de la Cruz (Hill of the Cross) lookout. Visitors follow a twisting set of stairs up a steep hill for an aerobic 10 or 15 minutes before arriving at their destination, which includes a large cross (hence the name) and a tall tower of a lookout where you can see the entire city and the entire bay curving out before you.
While it’s a bit of a trek, especially if you have little kids, it’s worth it for the beautiful views. I loved doing it on our first day in town, as it provided me with a perfect mental map of the city that made it easier to get around for the rest of the week. Just note: this is NOT a good idea if you have a stroller. At all.
Cuale Island Flea Market
Is there anything better, in the whole world, than an international flea market? The answer is simply nope. While there are vendors literally all over PV, many of the best ones are concentrated on this small island oasis right next to Zona Romantica as well as on the other side of the shore from the river.
There are all sorts of goods to buy at the market, but I was especially enamored with the Huichol (Wixárika) indigenous beaded jewelry, the brightly colored stuffed animals, the wall hangings, and more. There is really something for everyone, and the prices are great especially for original arts and crafts (yes, I’ve heard you can barter, but really, I was happy to give the artists what they asked).
There are also lots of cats roaming about, which I found totally delightful.
Self-Guided Mural Tour
One of the coolest things about Puerto Vallarta is that there is art absolutely everywhere. You literally can’t walk a block without seeing a gorgeous, creative mural — and in fact, I’d say a large minority of the pictures I took during the week involved some street art. It’s such a cool way to take selfies and family portraits during your vacation — and simply walking around town and spotting them is an activity unto itself.
Hidden Beach
If you’ve looked at any pictures of Puerto Vallarta, you’ve probably seen pictures of Hidden Beach — an amazing stretch of sand in the Marietas Islands that is partially hidden under a dome of land. Created by bomb testing decades ago, the beach is only accessibly during low tide and visitors can only go during very limited circumstances due to environmental protections. Book at tour with companies like Vallarta Adventures, and they will get you there — and I promise the boat ride there and back will be fun, too.
Just note: you do have to aggressively swim in the ocean (with life jacket) in order to access the beach, so I wouldn’t recommend it with super-young kids or kids who aren’t confident in open water.
Day Trip To Sayulita
Even if you go for a week or more, you won’t likely run out of things to do in PV during your stay. But if you want to explore the greater area a bit more, or if you are a fan of smaller, very weird little hippie beach towns, pick a half-day or day to head north up the coast to Sayulita.
Known for its local art, laid-back vibe, ex-pat population, and beautiful beaches, this was the perfect place to stop in small cafes, shop for indigenous arts and crafts, and sit on the beach with a beer. Even if you haven’t rented a car for your trip, taking an Uber there and back won’t break the bank.
Hike Monkey Mountain
North of Puerto Vallarta and not too far away from Sayulita is Monkey Mountain, one of the highest points in the area and a great way to experience the wilderness and wildlife outside of the city while also getting one of the best views of the Marietas Islands, Banderas Bay, and the Pacific Ocean.
Located between PV and Sayulita, it’s easy to get to the small town where the trailhead is located either by car, Uber, or bus. We paired the adventure with our day trip to Sayulita and it worked out great. While many of the hikers we ran into on Monkey Mountain were part of tour groups, it was very easy to navigate this hike without help.
Stop in the tiny town of Higuera Blanca for tacos before you leave!
Self-Guided Street Taco Tour
Like the mural tour, your street taco tour needs absolutely no planning or direction. Simply let yourself loose on the city streets and start looking for the street taco stands that have the longest lines. Food is so affordable that you can taste tacos from numerous stands without a care — as well as other foods from soups to churros. Oh, the things I would do to eat a fish ceviche taco with lots of avocado on it right now! Until next time, I can only look at pictures.
Disclaimer: This story has not been edited by us and is published as shown on Scary Mommy.
Leave a Reply