What is the safest part of Puerto Vallarta to stay in?

The Marina and the Romantic Zone are considered some of the safest areas to stay in Puerto Vallarta. Both areas are popular among tourists and offer a variety of accommodations, restaurants, and attractions. The Marina is known for its upscale atmosphere, luxury resorts, and high-end shops and restaurants. It has a very secure, controlled environment with 24/7 security personnel. The Romantic Zone offers a more authentic Mexican experience with cobblestone streets, colorful colonial buildings, and a vibrant mix of galleries, cafes, and bars. As a central tourist area, it also has a strong police presence and is considered very safe.

Where do locals go in Puerto Vallarta?

Locals in Puerto Vallarta enjoy spending time at the city's beautiful beaches, scenic parks, and lively local markets. Popular beach spots include Playa de Oro, Playa Las Animas, and Playa Camarones for their soft sand and calm waters. Many locals visit the Vallarta Botanical Gardens to enjoy the lush vegetation and hiking trails. They also frequent authentic local food venues like Birrieria las 3 Regiones taco stand, cafes like Cafecito Vallarta, and neighborhood bars like La Cerveceria Union. The downtown Lazaro Cardenas market is a favorite for produce, spices, crafts.

Is Downtown Puerto Vallarta nice?

Yes, downtown Puerto Vallarta is an exceptionally nice and popular area, celebrated for its vibrant mix of historic Mexican charm and a lively beach town atmosphere. It features a picturesque historic center with cobblestone streets, colorful buildings, and the iconic Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe church. The downtown seamlessly blends into the scenic Malecón, a beautiful oceanfront boardwalk lined with fascinating sculptures, shops, and restaurants, making it perfect for strolling and enjoying the stunning ocean views. The area offers an excellent variety of dining, from upscale restaurants to authentic street food, along with fantastic shopping in boutiques and art galleries. Adjacent to the main center is the popular Zona Romántica (Romantic Zone), known for its trendy vibe and energetic nightlife. The entire downtown is considered safe and is very walkable, allowing visitors to easily explore its captivating blend of culture, cuisine, and coastal beauty on foot. Tip: For an unforgettable experience, head down to the Malecón or any beachfront spot about 30 minutes before the scheduled sundown to watch the spectacular sunset over the bay.

What is considered old town in Puerto Vallarta?

Old Town, also known as the Romantic Zone or Zona Romántica, is considered the historic heart of Puerto Vallarta. It is characterized by its picturesque cobblestone streets, classic whitewashed buildings, red-tiled roofs, and a lively mix of shops, galleries, restaurants and bars. Nestled between the Sierra Madre mountains and Banderas Bay, Old Town has a traditional Mexican village charm with its colonial architecture and slower pace compared to the rest of Puerto Vallarta. Its romantic ambience comes from the area's natural beauty, outdoor cafes, and charming boutique hotels. Old Town offers visitors a taste of an authentic Mexican neighborhood.

Puerto Vallarta Sea Turtle Protection

Summary

Puerto Vallarta has supported a very successful Sea turtle protection program for 30 years, aimed at conserving and protecting sea turtle populations in the region.
Turtle release programs in Puerto Vallarta allow visitors to participate in the conservation efforts by helping release baby turtles into the ocean.

Turtle camps and various hotels have their own conservation programs, and it is possible to accompany the hatchlings from their nest to the shore of the beach.
Sea turtles play a vital role in producing and sustaining diversity in the world’s waters by transferring creatures that reside on reefs, making the Sea Turtle Protection Program in Puerto Vallarta an important conservation effort.

Puerto Vallarta Malecon (Boardwalk) A City Favorite

Puerto Vallarta Romantic Zone (AKA: Old Town Or South Side)

Mismaloya Beach, Puerto Vallarta, A Complete Guide

Los Muertos Beach The Most Popular One In Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta as one of the most popular Mexican beach resorts for foreign tourists has been investing to protect the local environment by supporting local sea turtle protection programmes for thirty years.

Mexico has developed one of the most advanced sea turtle protection programmes globally. When you consider that tourism and travel to Mexico at the top position as the country’s main export in North America’s fastest-growing economy, it was inevitable that there would be a marriage between tourism and environmental protection.

The growing concern for nature and a healthy ecology is obvious when you analyze the growing number of environmental organizations all over the country, including the creation of national & marine parks, turtles being added to the list of endangered species, the understanding of environmental problems & waste management programmes.

The sea turtle conservation programme enjoys strong government, private sector & tourism support all over Mexico. All the coastal states in Mexico, many of which are home to a number of Mexican beach resorts, provide support & funding for marine turtle conservation programmes.

Leatherback on the left

In Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco state, Vallarta hotels, restaurants and also tour operators, have joined forces making the annual turtle breeding season (which runs from about July to December), a new opportunity a new sustainable eco-tourism event.

Created in 1981, the Puerto Vallarta sea turtle conservation programme now draws thousands of tourists to many different Mexican beach resorts on the Pacific coast. Many Puerto Vallarta hotels now actively participate in turtle conservation programs, where sometimes even travelers and local boats are allowed to participate. Many leading Puerto Vallarta hotels including Marriott Resort and Spa, Holiday Inn & smaller hotels such as Hotel Rosita, in Puerto Vallarta, provide guests with a unique opportunity to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

While most marine turtles that return to Puerto Vallarta to do so at night time, hotel guests and tourists at many of the hundreds of Vallarta restaurants & bars that line the Malecon have been lucky enough to witness the meticulous performance of the mother turtle while she works tirelessly to bury her eggs in a nest that can take many hours to dig and then cover-up. Eggs are then collected and recorded by local officials and then are taken to hatcheries, where they are monitored, protected and cared for until their release.

For those interested in participating while on their vacation, turtle releases run every night to give the hatchlings the best chance of survival. Participating guests are provided with a brief lecture on sea turtles, their environment plus their travel patterns around the world’s oceans, often dangerous waters. Children who participate in these marine turtle release programmes are given the honor of naming the baby turtles as they’re released into the Pacific Ocean.

Puerto Vallarta’s Turtle release programme occurs each year between July & December.

Hotels participating in the programme are:

Marriott Puerto Vallarta (has its own turtle area)
Hotel Velas Vallarta (through Non-Profit Org: Nuestra Tierra AC.)
Dreams Puerto Vallarta
Plaza Pelicanos Grand Beach Resort
Plaza Pelicanos Club Beach Resort
Sunset Plaza Beach Resort and Spa
Hotel El Pescador
Hola Friendly Vallarta
Hotel Barcelo
Hotel Blue Bay Los Angeles Locos Tenacatita
Punta Serena Villas and Spa (Costa Alegre) (SEMARNAP certified eco project)

To learn more about how you can participate in these fun and educational activities while enjoying the best of this Mexican beach resort destination, contact any of the above names hotels.

A bit more on Mexico’s Marine Turtle Protection Program

The beaches of Mexico are breeding areas for six of the seven marine species of turtles, the most common species in the Puerto Vallarta Banderas Bay:

Olive Ridley turtle, or “Golfina (Lepidochelys olivacea)
Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea)
Green turtle (Chelonia agassizii)
Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata)

All visit the coastal waters & beaches along the coast in Puerto Vallarta.

The importance of Puerto Vallarta’s turtle protection programmes must not be underestimated as the various sea turtle species are increasingly in danger of extinction around the world. Even though the exact number of remaining sea turtles is unknown, Mexican authorities and the local tourism trust (Fideicomiso) are committed to giving these beautiful and mysterious creatures a helping hand.

Green turtle (Chelonia mydas)

Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)

Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)

Pacific Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea)

Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii)

Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta)

Studies show that for every thousand baby turtles hatchlings only one will make it into reproductive adulthood. To complicate matters, even more, sea turtles reach their reproductive maturity between 8 and 12 years of age, so they face low survival rates from the day they’re released into the Pacific Ocean. Natural predation, increased global development on beaches, overfishing in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, pollution and other variables have put a strain on the already diminishing sea turtle population if you add the fact that these creatures only reproduce on the beaches on which they were born, makes their survival even more difficult.

But let us not think it is all over, there is a lot to celebrate! Puerto Vallarta’s sea turtle conservation programme continues to recollect, care for and release thousands of baby turtles into the ocean every year. Government, schools & tourism in Puerto Vallarta now understand that everything in this world is related and that the survival and welfare of humans as a species depends on the protection of all others. The marriage between environmental protection & economic development, not only in Puerto Vallarta & Mexico, makes the annual return of these magnificent sea turtles an event to celebrate.

More:

FAQ

What is the safest part of Puerto Vallarta to stay in?

The Marina and the Romantic Zone are considered some of the safest areas to stay in Puerto Vallarta. Both areas are popular among tourists and offer a variety of accommodations, restaurants, and attractions. The Marina is known for its upscale atmosphere, luxury resorts, and high-end shops and restaurants. It has a very secure, controlled environment with 24/7 security personnel. The Romantic Zone offers a more authentic Mexican experience with cobblestone streets, colorful colonial buildings, and a vibrant mix of galleries, cafes, and bars. As a central tourist area, it also has a strong police presence and is considered very safe.
Where do locals go in Puerto Vallarta?

Locals in Puerto Vallarta enjoy spending time at the city’s beautiful beaches, scenic parks, and lively local markets. Popular beach spots include Playa de Oro, Playa Las Animas, and Playa Camarones for their soft sand and calm waters. Many locals visit the Vallarta Botanical Gardens to enjoy the lush vegetation and hiking trails. They also frequent authentic local food venues like Birrieria las 3 Regiones taco stand, cafes like Cafecito Vallarta, and neighborhood bars like La Cerveceria Union. The downtown Lazaro Cardenas market is a favorite for produce, spices, crafts.
Is Downtown Puerto Vallarta nice?

Yes, downtown Puerto Vallarta is an exceptionally nice and popular area, celebrated for its vibrant mix of historic Mexican charm and a lively beach town atmosphere. It features a picturesque historic center with cobblestone streets, colorful buildings, and the iconic Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe church. The downtown seamlessly blends into the scenic Malecón, a beautiful oceanfront boardwalk lined with fascinating sculptures, shops, and restaurants, making it perfect for strolling and enjoying the stunning ocean views.

The area offers an excellent variety of dining, from upscale restaurants to authentic street food, along with fantastic shopping in boutiques and art galleries. Adjacent to the main center is the popular Zona Romántica (Romantic Zone), known for its trendy vibe and energetic nightlife. The entire downtown is considered safe and is very walkable, allowing visitors to easily explore its captivating blend of culture, cuisine, and coastal beauty on foot.

Tip: For an unforgettable experience, head down to the Malecón or any beachfront spot about 30 minutes before the scheduled sundown to watch the spectacular sunset over the bay.
What is considered old town in Puerto Vallarta?

Old Town, also known as the Romantic Zone or Zona Romántica, is considered the historic heart of Puerto Vallarta. It is characterized by its picturesque cobblestone streets, classic whitewashed buildings, red-tiled roofs, and a lively mix of shops, galleries, restaurants and bars. Nestled between the Sierra Madre mountains and Banderas Bay, Old Town has a traditional Mexican village charm with its colonial architecture and slower pace compared to the rest of Puerto Vallarta. Its romantic ambience comes from the area’s natural beauty, outdoor cafes, and charming boutique hotels. Old Town offers visitors a taste of an authentic Mexican neighborhood.