Puerto Vallarta is a popular travel destination on Mexico’s Pacific Coast in the state of Jalisco. The list of reasons to visit this place is practically endless: luxe resorts, beautiful beaches that boast gentle and crystal clear waters, natural attractions, amazing culinary experiences and plenty of opportunities for outdoor adventure—just to name a few. It’s also an incredibly family-friendly destination, as I discovered when I took my two kids (ages 7 and 9) on their first international trip to Puerto Vallarta last summer. If the idea of traveling with children overseas intimidates you, I get it—I didn’t have a ton of experience traveling with my kids and mistakes were made and lessons were learned. But above all, it was a scrapbook-worthy vacation that we’ll never forget. Read on for an informed travel guide—complete with resort, restaurant and itinerary recommendations—for an amazing family vacation to Puerto Vallarta.
How to Have a Fun-Filled Family Getaway in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Including what to do and what *not* to do
What to Do
Let me begin by telling you what not to do in Puerto Vallarta. When you get through customs, do NOT get lured in by the siren song of a uniformed person who appears to be associated with the resort you’re staying at (but isn’t) and offers you frosty margaritas or even just straight shots of the smoothest tequila you’ve ever tasted—both of which can be pretty alluring after nine hours of traveling with children.
They will be friendly, funny, charming…and before you know it you will have ponied up a few hundred dollars for the best deal around on otherwise very expensive excursions. Slightly tipsy, you will toddle off to your real transport…and later learn that you can only redeem the amazing deal you just scored if you waste a few precious vacation hours listening to an exceedingly boring timeshare pitch while your kids complain and wreak havoc at some other hotel.
Clearly, I learned this lesson the hard way and I have some very valuable advice to give you on what you should do instead. First, find a family-friendly resort by the beach (more on that below) and make a beeline for said resort as soon as you exit the plane. This will be your home base because the key to traveling with children is keeping your day-to-day plans simple, even if that means spending most of your time at the resort. Don’t feel guilty about this—you’re on vacation, after all.
Then, when you’re ready to explore the area, I recommend signing up for a whale watching adventure. The time commitment is limited (ours was roughly three hours and started fairly early in the morning so there was ample time left in the day) and the experience is awesome. There are other boating adventures to be had, but I would advise against them. We attempted to take a seven-hour Yelapas boat ride and let’s just say it was not at all what I expected and not particularly family-friendly, either. (It was basically a booze cruise that blasted club music, and my whole clan got so horribly seasick that we had to be rescued by an emergency speedboat after two hours of torture.)
Once your time on the water is done, take a stroll down the beautiful Malecon Boardwalk, a pedestrian-only street lined with eateries, bars and street performers—not to mention, gorgeous ocean vistas. You should also head downtown to tour the historic church (Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish) and do some souvenir shopping at the colorful market stands. We walked away with a gorgeous turquoise bracelet for my tween and a lovely keepsake in the form of a model boat for my seven-year-old. (I joked it was purchased to commemorate our traumatic catamaran experience, but he treasures it nevertheless.) I also strongly recommend you carve out some time to visit the lush Vallarta Botanical Gardens, a particularly special treat for orchid lovers and home to many colorful native plants and birds.
Bottom line: There’s plenty for the whole family to see and do in Puerto Vallarta, but your best bet is to steer clear of guided tours and try to do your own planning—this will afford you the flexibility you need when traveling with kids in tow and you’ll end up getting more bang for your buck, too.
Oh, and if you’re wondering where you should eat offsite, you’d be hard pressed to find a restaurant more charming or food more authentic than what they serve at El Patron de Vallarta, where they graciously accommodated my picky eaters with an alternative mild salsa and my partner and I tucked into the best fish tacos I have ever had in my life and a delectable lobster platter to boot.
Where to Stay
My family of four stayed in two sprawling, adjoining rooms at the Westin Puerto Vallarta—and I cannot recommend the resort highly enough. (In fact, I even got the, er, opportunity to take an extensive tour of another nearby hotel on account of that annoying timeshare presentation I was accidentally roped into, and I can say with authority that our accommodations were superior.)
The Westin Resort and Spa in Puerto Vallarta offers guests an (optional) all-inclusive experience that’s perfectly tailored to meet the needs of families. There’s a drop-off kids club, a very large and very shallow family pool where kids can safely wade solo while parents sunbathe and enjoy cocktails and conversation, a large regular pool for actual swimming, and a truly divine swath of beachfront. Every room boasts an ocean view and the dining options are top-notch. (Note: Currently only three of the restaurants are open, due to ongoing renovations, but you’ll still be spoiled for choice.)
Possibly the coolest thing about the Westin is its history. Indeed, there is no shortage of oceanfront resorts in Puerto Vallarta, but this is the only one that occupies 14 lush acres that used to belong to a working coconut plantation. The resort leans into this history with a sustainability pledge and accommodations that truly make guests feel connected to nature. For starters, there are iguanas everywhere; they’ll swim in the pool beside you, bask on the deck and can be found climbing any of the numerous swaying palm trees on the property. (Obviously, this was a huge highlight of the visit for the whole fam.)
How to Get There
We flew Alaska Airlines from New York City to Puerto Vallarta and for the most part, I was pleasantly surprised at how family-friendly the experience was. The airline doesn’t charge you extra to be seated together, the legroom is generous (anyone who has traveled with kids before knows that means constantly reaching down for snacks, coloring books, dropped crayons, etc.) and the free inflight entertainment, including the “kids zone,” is pretty sweet. That said, I would be remiss not to mention that our particular flight did not have screens on the back of the seat, which was a bit of a drag since my kids don’t have their own devices. (It was later explained to me that Alaska Airlines is invested in sustainability and, by not providing screens on every seat, the weight of the aircraft is reduced and so is the environmental footprint.)
Once you land at Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport (PVR), take my aforementioned advice and don’t stop to hear any timeshare sales pitches. If you don’t get held up on your way to the parking lot, you can easily hail a taxi or get an Uber to the Westin, which is located a mere eight minutes away. And trust me—after the flight, you’ll be very grateful you chose a hotel so close to the airport (and just minutes away from the margaritaville bliss you really deserve).
