Traveler's Details About My Stay in Puerto Vallarta

If you are not a budget traveller planning on going to Puerto Vallarta, you can probably skip this entry.

Getting From the Airport

If you want to save yourself about US$10 on your taxi ride from the airport into town, don't use the fixed-rate taxis at the airport. Take the pedestrian overpass to cross the street and catch a taxi there. You may have to bargain a bit. The hassle may not be worth the savings unless you are on a tight budget.

If you are on a really tight budget, catch a bus near the overpass on the same side of the street as the airport. Get on one that says "Centro" or "Olas Atlas". Hand the driver 5 pesos when you get on. They can make change if you don't have exact change. I don't
imagine that they take US dollars. Be forwarned that these buses can get very packed--not fun with a bunch of luggage. When I arrived, the buses were packed, so I opted for a taxi across from the airport.

Lodging:

My first night in Puerto Vallarta was spent in Hotel Posada Lily on the corner of Calle Badillo and Calle Olas Atlas. This is in Zona Romantica south of the river. The hotel does not face the beach (Playa los Muertos) but is is on the same block. There are many nice restaurants down Calle Olas Atlas.

I looked at two rooms at this hotel before selecting one. The first was an interior room for 300 pesos. It was small, very dark (pretty much no sunlight) and had only a small window for ventilation.

The second room was an exterior room with a small balcony looking out onto the streets. This room cost 350 pesos (about USD$32). It had two double beds that pretty much filled the room, a private bath, a ceiling fan, plenty of light, but no A/C. I opted for this room.

There was a lot of noise during the night, but I was exhausted and slept like a brick for 11 hours anyway. I woke up around 8:30.

I discovered upon waking that there was a school next door. There was also a building under construction a block away. I decided that this place was too noisy. The only attraction is the beach, and I am not crazy about beaches.

The rest of my stay in Puerto Vallarta was in the Hotel Azteca on Calle Madero near Calle Jacarandas. It is about 6 blocks from the beaches and a block south of the river in Zona Romantica. It is convenient to a supermarket, bus stops, street food, and Zona Centro.

All of the rooms in this 3-story hotel surround a small but very pretty
courtyard containing trees and other plants. There is a rooftop patio from which to view the city, as well as a sitting area overlooking the street on each floor. Drinking water is provided. Rooms are simple and include a private bath, a few pieces of furniture including a writing desk, and a ceiling fan (no A/C).

I asked for a quiet room and was given a room on the top floor all the way in the back. My only complaint is that although it is a quiet hotel, sound really carries. On most nights, I would be awakened by some old guy who insisted on using the sink outside my room (intended for use by the cleaning crew) as his own private washbasin. Apparently, this guy never slept--he would be there several times a night at all hours of the night every night.

All-in-all, I liked this place and would recommend it. The staff seemed quite friendly. However, if I had had a room in the middle of the hotel, I might have been disturbed by the occassional sound of doors and the like--I am very sensitive to noise while I sleep.

Eating

I didn't eat at tons of restaurants in Puerto Vallarta. Restaurant prices there are pretty much the same as in US cities.

My favorite place was The Pancake House on Calle Badillo. They only serve breakfast, but they serve it until 2pm. I often had breakfast for lunch there. I had the chocolate and kalhua pancakes (quite good), the waffles (decent), fritata (good), and the French toast (possibly the best I've ever had.) Eggs and sides were always good.

The Chinese restaurant Red Dragon was ok enough, although it was more expensive than most US Chinese restaurants (around US$9 an entre.)

For street stalls, Calle Madero has several taco stands that are decent. Around town there are several Papa Don's Pizza walk-ups. I thought the pizza was quite good, provided you like pan-style pizza. Unless you feel like waiting, you pretty much have to take whatever they have on hand. Don't expect much English at the street stalls.