Holidays to Mexico’s Pacific Coast shake up the traditional beach break by throwing in zip-lining in the Sierra Madre Mountains, and some of the best dining and nightlife in the country.
Mexico’s west side
Hollywood’s original screen sirens were among the first to get a soft spot for Mexico’s Pacific Coast. Ava Gardner and Richard Burton fell for the place in the early Sixties, when they came here to film The Night of the Iguana. The Pacific Coast’s chemistry begins with its beaches. Almost 800 kilometres of white sand fringes Mexico’s west side, and sitting pretty in the centre of it all is Banderas Bay. Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta are the big resorts in these parts.
Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta has made waves as the cosmopolitan alternative to Cancun. Just take a look at the Malecón – a mile-long seaside promenade stippled with art installations. Here, street food vendors share pavement space with some of the best restaurants in the country. And lively bars line up next to VIP nightclubs.
Nuevo Vallarta
Further north, Nuevo Vallarta is a purpose-built resort that teams its beaches with a stylish marina. Walk along the boardwalk here, and you can lust after the super yachts and million-dollar condos. Better still, between December and April you can board speedboats into the bay spot humpback whales on their yearly migration.
Sierra Madre Mountains
Beyond the sand and townscapes, Mexico’s Pacific Coast turns green. Here, the line blurs between mango and papaya plantations and the tropical foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains. This part of the map is prized for its adventure activities, like abseiling, and it’s where you’ll find the longest and fastest zip-lining circuit in Mexico.
Places To Stay In Mexico - Pacific Coast View all places to stay »
Puerto Vallarta
The publicity around Elizabeth Taylor’s affair with Richard Burton while filming in Banderas Bay put Puerto Vallarta on the map in 1963. Not one to let a golden opportunity slip through its fingers, it’s since developed in to a big-name resort city. Running from the marina in the north to Mismaloya to the south, it’s got just about everything you can think of. The buttery beaches come with a supporting cast of bars, curio shops, markets, and as many watersports as there are days of the month. Plus, there are hundreds of terrific places to eat, from starry restaurants to streetside taco stands.
Punta De Mita
The natives believe Punta de Mita is a place for spiritual renewal, and it’s easy to see why. Sitting on the uppermost tip of Banderas Bay, it’s surrounded by the sky-blue Pacific on three sides. The traditional beachfront fishing village lies next to a cluster of swanky resorts. It’s a real playground for the rich and famous – think Beyoncé, Britney and the Kardashians.
Nuevo Vallarta
Nuevo Vallarta starts at Marina Vallarta – Banderas Bay’s midway point. It then shoots an arrow-straight course up the coast all the way to Bucerías. On its way, it passes a 7-kilometre beach lined by a long row of luxury hotels. Behind the front, there’s a residential-resort community that’s grown up with a big bucks tag. Grand villas and residences with tropical gardens are the norm. And most of them have private piers by the canal, which weaves through the district. Elsewhere, galleries and restaurants border 2 marinas.
AT A GLANCE
- Take it easy on Playa de los Muertos Beach
- Zip line in the Sierra Madre Mountains
- Become a tequila connoisseur on a distillery tour
Weather
Average monthly temperature and rainfall for Mexico - Pacific Coast.
TEMPERATURE (°C)RAINFALL (mm)
| Month | Temperature | Rainfall |
|---|---|---|
| JAN | 28.0 | 35.0 |
| FEB | 28.0 | 16.0 |
| MAR | 30.0 | 13.0 |
| APR | 32.0 | 15.0 |
| MAY | 33.0 | 22.0 |
| JUN | 31.0 | 129.0 |
| JUL | 30.0 | 349.0 |
| AUG | 31.0 | 325.0 |
| SEP | 30.0 | 293.0 |
| OCT | 30.0 | 94.0 |
| NOV | 30.0 | 8.0 |
| DEC | 28.0 | 12.0 |
WHEN TO GO
The Puerto Vallarta area of Mexico’s Pacific Coast is only about 20 degrees north of the equator, so you can expect good weather all year round. Daytime temperatures rarely dip below the mid-twenties and, between October and June, you can look forward to highs of more than thirty degrees. In terms of sunshine hours, you’re looking at up to eight hours a day, depending on the time of year.
Things To Do View all »
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Gourmet Festival
For 10 days in November the eyes of the culinary world turn to Puerto Vallarta. This festival welcomes celebrity chefs from…
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Sail over to the Marieta Islands
You could get an entire series’ worth of nature documentary footage from the Marietas. These rocky islands, an hour’s boat…
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Scuba dive with sea turtles
The Pacific Coast gets a podium place when it comes to diving. It’s ranked among the top scuba destinations in Mexico. You…
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Explore Los Arcos National Marine Park
The 5 islands of Los Arcos National Marine Park look like meringues floating on the surface of the Pacific Ocean. Some of…
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Tee off at Vallarta Golf Club
Puerto Vallarta is on a par with some of the world’s best golfing destinations and, these days, 18-hole courses freckle the…
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Test your mettle on a zip-lining circuit
Do a U-turn from relaxing and head into the foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains for a zip-lining session. Mexico’s longest…
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Visit the town of Mismaloya
This seaside town, 10 minutes south of Puerto Vallarta, sent the region’s stocks soaring after it was the setting of themovie,…
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Interact with dolphins at Dolphin Adventure
Dolphin encounters in the Pacific Coast are part-language lesson, part-social event, especially at Dolphin Adventure Park…
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