Your first morning in Puerto Vallarta usually goes the same way. You step out of the airport into warm, salty air, ride twenty minutes south, and then everything starts to blur – the buses, the taco stands, the bougainvillea spilling over white walls, the mountains leaning into the bay. It is a lot to take in. If you are planning your first trip, and you want the part of town where people wander instead of rush, you are looking for Old Town.<\/p>\n
We are a family who lives here and hosts travelers in Old Town and the hills just above it. Here is the friendly orientation we give every guest when they arrive.<\/p>\n
Old Town Puerto Vallarta is not a line on a map with a sign. It is the historic heart of the city on the south side of the R\u00edo Cuale, and locals treat it as one neighborhood even though it is really a handful of small ones stitched together.<\/p>\n
The river is your best landmark. North of the R\u00edo Cuale you have El Centro and the malec\u00f3n – the church, the plaza, the boardwalk. South of the river, the streets narrow, the cobblestones start, and you are in Old Town.<\/p>\n
From there, think of it in three pieces:<\/p>\n
Playa de los Muertos is Old Town’s main beach, with the pier at its north end. Playa Amapas sits just around the point to the south, a smaller crescent that feels a world away on a weekday morning.<\/p>\n
Almost every first-timer eventually weighs the same trade-off: be flat and central, or be a few steps higher up with a view. Both are good. They just give you different mornings.<\/p>\n
Stay low if you want to walk out the door and be somewhere.<\/strong> In Emiliano Zapata and the flat parts of Zona Rom\u00e1ntica, you are five blocks from the beach and a short stroll from dinner, coffee, and the pier. No hills, no stairs, no planning.<\/p>\n Stay up if you want to sit on a balcony and watch the bay change colors.<\/strong> The hillside streets of Amapas trade flat for panoramic. You will still be four or five blocks from Los Muertos Beach, but going home means a climb – and the reward is ocean, city, and mountain all at once.<\/p>\n Our own rentals split neatly between those two moods. Casa Vizcarra 1<\/a> is a small modern studio in Emiliano Zapata, one block from the R\u00edo Cuale and five from the malec\u00f3n. Casa Vizcarra 2<\/a> sits two floors up in the traditional barrio, five blocks from the sand. If you want the view side, Casa Mi Sue\u00f1o<\/a>, Casa Opportunity<\/a>, The Nest<\/a>, and Casa Hummingbird<\/a> are all in the Amapas hills with bay, ocean, and mountain views – most just four or five blocks from Los Muertos Beach, one with a pool on site.<\/p>\n All of them sleep two, come with fast WiFi and air conditioning, and are hosted by us personally. That last part matters more than it sounds: when you stay with a family who lives here, you get the taco stand, the quieter beach, and the best hour for sunset, not a front-desk script.<\/p>\n You will be tempted to do everything on day one. Don’t. Old Town rewards a slow first lap.<\/p>\n Morning – breakfast, then the malec\u00f3n.<\/strong> Start with coffee and chilaquiles at a caf\u00e9 near Plaza L\u00e1zaro C\u00e1rdenas, then walk north across the R\u00edo Cuale and onto the malec\u00f3n. The boardwalk runs along the water through El Centro – sculptures, street vendors, the odd sandcastle artist, and the ocean on your right the whole way.<\/p>\n Midday – Los Muertos Beach.<\/strong> Come back south, grab a lounger or just a patch of sand, and swim. Vendors walk the beach with ceviche, fruit, and cold beer. This is the easiest, friendliest beach in the city for a first visit.<\/p>\n Afternoon – wander.<\/strong> Old Town is made for aimless walking. Duck into the galleries along Basilio Badillo, poke through the shops, and let yourself get a little lost. If you want a strong local lunch, the birria tacos at Chanfay are worth the detour – a neighborhood favorite for a reason.<\/p>\n Sunset – find a rooftop.<\/strong> Old Town sunsets belong to the hills. A rooftop bar in Zona Rom\u00e1ntica or a balcony back in Amapas both work beautifully. Watch the sun drop behind the bay, then walk to dinner along Basilio Badillo or down by the pier.<\/p>\n After dark – the plaza.<\/strong> If you still have energy, Plaza L\u00e1zaro C\u00e1rdenas fills up with music and families. Sit on a bench, order something cold, and let the evening happen around you.<\/p>\nA First-Day Itinerary That Won’t Wear You Out<\/h2>\n
A Few Practical Notes for First-Timers<\/h2>\n