Five Must-Do’s When You Bring Your Children to Puerto Vallarta
There are some incredibly fun things for kids to do in Puerto Vallarta. We often have guests with kiddies and find it’s not difficult to maintain a high level of entertainment. We have an ongoing list of adventures and pastimes and tend to let them choose, and then we follow along to see if we can keep up.
Our most popular outing is late afternoon/early evening turtle releases. You can ask your hotel concierge and also at beach restaurants; locations are usually centralized but they do move around a bit. Mismaloya Beach has always been our favorite spot. Holding baby turtles and releasing them into the sea enthralls all ages, wee to teen and beyond.
We have been taking visitors to El Eden for more than a couple decades and it has changed little over the years. Rope swings, gigantic boulders that make a natural waterslide and the old crumbling movie set are fun and fascinating. They have added a canopy zip line that is raved about for its heights and beauty, which operates separately from the restaurant and water area. They accommodate all ages.
Boat trips. Whatever you do or wherever you go, the trip is worth the time and money you will spend. There are far too many options to list here but we HIGHLY recommend the pangas (small open skiffs) over the big booze cruises. There is much to be said for the intimacy of the small craft, with a skipper and possibly his assistant. Trips down the coast to Yelapa and stops in between, or diving at Los Arcos, fishing or just jumping in the water for a swim. Mismaloya is our choice for this activity, as well.
Sunday on the Malecón is a must. Any night, really, but Sunday is the best, with tons of vendors, shows at the arches and the municipal band playing in the zocalo (main square); roasted corn on a stick, café de olla, tacos, tamales, candy, shaved ice…so many delightful delectables. The Marigalante, the Pirate Ship will sail a short distance from shore and add to the amusement with a simple but complete fireworks show.
Two water parks compete with each other in the north, both offering basically the same things on opposite sides of the highway; lazy rivers, water slide and animal shows. Both enterprises, Splash and Aquaventuras won’t allow outside food and everybody who enters must pay the fee whether they swim or not, which are drawbacks for us but the kids love these places.
Whatever you decide to do, you’ll be safe in Puerto Vallarta but don’t forget to bring hats for every head, lots of sunblock and we suggest rash guard and/or long-sleeved shirts for the beach. The sun here is hot. Also, hold hands and watch when crossing streets. Pedestrians do not have the right-of-way in most foreign countries and travelers must pay attention.
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Thanks to our guest blogger Adam Garcia for this article! (opionons expressed are his own)