8 Best Sights in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

ChocoMuseo is a museum where visitors not only learn all about the history and nature of chocolate but also find out how to work with it and create different cocoa-based products and dishes. You can book workshops on how to prepare the Mexican national dish of mole, make chocolate truffles, or let your children experiment with a mini chocolate workshop. 

If you have visited Puerto Vallarta before, maybe you remember that its malecón used to have cars between the boardwalk and the shops and nightclubs. But in 2012 Puerto Vallarta's beloved walkway underwent a huge renovation that closed it to traffic and transformed it into a highly enjoyable (and quiet) pedestrian walkway. The scene now takes in runners, skaters, and bicyclists, as well as traditional bronze sculptures. There is talk of reopening it to cars to cater to local businesses negatively affected by the loss of traffic, but for now you can enjoy it as a lovely pedestrian promenade.

Turtles sunning themselves on logs, crocodiles masquerading as logs, water-loving birds, and exotic orchids make the maze of green-brown canals that is La Tovara—an out-of-town must for nature lovers. Launches putter along these waterways from El Conchal Bridge, at the outskirts of San Blas, about a three-hour drive from Marina Vallarta, or from the nearby village of Matanchén. After cruising along for about 45 minutes—during which you'll have taken way too many photos of the mangrove roots that protrude from the water and the turtles—you arrive at the spring-fed freshwater pools for which the area is named. You can hang out at the restaurant overlooking the pool or play Tarzan and Jane on the rope swing. Most folks take the optional trip to a crocodile farm on the way back, stretching a two-hour tour into three hours.

You can walk or ride a bike to long, lovely Playa Borrego, 1 km (½ mile) south of town. Rent a surfboard at Stoners' or Mar y Sol restaurant to attack the year-round (but sporadic) shore or jetty breaks here, or stroll down to the southern end to admire the lovely, palm-fringed estuary. Amenities: parking (free). Best for: walking; sunset; solitude.

PV's original happening beach has nice bay views, and as action central, it's definitely the area's most engaging beach. Facing Vallarta's South Side (south of the Río Cuale), this flat beach hugs the Zona Romántica and runs about 1½ km (1 mile) south to a rocky point called El Púlpito.

The steps (more than 100) at Calle Púlpito lead to a lookout with a great view of the beach and the bay.

Joggers cruise the cement boardwalk early morning and after sunset; vendors stalk the beach nonstop, hawking kites, jewelry, and serapes as well as hair-braiding and alfresco massage. Bar-restaurants run the length of the beach; the bright blue umbrellas at the south end belong to Blue Chairs resort, the hub of PV's effervescent gay scene.

The surf ranges from mild to choppy with an undertow; the small waves crunching the shore usually discourage mindless paddling. There are lifeguards on the beach, but the service isn't consistent. The Los Muertos Pier underwent a recent face-lift and it's now one of PV's main landmarks and a prime spot for romantic night walks. Amenities: food and drink; water sports. Best for: partiers; sunset; surfing.

If you have to choose just one beach in all of Costalegre, this is the one. Difficult to reach, the unspoiled beauty of the place makes the adventure well worth it. The long wide beach invites peaceful walks. Swimming might be risky here, though. Camping under the stars is highly recommended. Amenities: parking (no fee). Best for: solitude; sunset; walking.

In 2014 Playa Palmares became the first beach in the area to get the coveted international Blue Flag certification. This certification is an eco-award designed for beaches, marinas, and boating tourism operators; recipients of the Blue Flag comply with a series of stringent environmental, accessibility, and safety requirements. Palmares is connected to Punta Negra, but its waves are smaller, which makes it a better fit for families. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming.

Since its opening in 2005, the Vallarta Botanical Gardens has become a landmark of Puerto Vallarta and with good reason. The place is spectacular, set in the middle of the Sierra Madre mountains, just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean. In its 64 acres of land you will find extraordinary biodiversity, a vanilla plantation, hiking trails, plant conservatories, a scenic restaurant, and even a river of crystal clear waters. Plan to spend at least two hours here; you can easily spend a whole day. You can buy a tour, or explore on your own by foot or bicycle. A small shop sells plants, souvenirs, and arts and crafts.