Planning Your Vacation to Mexico FAQ

There are so many beautiful things and experiences to enjoy in Mexico.  Here's our guide for 20 things to do in Puerto Vallarta.

Puerto Vallarta offers several tours, excursions, adventures, activities and delicious food.  Allow us to be your guide with some of the best activities and things to do in Puerto Vallarta Mexico.  We’ve partnered with the top tour companies in PV to bring you the best tours available.  Fill up your itinerary and make sure that the time you spend here is the best it can be while visiting this slice of paradise.

Many Mexicans, especially those that work in the tourism industry, speak English.  You do not need to know how to speak Spanish to get by.

If you’re planning on staying for an extended bit, its wise to learn a little bit of conversational Spanish – you will find that Mexicans will welcome and help you speak the language.  If you do speak, even only a little Spanish, give it a try while you’re here – don’t be shy – and you’ll enjoy the experience even more so!

In general, the best weather starts towards the middle of October and goes through the end of June.  During this time, the sun shines, there is little to no rain, little to no humidity.  The average daily temperature is around 86°.  June is the hottest month and when the rainy season starts.  September is the most humid month.  The rains come and go quickly but they can be furious.  Most welcome the rain to cool down the temps.

In 2010, the entire Bay of Banderas adopted Central Time.  Just to the north in the state of Nayarit, the time changes to Mountain Time (one hour behind PV).

The time zone was complicated throughout the bay – there were so many issues with the airport being in a different time zone, they changed the zone so that the entire state of Jalisco was in Central Time.

The taxi fare is pre-determined at the airport.  It will depend on which area you are traveling to as to how much you’ll pay.  You can flag a taxi down just as you approach the exit doors for the airport.  You can also visit the taxi counter and purchase your fare there, they will direct you to your cab.

For more options, take a look at our article:  Traveling from the Airport

No, at this time Uber is not allowed to pickup at the airport.  You can however, go across the pedestrian bridge and order Uber from there.  You’ll need to have cell service to do so.  For all options, take a look at our article:  Traveling from the Airport.

Google ‘Exchange rate in Mexico’ and it will tell you how many pesos to the dollar.  This information changes daily, so the best way to know is to check the internet.  Many shops/restaurants will post their own exchange rate, which is usually less than what you’ll find on the internet.  To learn the best way to exchange your money here in PV, check out our article:  Best Place to Exchange Money

Your best options for money exchange are the ATMs and the bank directly.  Check out our full post here on getting the best exchange rate for your money.

The local economy is based on tourism, construction and to a lesser degree, agriculture – mainly tropical fruit.

About 350,000 people live in the greater PV area.

Most Mexicans will negotiate with you on the price.  Don’t assume that you can get something for ‘half’ of their starting price.  It will depend on what you are negotiating for – a service (like a massage or music) or an item (like a dress or food) – as to how much they will be able to discount.  Some work for themselves, so they can freely negotiate, others work for someone else and may not be able to go below a certain price.  It never hurts to ask for a discount.

Keep in mind, at full price, most items cost less than you would pay back home.  These people work HARD so be kind and considerate when you negotiate with them.  The beach vendors walk the beach all day, carrying their goods – in the hot sun.  You don’t even need to leave your beach chair to knock off your souvenirs for the kids back home – so consider that.

You can find additional assistance at this website.

The Malecon is a nice place to get around because there is no auto traffic but not every place along the way is wheelchair accessible.  Many employees are happy to carry the wheelchair up over a curb if necessary, so be sure to ask if you need help.

There is a walking tour for wheelchair travelers here.

The minimum daily wage as of Jan 1, 2019 was 102.68 Mexican pesos which is about $5.10.  Per day.  Ready that again, it’s not a typo.  That’s what your maid is being paid.  Per day.

Please tip in pesos.  Leaving US coins is useless, if you leave US dollars, they need to physically go to the bank and exchange it (and pay the exchange rate).  If you can leave your tip in cash, do so since some restaurants will take the service fee out of the tip.

Tip your maid!  If you’ve left your place a little messy, tip her a little more.  75 pesos is customary per cleaning.  Leave it on your pillow or with a note that says ‘gracias!’.

Tip the people that bag your groceries, they are not employed by the store.  A government program allows young people and seniors to work for tips.  15 pesos is customary.

Many times the servers have to pool their tips and pay out to the bartender, chef, etc.  You should leave between 15-20% for their service.  These employees make their money during the ‘high’ season, some of the restaurants they work at close during low season so they are out of work for a period of time each year.

Musicians performing at restaurants/bars soley rely on tips.

Some restrooms will have attendants, 5 pesos is customary.

Typically you don’t tip your taxi or Uber unless they perform another service, such as helping with your suitcase or grocery bags.  But by all means, if you want to tip them, go ahead.

There is a great Tipping Guide here:

If you are being bitten by ‘je jenes’, known as ‘no seeums’,  there is little evidence of the bug – only the bite and welt they leave behind.  You won’t be able to see them and although you can read about many ways to prevent such bites on other websites, the only way to treat them is to use a topical cream that can be purchased in the pharmacy.  Simply show your bites to the pharmacist and they will sell you the cream/spray.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne virus. There are different strains of Dengue so your symptoms vary depending on what strain you get and whether or not you’ve had the same strain previously.

Stage 1:  lasts about 7 days:  sudden, high fever, muscle and joint pains, severe headache, swollen lymph nodes, mild to severe nausea/vomiting

Stage 2:  starts on the 2^nd day:  this is a critical stage because you can start bleeding on the inside as your veins expand; avoid aspirin or ibuprofen as these can increase bleeding complications

Stage 3: recovery stage, you may get a rash but it is usually not harmful

On your FIRST SIGN OF FEVER, it is recommended that you call a doctor.  The medical care in PV is top notch and they know how to treat for this.  If you have other health issues, like diabetes for example, seek care – do not try to ride it out on your own.

You want to be careful that you stay hydrated.  Drink a lot of water and some electrolytes. Fresh papaya leaf juice can help to increase the platelet count and help with blood clotting.

Dengue never lasts more than 2 weeks, if you have something lasting longer, it’s likely you have something other than Dengue.

When the rainy season hits, that is the time we are most prone to getting bit by an infected mosquito.  Be sure there is no standing water near your condo as this is a breeding ground for mosquitos.  PV has trucks that will spray your street to kill mosquito eggs – the spray is not harmful to humans.

December through February are the best times, although sightings can happen beyond those months.  Read more about it here:  Whale Watching in the Bay

Yes, you should always wash them with something that will kill parasites on the skin, like Microdyn.  Read more about it here:  Washing your food in Mexico

Three Hens and a Rooster, at the Lions Club building, Francisco Madero 280, Saturdays, 9am-1pm

Marsol, by the pier, 9:30am-1:30pm

Olas Altas Farmer’s Market, at Lazaro Cardenas Park, Saturdays, 9:30am-2pm

Marina at Plaza Neptuno, Thursdays from 6pm-10pm

Nuevo Vallarta, located in parking lot behind the Casino, Tuesdays from 9am-2pm

Nuevo Vallarta, located at the gazebo on the malecon, Saturdays from 9am-3pm

Bucerias, located in the parking lot of Chedraui Bucerias, Wednesdays from 9am-1pm

La Comer will deliver your groceries to you very reasonably.  Uber Eats is available here and many restaurants participate.  You can also call and ask a restaurant if they will deliver.

Most people will tell you that if you want something from the US or CAN, you should bring it yourself, or have a friend that is visiting here bring it with them.  But sometimes, you just need something shipped to you while you’re here.

Services are improving but there are no guarantees – you can have your items delivered to your house but you’ll need to be present.  Or you can pick up at various locations (it depends on who you choose as a shipper) – this is likely the more reliable route.

Many resorts offer day passes that often include a credit to spend on food and beverage.  Vallarta Tribune puts together a great resort guide to help you choose the one that fits your needs.

Restaurant Gaby, El Arrayan Restaurante, Arte Culinario by Mavi Graf, Miriam’s Mexican Kitchen, Rosie’s Vallarta Cooking just to name a few.

Take advantage of learning how to shop and cook authentic Mexican food while you’re here.

There are 3 places we’re aware of:  BiCiRentals and Hello Bike! – both of these are on FaceBook.  They may be able to deliver the bike to you.  If you’re looking for a ‘premium’ road bike or fat bike, visit puertovallartacycling.com.

After you pay for the insurance and gas prices here, you may find it MUCH less expensive to use an Uber or taxi.  If you decide to rent a car, Gecko, comes recommended to us.  There are other rental car agencies:  Payless, Fox, Budget and Enterprise.  If you’re staying in Emiliano Zapata, Prestige is a good place to rent a car for an overnight.

Unless you are planning to do day trips to different areas, a car is unnecessary to get around PV.  There is a great bus system as well as Uber and local taxis.  Most Ubers/taxis cost you about $50-90 pesos to get around most places.

Parking is likely going to be your issue if you decide to rent a car as space is scarce.

Richard Burton first came to Puerto Vallarta, a sleepy fishing village to star in The Night of the Iguana. Burton and Taylor had met a few years before on the set of Cleopatra and were in the whirl of a scandalous romance -they were both married – but they couldn’t be apart from each other.

Richard Burton arranged for Elizabeth Taylor to stay at Casa Kimberly, directly across the street from his own home. He built a bridge connecting the two and gave Casa Kimberly to Taylor for her 32nd birthday in 1964.

You can book one of several rooms or dine at the restaurant/bar on the rooftop.  It is located in the neighborhood of Gringo Gulch, at Calle Zaragoza 445.

Many cell phone plans have call plans now that you can add as necessary.

To call the US or CAN, hold down the ZERO key so that the ‘+’ sign pops up on your screen, then dial 1 and the phone number including the area code.