3 days in Puerto Vallarta

Church of Guadalupe in downtown PV

At the Malecon in PV

My wife and I just came back from a 3 day trip to Puerto Vallarta. The tiny coastal town located in the Jalisco (pronounced Halisco) state, is located on the west coast of Mexico. We had planned for about 3 and half days in the city, which coincided with the Christmas holidays, as we were out of vacation days to use, due to the epic Europe trip we had done earlier this year.

Los Arcos Marine Park

The city view from Bahía de Banderas

After landing into Puerto Vallarta aiport at around 1 pm, we took the airport taxi (225 peso, at the time of this writing) to the BnB we were staying at in the Versalles region of the town. After some rest we explored the Malecon (sea front) in the evening.


Day 1 (Majahuitas and Yelapa)

Near the Cola de Caballo waterfalls

Arriving into Yelapa town

We had booked a tour with Vallarta Adventures to the to the village and waterfall of Yelapa and waters of Majahuitas. After checking into the Marina, we left for Majauitas at around 8:30 am. After riding through the Bahía de banderas, we spent the rest of the morning in the waters of the peaceful and isolated cove of Majahuitas.

Yelapa Beach

Only accessible by boat this is one of the more desirable spots in the bay for kayaking and snorkeling. Although, to be completely honest we saw more fish and corals at the Santa Maria beach near Cab san Lucas last year, when we went there.

View at breakfast at Mismaloya

After lunch aboard, we head towards the charming, traditional fishing village of Yelapa. Nestled in a stunning natural cove, this tiny community is free of any roads and surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty. We hiked through town to the Cola de Caballo waterfalls. We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing with some coconut water on the beach at Yelapa.

Day 2 (Mismaloya & Boca de Tamatlan)

Lunch at Boca del Tamatlan

Fishing village of Boca de Tamatlan

In the early 60's Mismaloya was a small village which was only accessible by sea, which made the place completely natural and wild. Today, though the town is accessible by bus (8 pesos one way) from PV, and more touristic, it is still worth a visit if you're in PV. We spent the morning at Mismaloya and the afternoon at Boca del tamatlan before heading back to PV in the late afternoon.

Main plaza at San Sabastian

Day 3 (San Sabastian del Oeste)

A typical street in the town

Buried deep in the heart of the Sierra Madre Mountains (a extension of the Rockys in US and Canada to the south) is the tiny Mexican town of San Sebastian. While this tiny mountain enclave (elevation 4500 ft) isn't far from Puerto Vallarta, it's still a world away from the usual tourist haunts.
We did a couple of stops at a local Tequilia factory and a coffee plantation site, before having lunch and the exploring San Sabastian.

The owner at San Sebastián tequila distillery
giving us tips on Tequila tasting

Originally settled in 1605 by the Spaniards, this secluded 17th century mining town reached its peak of prosperity in the 1700s, when over 30,000 people inhabited the area. Today there are only 600 permanent residents left in the tiny town.
With its charming cobblestone plaza, elegant snow-white buildings, and an 18th century church dedicated to San Sebastián, it's vintage Mexico, untouched by time.

El Progreso bridge over the San Sebastian river gorge

This was my fourth trip to the country and Mexico never ceases to amaze me with it's geographical diversity. From Mountains to deserts to breathtaking coastlines to tiny colonial towns, and add in the largest city in North America, this country has it all!

As they say in México, hasta próximo!
-Mohit