Local Places, Puerto Vallarta

Boca-De-Tomatlan is a nice quiet place to get away from all of the tourist. It's not to far from town, and you can ride the bus. You can get a bite to eat-have a drink, or just chill out and people watch.

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This church is so beautiful. It was sad though to look upon this place. It was so beautiful & open for everyone to see. It was sad, because if this was a church in the United States, it would be robbed blind. There is an increadible unspoken respect for God and His house in Mexico. This is how all churches should be allowed to be in america; open to help everyone without the worry of being attacked.
Keep in mind this is a place of worship when entering. Try to be a fly on the wall, there will be people praying.

off of Hidalgo and Zaragoza streets.

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Just past the Malecon as your crossing the bridge into Old Puerto Vallarta your in the Romance Zone. Stop on the bridge and look down. See all those winding paths? The picturesque foilage on either side? Take those steps down and go exploring. Especially at night, for at night this area comes alive. This area is made for lovers strolling along dimly lighted paths. Now, don't pooh pah at this area. For in this Romance Zone if you walk far enough you'll find some very excellant restaurants that are equally romantic all alight with candles on the tables, waiters in black tie willing to serve you the best wine or champagne & while you & your lover are speaking softly to each other you can hear the birds call out to one another. Pure romance! (Unfortunately my camera was unable to pick this area up in the dark, thus you only get pictures of it in the day).

Travel south of town and get off the bus at playa Mismolaya. Cross the street and travel up the middle road back into the jungle. I would suggest hitching a ride since it is a healthy walk. I forget the name of this swimming hole/restuarant but it is in all the travel books. It is very peaceful and beautiful.

be sure to go to BOTH sides of the river (the "rio cuale") and UNDER the two overpasses that cross the river on opposite sides of downtown. a sidewalk between the overpasses has stalls and various types of art that you sometimes cannot find anywhere except at the amphitheater at night. the amphitheater is across from the main square.

About 40 Minutes to the north is a sleepy surf town called Salulita, I've been going there for over six years and while it has grown alot, it still contains the same small town charm.

Getting there:
By Taxi: about $35

By Bus: It takes a little longer but it only costs $2.00 USD. Just head to the main street and look for the bus with salulita written on the left front window.

I love finding a beach like this...quiet, untouched...all to myself!! I only saw one other person!! I don't remember exactly how to get to it though. When I was visiting in 2002, my aunt and uncle and I found it one day when we were just driving around exploring. If you drive south of Puerto Vallarta on the 200, for about an hour, you come to the town of El Tuito. We drove west out of the town, on little back roads for about another hour till we came to the ocean. Just the other day when I was checking out websites on the surrounding areas around Puerto Vallarta, I found a map and the name of the area where this beach is located. It's called Tehualmixtle. It is definitely worth checking out!! The link for the map is below.

Also near El Tuito, is the restaurant Altamira, which is great place to eat.

One of three remote beaches south of Puerto Vallarta that is accessible only by boat. Pangas or water taxis leave the mainland several times a day for this out-of-the-way shore. Quimixto is known for its quite waters framed by boulders perfect for scuba diving and snorkeling. There is also a refreshing waterfall to cool off in after a leisurely day of sun worshipping. Dining is available at beachside palapas.

Because Quimixto was like no other little village I had ever visited and was a very different reality from touristic Puerto Vallarta I built a total of four travelogues to show it off and let you explore around some more from you computer.

1. Quimixto Travelogue
2. Next Stop Quimixto
3. More of Quimixto
4. Even more of Quimixto

Be sure to rate this tip and all my others. I love getting your ratings, comments and emails :-)

This is a gorgeous beach located north of Nuevo Vallarta. Don't know exactly how many miles out of town it is, but it should say on a map. It is a very quiet beach, as the only road going down to it is extremely steep and rocky. Don't try it unless you have a 4X4 vehicle. There are some amazing seashells and rock cliffs here. So nice to have a beach to yourself!!

Sierra Madres Tour- This tour is definelty one to do. It is throgh a company called Vallarta Adventures, Everyone meets at the V-Adventures building ( located in Marina Vallarta ) and they take everyone up to the Sierra Madre Mountains in Army trucks, on the way to the mountains you see different little towns ( which you also stop in ) as well as you learn many interesting things along the way. once you are in the mountains you all go for a hike ( Make sure to wear socks and running shoes) Dont wear Sandals!!! Bring llots of bug spray as well. After the Hike, everyone is taken to a private Beach where they have a BBQ for everyone. This is a whole day trip....well worth it.