Whether you’re visiting Vallarta for a week, a month, or a season, we highly recommend making time for these activities in and around The Penthouse.
- Have a happy hour at the neighbor’s. You don’t have to wander far from The Penthouse to grab a bite and a drink. Just next door to V Conchas Chinas is La Playita, a waterfront restaurant serving your favorite cocktails and fresh, local seafood.
- Explore Boca de Tomatlán, a quaint fishing village. Located about 11 miles (a 25-minute drive) from V Conchas Chinas, Boca de Tomatlán is Vallarta’s less-commercialized cousin. Slip into a slower pace, and keep the boardwalk strolls and beautiful stretches of beach. From Boca, take a 30 to 40-minute hike along the coastline to Ocean Grill for cove-front dining, or catch the water taxi (be sure to make a reservation first).
- Discover native flora at the Vallarta Botanical Garden. While you’re in Boca de Tomatlán, you can head over to the nearby Botanical Garden—though you also may want to reserve an entire day just for the gardens. This 64-acre paradise features a breathtaking Orchid Conservatory—with 300 species of orchids native to Mexico!—an aquatic plant pond, a tropical fruit orchard, and so much more.
- Stroll the cobblestone streets of Old Town. Also known as Zona Romántica, Old Town is a hub for nightlife (including many LGBT-friendly establishments), art galleries, and restaurants galore. Grab a street taco from Marisma Fish Taco, walk the Los Muertos Pier, and people watch while sipping coffee in a gorgeous courtyard cafe —all just a mile from The Penthouse (about a 5-minute drive).
- Snorkel on the beach in front of V Conchas Chinas. There are plenty of beaches with excellent snorkeling in Vallarta, but if you’re aiming for ease, you can head down to the beach right outside the condo building. This area is usually quiet, with tidepools and other shallow areas to explore. Afterward, rinse off under the building’s outdoor shower and then lounge by the condo pool.
- Have a memorable date night. The vibrant culinary scene in Vallarta means you can take your pick of delicious restaurants for a night on the town with your sweetheart (or your best friends… or just yourself!). D’Cortes has some of the best food in Vallarta, as does Café Des Artistes, where you’ll also find a gorgeous palm-shaded patio lit by string lights. Or try La Cappella Restaurante, with its Banderas Bay views, frescos on the ceiling, and great Italian cuisine.
- Bask in the beauty of Playa Mismaloya, the beach that put Puerto Vallarta on the map. When John Huston, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor arrived in Vallarta in 1963 to film “The Night of The Iguana,” it was just a small, relatively unknown fishing village. Most of the movie was filmed at Mismaloya Beach (about 10km south of the Centro) where placid, emerald-green waves roll ashore adjacent to a dense jungle teeming with local flora and fauna. Palapas line the shoreline, serving cerveza and seafood to beachgoers.
- Pick up dinner ingredients and handmade souvenirs at Olas Altas Farmers’ Market. Every Saturday, vendors bring their wares—including organic vegetables, fruit, coffee, meats, cheese jewelry and more—to Lázaro Cárdenas Park in Old Town. The Market requires that all products must be made or grown by the vendors, so you know the products you pick up are authentic and local. Starts at 2 p.m., from the first Saturday in November through the last Saturday in April.
- Veer off the Hotel Zone path to Versalles Colonia. This up-and-coming neighborhood is about 15 minutes north of Old Town and, like many transforming neighborhoods, is a foodie destination. Versalles is a great spot for an early dinner before a night on the town—many restaurants in the neighborhood open at 1:30 and close by 7.
- Relax on a less-crowded beach. One more beach to add to your list: Las Animas. Only accessible by water taxi (from Los Muertos Pier in Old Town and Boca de Tomatlán) or via the hiking path in Boca, this gorgeous southern beach features oceanfront dining and water adventures like paddleboarding, parasailing and “banana boat” rides.
Honorable Mention (Restaurants)
Here are some additional restaurants we love in Puerto Vallarta.
Beachfront Restaurants
Fun places with good food and people watching! Great for lunch or dinner.
El Dorado
La Palapa (next door to El Dorado)
El Barracuda
For Breakfast
Coco’s Kitchen
The Pancake House
Other Restaurants We Love
Vitea Oceanfront Bistro (great food in Old Town!)
Trio (sister restaurant to Vitea above)
El Brujo Vallarta (traditional Mexican)
Tre Piatti (Italian)
Freddy’s Mariscos (seafood)
La Fina Cocina de Barrio. This restaurant is small and very popular—you’ll need a reservation. Best to stop by in person to make your reservation (we’ve tried calling with no luck), between 7 and 11 PM Tuesday through Sunday.
Martini en Fuego (low-key place with excellent grilled steaks and seafood)
Florios (delicious Argentine and Italian food)
Café de Olla (casual dining in a fun atmosphere)
