Planning your Vallarta day

Keep the afternoon free

Rhythms of the Night takes about five hours, and the operator asks guests to check in at least 45 minutes before departure. Hotel transfers are not included, so add travel to the cruise port on top. That leaves little room for a long excursion in the afternoon. Plan the heavy sightseeing for the morning, eat early, and arrive at the port rested, in comfortable shoes, with nothing else to catch.

A morning in the old centre

Wikipedia says the oldest section of Puerto Vallarta is the area of Colonia Centro near the church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, especially Hidalgo Street. The Malecón, a paved walkway along the seashore, carries a collection of contemporary sculptures, and was rebuilt in 2002 and 2003 after Hurricane Kenna and renovated again in 2010. Isla Cuale, in the Cuale river, holds the Cuale Archaeological Museum, which Wikipedia says presents pre-Hispanic art.

An afternoon by the water

If you want the sea by day, Wikipedia says Los Arcos National Marine Park, offshore of Mismaloya about 12 kilometres south of the city, is popular for snorkelling. It also says water taxis serve Yelapa and Quimixto from Puerto Vallarta and Boca de Tomatlán. These are separate trips with their own durations; check each listing against the evening's check-in time before you commit to both on one day.

If you have a second evening

Wikipedia says the Malecón is especially popular during the Sunday evening paseo, and that the Plaza de Armas and the stage across the street host public concerts. The Zona Romántica, south of the Cuale river, is the part of town that tourist brochures call by that name. A free night in town needs no booking and works well as the counterpart to the boat evening.

Seasons and crowds

Wikipedia says the high season for international tourism runs from late November through March, or later depending on the spring break period in the United States. It also says the rainy season runs from mid-June to mid-October and that hurricanes seldom strike. Busier months can fill particular nights, so check the calendar for open nights and pick a date that suits your whole stay.

Getting around

Wikipedia describes the city as four main areas: the hotel zone along the shore to the north, the Zona Romántica to the south of the Cuale river, the Centro between them and residential districts inland. The areas sit along one stretch of coast, but the booking does not include any transfers, so decide how you will reach the cruise port and how you will return to your room late at night.

Who this isn't for

Cruise-ship visitors should skip this plan: the booking page says the return time does not suit ship passengers, so check your all-aboard time and choose a daytime trip instead. It also will not suit anyone who needs accessible boarding. For those travellers, an evening in the centre, the Malecón and the Plaza de Armas costs nothing to book.

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