Nuevo Vallarta Travel Guide

Located just 16 miles to the north from Puerto Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta lives up to its name as "New Vallarta." You won't find any cobblestone streets or shanty-style taco stands in this neighborhood. Instead, you can expect spacious tree-lined paved streets with sidewalks, rolling green golf courses, man-made canals, planned development communities and sprawling resort hotels. Nuevo Vallarta isn't the place to go if you're looking to get in touch with the "real" Mexico or even the authentic Puerto Vallarta, but it's not without its benefits.

If you like luxury resorts, Nuevo Vallarta is a good bet. You'll find a wide array of resort, all-inclusive and not, that line the almost 4 miles of beach. If you plan on doing a lot of fishing or arriving by boat, there are two full-service marinas in Nuevo Vallarta too, along with the accompanying yacht clubs which have reciprocal memberships with many clubs throughout the world.

You won't be far from services in Nuevo Vallarta either. The Paradise Plaza mall is located there with medical, dental and banking services available, as well as shopping (groceries, clothing, souvenirs and traditional Mexican arts & crafts) and dining. You can even find American fast food like McDonald's, Subway and Domino's Pizza.

For recreation there is a lot to do nearby. You can rent equipment on the beach, typically items like kayaks, wave runners and snorkel gear or book a ride on the banana boats or parasailing trips. Beach volleyball is common as is kite-surfing and regular surfing (although conditions are more suited to the novice surfer in this location). For the kiddies, there's a small zoo and the tiger exhibit at the El Tigre golf course, as well as dolphin and sea lion experiences. You can book a variety of local tours as well.

You can take a taxi or hop on a local bus to reach the airport or to go into Puerto Vallarta for sightseeing or more exciting nightlife. Points of interest to the north include Bucerias, the very posh Punta Mita (where many celebrities enjoy staying), surf haven Sayulita and San Pancho.

Where to Go in Nuevo Vallarta