For this part of my journey, my mama flew into Puerto Vallarta airport and I met her there after making my way down from Punta Mita. It was such a change of pace to be back in a resort tourist city after kicking it in little beach towns for a bit. I've spent a few days in Puerto Vallarta before on a family vacation, but we stayed in a beachside resort and obviously weren't on a budget travel vibe!
PUERTO VALLARTA
This time, we decided to stay right off the Malecón in the Zona Romantica, which is still touristy but has a lot more walkability, authentic foods, cheaper prices, and more homey Mexican feel.
There's no surf in Puerto Vallarta as is the case for most port cities, so don't come with a surfboard in hand. For surfing nearby, you're better heading north to Sayulita or San Pancho. We didn't even swim in the water here because the beaches didn't look particularly desirable, though some snorkeling might have been fun! Instead, we spent most of our time walking and shopping. I was pretty impressed by the relatively low prices on breakfast and meals considering it was the city.
Some food highlights included elotes and snacks along the Malecón, a no-fuss Mexican restaurant right across from the most famous chapel, and various yummy breakfast spots. My favorite thing we did in our couple days in town was walking up Cerro de la Cruz to the best view in town through winding staircases and hills that rivaled San Francisco. At the top, there was a funicular too, but no one seemed to be riding it.
The Malecón wasn't new to me but it was fun to stroll by some aesthetic arts and statues and see the iconic dolphin statue which matches that of my lovely Santa Barbara (Puerto Vallarta and SB are sister cities! You can tell why when you're there and experience the super comfy climate!) Overall, I would recommend stopping in Puerto Vallarta for just one night (maybe 1.5-2 days) if you're on a busy agenda, just because I think there is a lot more to see!
We then went south to Mismaloya, a tiny fishing town that got famous in the 50s/60s because Elizabeth Taylor and some other hotshots filmed a Hollywood movie down here. It's tiny but very scenic because of Los Arcos National Park, a collection of rock arches just offshore that you can take a cheap boat (lancha) to go swim. Our Airbnb host at Mismaloya recommended we get out there for a certain price and of course they tried to rip us off with double the cost!
We ended up getting a private ride for $30 / 600 pesos for 45 minutes, which I think was fair and the perfect amount of time to get some cool water shots and check out the fishies! Mismaloya literally just has one huge resort and not much else, so we had a classic last minute "meal" at the Oxxo and then hopped on one of the orange buses that run up and down the coast from Vallarta to Boca de Tomatlán.
My mama really wanted to check out this one hike in Boca and I'm super happy she put it on my radar because it was quite the off-the-beaten path destination! (Once again, can't speak of AllTrails Pro highly enough for any and all hikes inside and outside the US!) This town is largely accessible only by boat or by foot, with huge houses that line this rivermouth and sprawling river estates. There are some cool footbridges that hang over the river, and the "hike" to the closest beaches is almost more like a walk since so much of it is just walking around the intricately placed river homes on the side of the water. We started pretty late so we only decided to walk to Playa Colomitos, a little cove that was packed with people. They say the further you go, the more secluded and beautiful the beaches so go early so you can have a full day! We also decided to walk 45 minutes out and then 45 back, but if you walk to the last beach there seem to be little lanchas that regularly shuttle people back to Boca de Tomatlán for cheap.
Again, with the towns being so tiny and all the restaurants closed by sunset, we had another Oxxo dinner and breakfast that night and next day, and then headed off to our next destination down the coast: Barra de Navidad
We actually had to backtrack to Puerto Vallarta to get the bus going south to
Boca de Tomatlán
Barra just because it wasn't as common as a route as I thought (only luxury buses go south since it's about another 3 hours before you hit the coast again). We spent the day vibing except when there were cars in front of us having a shoot out at one point. Classic. When we finally got to the station in Melaque, we took a 100 peso cab over to Barra which is the adjacent beach town. The reason you should be interested in Barra and not Melaque is only one of these towns has surf!!
Can't speak highly enough of Northswell BDN, the one and only surf shop in the region. The owner is such a homie, he hyped up the waves for me even though the conditions didn't really pan out while I was there, and he even sent me early morning videos of the swell as my personal wave check. I took out a long foamie because the waves have this crazy backwash against the shore and I couldn't quite figure it out. Of course, the morning I left the swell finally came and I missed out on the empty, warm line- up, but I'll be back. In terms of other highlights in Barra, it was just about the sleepiest little town I've ever been in. I felt like I walked out into that fake 1950s town in Indiana Jones Kingdom of the Crystal Skull where there are these beautiful suburban buildings but no one around. Lol specific but IYKYK.
But because it was so calm and not another tourist in sight, I really loved the experience and hope to go back again! There did seem to be quite the expat community here too, lots of white retirees. I will not recommend either hotel we stayed at because one was super far from the beach (we were across some canals that had no bridge!) and the other was the hottest night of sleep in my life (don't stay on the 4th floor with no A/C. you will be toast).
For the rest of our Jalisco adventure, we spent time in our family's pueblito called Tecolotlán, about halfway back by bus to Guadalajara! Of course there were beautiful sights of the Sierra Madre and a popped tire along the way. Wouldn't be a trip without it!
2024 update: Jalisco now has some roads that are more dangerous due to crime. while there are plenty of safe tourist destinations, be vigilant about your route and always do your research!
