Puerto Vallarta’s Malecón is a beautiful beachfront walkway about a half-mile long in downtown Puerto Vallarta, lined with stunning shops, galleries, and restaurants.
Hi, it’s Maya! Many people have asked me what would be a really good day-trip to do in Puerto Vallarta? Well, there are many different fun and interesting things you can do in one day such as shopping, sight-seeing, adventures, day-cruises, water parks, zip lines, eating and drinking, or just hangin’ out on the beach with your toes in the sand. Most of these are just a few minutes from downtown and a short ride in a taxi, Uber, or city bus. Quick FYI; if you are leaving from the airport or ship terminal the taxis that are permitted there are more expensive than the yellow city cabs that you can find just outside. And don’t worry-Puerto Vallarta is just like any civilized city, it is mostly good neighborhoods with a few questionable outlying areas, and for the most part good family people, just like anywhere else. Just use the same common sense you use at home and you will be fine, and I promise I won’t send you anywhere that I wouldn’t feel safe myself. What you should really be watching out for while walking around is uneven pavement, unexpected steps, and protruding sharp objects that may be electrically active.
The Malecón is probably Puerto Vallarta’s biggest tourist attraction. It is a place where you can walk along the beach enjoying the sights and sounds of the ocean, get a delicious breakfast, lunch, or dinner, shop in some of Vallarta’s finest shops, and enjoy some local culture. Along the path lined with palm trees and flowering plants is also a series of bronze statues, some of which depict local culture, and some of which are just bizarre, representing Puerto Vallarta’s connection with aliens and UFO’s, which I have to say I have never seen an alien or UFO for as long as I have lived here.
The morning is the quietest (and coolest) time to go, and I highly recommend choosing one of the second-floor restaurants where you can enjoy a peaceful breakfast while gazing down at the water and across the bay. If you happen to be visiting Vallarta between December and March, BRING YOUR BINOCULARS! Whale-watching is awesome, and their activity has increased over the last couple years since there have been fewer boats due to the pandemic. They seem to be more active in the mornings, tapering off after noon or so. Last year I sat in a beachfront restaurant and watched a pod of whales for several hours swimming all around the bay. They would surface about every 15 minutes and then play on the water’s surface, slapping the water with their fins and tail, and bobbing out of the water to do their version of sight-seeing before their grand exit of the tail-up dive. It was really cool to see the larger and smaller spouts of the mothers and calves.
Some of the shops along the Malecón won’t be open in the early morning, as most of them stay open late at night. Besides the souvenir shops there are many art galleries and specialty shops, including lots of cigar shops where you can buy Cuban cigars! Some of the art is absolutely amazing, and well worth the visit just to view it. One of my favorite shops is the leather shop on the north end, where they have shoes, boots, hats, purses, wallets, belts, clothing, and even formed leather sculptures. I also love the Huichol art stores, especially the beaded figures. In the afternoons and evenings some of the stores will have artisans working in their stores creating art.
You can also find clothing shops, jewelry stores with spectacular silver artwork, ceramic stores with dishes, bowls, vases, flowerpots, and even sinks, sweet shops, ice cream shops, and various specialty shops and tons of restaurants and bars. There is even a place where you can rent electric bikes for a casual shoreline ride!
In the afternoons it starts to get busier, and that is when the street vendors and entertainers start setting up. Around the naval museum you can usually find a lot of local artists, some of which you can watch as they create, and there is a row of food carts that set up along the outer stone wall selling street food and sweets. Sometimes there is a planned performance in the amphitheater, and there are many street entertainers. You might see a magic show, juggling, amazing hula-hoop tricks, optical illusions, a musical performance, or even a cultural performance of Aztec dancers in their feathered costumes, Mexican dancers in colorful dresses, or the Huichol death-defying practice of slowly descending on a rope from a 100 foot pole while spinning around the pole in different poses. (You gotta see that one!)
Something else to not miss is the unbelievable rock-stacking and sand sculptures that you may see below the walkway on the beach. You could even try your hand at either yourself!
The dance clubs come to life in the late evenings around 9:00 or 10:00. They are very attractive places that look like a lot of fun but a word of warning; they are crazy loud, so you have to totally be in to that kind of thing. This is also about the time that you may see a fireworks show over the bay, which happens most every night.
All in all, even if you are here just for a few hours on a cruise ship, the Malecón is a great place to check out the local scene and take in some culture and good food. It really is a must-see for visitors. I am including a link to the bicycle rental place because I know people are going to ask me about it. Enjoy your visit and take in as much as you can!
For a self-guided virtual tour along the malecón, visit Google Maps:
If you enjoyed this article or found it useful, CLICK HERE to visit my other Day Trippin’ suggestions. And speaking of suggestions, if you plan to visit Vallarta, allow me to give you two. First, especially if you come between December and March, whale-watching season, get yourself good quality, compact binoculars that you can carry around with you, and BRING THEM! Second, especially if you are in a poorer area, tip well and don’t haggle them down too far, they have families to feed! Have a Great Trip!!
https://puertovallartaelectricbikes.com