Traveling to Puerto Vallarta soon? Thinking about where to stay in Puerto Vallarta? I just came back from a 5 day trip and experienced the variances of Puerto Vallart and the many hotel options. I wanted to share some of the best areas to stay in and their differences between one another. And of course I’ll share my personal favorite area! I wanted to note that I won’t be naming any specific hotels as I haven’t stayed in all the hotels in Puerto Vallarta. I would recommend TripAdvisor to look up hotel ratings and reviews.

Where to Stay in Puerto Vallarta?

There are essentially 5 areas to stay in and around Puerto Vallarta. Below I’m going to list the different neighborhoods/areas of Puerto Vallarta and their differences among the rest. At the end I’m going to give you my opinion on the area I feel is the best to stay in Puerto Vallarta. Here is a map, pinpointing the different areas of Puerto Vallarta.

Marina Vallarta

Marina Vallarta is the closest area to the airport and is actually quite nice. I visited here while taking the Vallarta Adventure Tour as they’re based in the shopping complex near the Starbucks. This area is all pretty much brand new and their are many mega resorts with their own mega pools and own beach. This is not the authentic part of Puerto Vallarta, however! Taxi to and from the Old Puerto Vallarta would cost you about 100 pesos or 8 bucks when this was written. This area is nice but very American, with even American brand names like Walmart, Blockbuster, and Office Dep0t. While I was over here I honestly didn’t see much to do besides whatever is on the resorts.

Hotel Zone

I think it’s funny that the locals call this the hotel zone and even the official taxi guides call it this. But it’s the right name for it because that’s exactly what it is. Just south of Marina Vallarta you have more mega beach resorts that honestly don’t have much around them to do. Like Marina Vallarta, you would have to get a taxi to the most southern part and the most authentic part of Puerto Vallarta. However some of the highest rated hotels are located on this stretch and many thousands of people stay here. There are some hotels on the southern end of the Hotel Zone located near Downtown Puerto Vallarta and the walk is not far.

Downtown Puerto Vallarta

This is the area that is just north of Isla Cuele and just south of the Hotel Zone. I actually like this area a lot because the feel becomes older and way more authentic than the Hotel Zone. However on the boardwalk there are of huge clubs and souvenir shops that are a bit pricey. It’s definitely a tourist trap near the boardwalk but it’s still a nice walk and would be a nice area to stay around. On the way southern end of Downtown Puerto Vallarta there is the famous Guadalupe’s Church, which is beautiful from the inside and out. Other sites include Los Arcos and the Seahorse Statue. This is a great central place to stay in.

Old Town/Romantic Zone

There are a ton of names for this part of Puerto Vallarta, like the Rainbow Zone, Old Puerto Vallarta, and Zona Romantica. But the real name is actually Emiliano Zapata, although it’s not really advertised as that towards foreigners. It’s nicknamed the Rainbow Zone because of how gay friendly the area is and how many gay tourists stay in this zone. I really didn’t believe there would be many gays in Puerto Vallarta but I understand now why they call Puerto Vallarta the San Francisco of Mexico. The Romantic Zone has many hotels, bars, and restaurants that wave the gay flag but also hold on to an older Puerto Vallarta. This area is the most authentic by far and the oldest area of Puerto Vallarta which adds to the appeal and allure. The best beaches in Puerto Vallarta are also here!

Beyond Puerto Vallarta

There are options just outside of Puerto Vallarta. If you’re looking to spend your time just at a resort or at a private beach then you can go just south of Puerto Vallarta near Mismaloya. There are several high-end resorts that offer everything you need and are great if you want a private or secluded vacation. Just north of the airport is a state called Nayarit and includes cities like Nuevo Vallarta and Punta de Mita. Both are pretty far outside the Southern part of Puerto Vallarta, the most authentic part, and have mega resorts as well as speciality hotels. You can get a taxi from anywhere in Puerto Vallarta to these places. I have heard that many of the hotels are beautiful and some are all-inclusive!

Where would I choose to Stay?

Hands down I would choose to stay in the Old Town or Romantic Zone. The charm is there and it’s really the most authentic part of Puerto Vallarta. I loved the cobblestone streets, whitewash buildings, the beach and the hundreds of charming restaurants and cafes. It’s really the place to be while in Puerto Vallarta. The hotel zones, for me, or just too American and too inauthentic but I’m sure they’re gorgeous inside. Also you can find a variety of hotels here, from cheap to expensive.

Beyond Puerto Vallarta there are some really nice high-end resorts that are comfortable and luxurious. If staying in a huge resort I would suggest you could take a taxi for a day or two and see the sites of Puerto Vallarta (it doesn’t take long to walk most of the streets in the Old Town and Downtown Puerto Vallarta), and stay on the resort for the rest of your time or join an excursion!