Active Pursuits

Travel agencies can provide information on what to see and do in Puerto Vallarta and can arrange tours, fishing trips, and other activities. Most hotels have a tour desk on-site. Of the many travel agencies in town, I highly recommend Tukari Servicios Turísticos, Av. España 316 (tel. 322/224-7177; fax 322/224-2350; www.tukari.com), which specializes in ecological and cultural tours. Another source is Xplora Adventours (tel. 322/223-0661), in the Huichol Collection shop on the malecón. It has listings of all locally available tours, with photos, explanations, and costs; however, be aware that a timeshare resort owns the company, so part of the information you receive will be an invitation to a presentation, which you may decline. American Express Travel Services, Morelos 660 (tel. 322/223-2955), also has a varied selection of high-quality, popular tours. One of the tour companies with the largest -- and best quality -- selection of boat cruises and land tours is Vallarta Adventures (tel. 888/303-2653 in the U.S., or 322/297-1212, ext. 3; www.vallarta-adventures.com). I can highly recommend any of their offerings. Book with them directly and get a 10% discount when you mention Frommer's.

The Beaches

For years, beaches were Puerto Vallarta's main attraction. Although visitors today are exploring more of the surrounding geography, the sands are still a powerful draw. Over 42km (26 miles) of beaches extend around the broad Bay of Banderas, ranging from action-packed party spots to secluded coves accessible only by boat.

In Town -- The easiest to reach is Playa Los Muertos (also known as Playa Olas Altas or Playa del Sol), just off Calle Olas Altas, south of the Río Cuale. The water can be rough, but the wide beach is home to a diverse array of palapa restaurants that offer food, beverage, and beach-chair service. The most popular are the adjacent El Dorado and La Palapa, at the end of Pulpito Street. On the southern end of this beach is a section known as "Blue Chairs" -- the most popular gay beach. Vendors stroll Los Muertos, and beach volleyball, parasailing, and jet-skiing are all popular pastimes. The Hotel Zone is also known for its broad, smooth beaches, accessible primarily through the hotel lobbies.

South of Town -- Playa Mismaloya is in a beautiful sheltered cove about 10km (6 miles) south of town along Highway 200. The water is clear and beautiful, ideal for snorkeling off the beach. Entrance to the public beach is just to the left of the Barceló La Jolla de Mismaloya (tel. 322/226-0600). The movie Night of the Iguana was filmed at Mismaloya, and the resort has a restaurant on the restored film set -- La Noche de la Iguana Set Restaurant, open daily from noon to 11pm. The movie runs continuously in a room below the restaurant, and still photos from the filming hang in the restaurant. The restaurant is accessible by land on the point framing the south side of the cove. Just below the restaurant is John Huston's Bar & Grill, serving drinks and light snacks daily from 11am to 6pm.

The beach at Boca de Tomatlán, just down the road, has numerous palapa restaurants where you can relax for the day -- you buy drinks, snacks, or lunch, and you can use their chairs and palapa shade.

The two beaches are accessible by public buses, which depart from the corner of Basilio Badillo and Insurgentes every 15 minutes from 5:30am to 10pm and cost just 50¢ (25p).

Las Animas, Quimixto, and Yelapa beaches are the most secluded, accessible only by boat. They are larger than Mismaloya, offer intriguing hikes to jungle waterfalls, and are similarly set up, with restaurants fronting a wide beach. Overnight stays are available at Yelapa.

North of Town -- The beaches at Marina Vallarta are the least desirable in the area, with darker sand and seasonal inflows of stones.

The entire northern coastline from Bucerías to Punta Mita is a succession of sandy coves alternating with rocky inlets. For years the beaches to the north, with their long, clean breaks, have been the favored locale for surfers. The broad, sandy stretches at Playa Anclote, Playa Piedras Blancas, and Playa Destiladeras, which all have palapa restaurants, have made them favorites with local residents looking for a quick getaway -- but come soon, because this area is slated for luxury development, easy access to these shores is likely to be limited in the coming years. At Playa Anclote, you'll find a broad, sandy beach with protected swimming areas and a few great palapa restaurants. Of the restaurants, El Anclote and El Dorado have been the long-standing favorites, but Café des Artistes del Mar (tel. 329/291-5414), which opened in early 2008, has brought Vallarta's most renowned chef and his award-winning restaurant to these northern shores. It's open Tuesday to Sunday from 1pm to 10pm; in summer from 1 to 9pm. It's located on Ave. Anclote, in the Punta de Mita Beach Club. Choose dining on Chef Thierry Blouet's specialties either on an outdoor, beachfront terrace, or in a tranquil indoor, all-white setting.

You can also hire a panga (small motorized boat) at Playa Anclote from the fisherman's cooperative on the beach. Ask the captain to take you to the Marietas Islands just offshore. These uninhabited islands are a great place for bird-watching, diving, snorkeling, or just exploring. Blue-footed booby birds (found only here and in the Galapagos) dawdle along the islands' rocky coast, and giant mantas, sea turtles, and colorful tropical fish swim among the coral cliffs. The islands are honeycombed with caves and hidden beaches--including the stunning Playa de Amor (Beach of Love) that only appears at low tide. You enter a shallow passageway to access this semicircular stretch of sand. A cave 12m (40 ft.) below the surface has an air pocket in which divers can remove their regulators and have an underwater conversation. Humpback whales congregate around these islands during the winter months, and pangas can be rented for a do-it-yourself whale-watching excursion. Trips cost about $35 (£18) per hour. You can also visit these islands aboard one of the numerous day cruises that depart from the cruise-ship terminal in Puerto Vallarta.

The stellar white-sand beaches of Punta Mita, home of the Four Seasons and St. Regis resorts, are closed to road access, except for owners in and guests of this residential resort development.

Diving & Snorkeling

Underwater enthusiasts, from beginner to expert, can arrange scuba diving or snorkeling through Vallarta Adventures (tel. 888/303-2653 in the U.S., or 322/297-1212, ext. 3; www.vallarta-adventures.com), a five-star PADI dive center. You may snorkel or dive at Los Arcos, a company-owned site at Caletas Cove (where you'll dive in the company of sea lions), Quimixto Coves, the Marietas Islands, or the offshore La Corbeteña, Morro, and Chimo reefs. The company runs a full range of certification courses (up to Instructor). Chico's Dive Shop, Díaz Ordaz 772-5, near Carlos O'Brian's (tel. 322/222-1895; www.chicos-diveshop.com), offers similar diving and snorkeling trips and is also a PADI five-star dive center. Chico's is open daily from 8am to 10pm, with branches at the Marriott, Las Palmas, Holiday Inn, Fiesta Americana, Krystal, San Marino, Villa del Palmar, Paradise Village, and Playa Los Arcos. You can also snorkel off the beaches at Mismaloya and Boca de Tomatlán; elsewhere, there's not much to see besides a sandy bottom.

Ecotours & Activities

Open Air Expeditions (tel./fax 322/222-3310; www.vallartawhales.com) offers nature-oriented trips, including birding and ocean kayaking in Punta Mita. Ecotours de México, Ignacio L. Vallarta 243 (tel./fax 322/222-6606), has eco-oriented tours, including seasonal (Aug-Dec) trips to a turtle preservation camp where you can witness hatching baby Olive Ridley turtles.

A popular Vallarta adventure activity is canopy tours. You glide from treetop to treetop, getting an up-close-and-personal look at a tropical rainforest canopy and the trails far below. Expert guides assist you to the special platforms, and you move from one to another using pulleys on horizontal traverse cables, while the guides explain the tropical flora surrounding you. They also offer assistance -- and moral support -- as you rappel back down to the forest floor. Tours depart from the Vallarta Adventures offices in both Marina Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta at 8am, returning at 2pm. The price ($79/£40 for adults, $69/£35 for children 8-12) includes the tour, unlimited nonalcoholic beverages, and light snacks. Their Outdoor Adventure combines a ride on the canopy line with a day of adventure activities. You'll learn wilderness survival techniques while hiking through the Sierra Madre foothills, splashing through streams, rappelling down waterfalls, then taking a 300m (984-ft.) zip line over jungle landscape. The 6 1/2 hour tour costs $95 (£48), for those who are physically fit, ages 12 and older.

A second option is available in the southern jungles of Vallarta, over the Orquidias River, through Canopy Tours de Los Veranos (tel. 322/223-6060; www.canopytours-vallarta.com). This tour will pick you up at the Canopy office, near the south side Pemex station, to transport you to their facilities upriver from Mismaloya. Departures are on the hour, from 9am to 2pm. In addition to the 13 cables -- the longest being a full 350m (1,148 ft.) -- it also offers climbing walls, waterslides, and horseback riding. The guides here are noted for helping even the faintest of heart propel through the treetops. Price is $79 (£40) for adults, or $58 (£29) for children ages 6 and older. Use of the natural-granite climbing wall (helmets and climbing-shoe use included) is $18 (£9); the 1 1/2-hour jungle horseback riding tour costs $35 (£18).

Fishing

Arrange fishing trips through travel agencies or through the Cooperativa de Pescadores (Fishing Cooperative), on the malecón north of the Río Cuale, next door to the Rosita Hotel (tel. 322/222-1202). Fishing charters cost $120 (£60) per person, for one to eight people; or select from other options where the price varies with the size of the boat; a boat can be rented for 8 hours for $450 (£225). Although the posted price at the fishing cooperative is the same as you'll find through travel agencies, you may be able to negotiate a lower price at the cooperative, which does not accept credit cards. It's open Monday through Sunday from 7am to 10pm, but make arrangements a day ahead. You can also arrange fishing trips at the Marina Vallarta docks, or by calling Fishing with Carolina (tel. 322/224-7250; cell 044-322/292-2953; fishingwithcarolina@hotmail.com), which uses a 9m (30-ft.) Uniflite sportsfisher, fully equipped with an English-speaking crew. Fishing trips cost $350 (£175) for up to four people for 4 hours and include equipment and bait, but drinks, snacks, and lunch are optional, at $15 (£7.50) per person. If you mention Frommer's when you make your reservation, they'll offer a free lunch with your booking. All boats have brand new engines.

Golf

Puerto Vallarta is an increasingly popular golf destination; six courses have opened in the past 7 years, bringing the total in the region to nine. The Joe Finger-designed private course at the Marina Vallarta Golf Club (tel. 322/221-0073) is an 18-hole, par-74 course that winds through the Marina Vallarta peninsula and affords ocean views. It's for members only, but most luxury hotels in Puerto Vallarta have memberships for their guests. Greens fees are $98 to $136 (£49-£68) in high season, $115 (£58) in low season. Fees include golf cart, range balls, and tax. A caddy costs $12 (£6). Club rentals, lessons, and special packages are available.

North of town in the state of Nayarit, about 15km (9 1/3 miles) beyond Puerto Vallarta, is the 18-hole, par-72 Los Flamingos Club de Golf (tel. 329/296-5006; www.flamingosgolf.com.mx). It features beautiful jungle vegetation; the course underwent a renovation and upgrade in 2005. It's open from 7am to 7pm daily, with a snack bar (no restaurant) and full pro shop. The daylight greens fee is $140 (£70), which drops to $90 (£45) after 2:30pm. It includes the use of a golf cart; hiring a caddy costs $20 (£10) plus tip, and club rental is $30 to $44 (£15-£22). A free shuttle runs from downtown Puerto Vallarta; call for pickup times and locations.

There are now two breathtaking Jack Nicklaus Signature courses at the Punta Mita Golf Club (tel. 329/291-6000; fax 329/291-6060), with the newest addition opening in October 2008. The original "Pacifico" course features 8 oceanfront holes and an ocean view from every hole. Its hallmark is the 3rd hole, the "Tail of the Whale," with a long drive to a green on a natural island -- the only natural-island green in the Americas. It requires an amphibious cart to take you over when the tide is high, and there's an alternate hole for when the ocean or tides are not accommodating. The second Jack Nicklaus Signature course, "Bahia," intertwines with the original course, and also affords stunning seaside holes; its finishing hole is adjacent to the new St. Regis Resort. The courses are open only to members or guests staying in the Punta Mita resorts, or to other golf club members with a letter of introduction from their pro. Greens fees are $244 (£122) for 18 holes and $156 (£78) for 9 holes, including cart, with (Calloway) club rentals for $63 (£32). Lessons are also available.

Another Jack Nicklaus course is located at the Vista Vallarta Golf Club (tel. 322/290-0030; www.vistavallartagolf.com), along with one designed by Tom Weiskopf. These courses were the site of the 2002 PGA World Cup Golf Championships. The club is the foothills of the Sierra Madre, behind the bullring in Puerto Vallarta. A round costs $174 (£87) per person. Cart fee is an extra $46 (£23), with club rentals available for $49 (£25) per set/per round.

The Robert von Hagge-designed El Tigre course at Paradise Village (tel. 866/843-5951 in the U.S., or 322/297-0773; www.paradisevillage.com; www.eltigregolf.com), in Nuevo Vallarta, opened in March 2002. The 7,239-yard course is on a relatively flat piece of land, but the design incorporates challenging bunkers, undulating fairways, and water features on several holes. The favored course of local pros, El Tigre offers lessons and has an expansive clubhouse. Greens fees are $145 (£73) a round, or $90 (£45) if you play after 2pm. Club rentals are $45 (£23).

Horseback-Riding Tours

Travel agents and local ranches can arrange guided horseback rides. Rancho Palma Real, Carretera Vallarta, Tepic 4766 (tel. 322/222-0501), has an office 5 minutes north of the airport; the ranch is in Las Palmas, 40 minutes northeast of Vallarta. It is by far the nicest horseback riding tour in the area. The horses are in excellent condition, and you enjoy a tour of local farms on your way to the ranch. The price ($60/£30; AE or cash only) includes breakfast and lunch.

Another excellent option is Rancho El Charro, Av. Francisco Villa 895 (tel. 322/224-0114; cell 044-322/294-1689; www.ranchoelcharro.com), which has beautiful, well-cared for horses, and a variety of rides for all levels, departing from their ranch at the base of the Sierra Madre Mountains. Rides range in length from 3 to 8 hours, and in price from $56 to $100 (£28-£50). There's even the $69 (£35) Wild Ride, where you gallop along a ridge to a jungle waterfall -- too often, riders are disappointed with only trotting along well-marked trails on these excursions, and this ride allows experienced riders much more freedom. Rancho El Charro also has multiple-day rides -- check their website for details. Rancho Ojo de Agua, Cerrada de Cardenal 227, Fracc. Las Aralias (tel./fax 322/224-0607; www.mexonline.com), also offers high-quality tours, from its ranch located 10 minutes by taxi north of downtown toward the Sierra Madre foothills. The rides last 3 hours (10am, 3 and 4pm departures) and take you up into the mountains overlooking the ocean and town. The cost is $59 (£30). Both of the ranches listed above have other tours available as well as their own comfortable base camp for serious riders who want to stay out overnight.

Parasailing

Parasailing and other watersports are available at many beaches along the Bay of Banderas. The most popular spot is at Los Muertos Beach. WaveRunners, banana boats, and parasailing are available by the hour, half-day, or full day. Be forewarned, however, that the swiftly shifting winds in Banderas Bay can make this a dangerous proposition. Fly at your own risk.

Sailing

I personally believe that a trip to the Vallarta area is not complete without a journey out on the water -- there's no better way to see the entirety of the area, the beauty of the surrounding mountains, and get a sense of the area than from the perspective of a sailboat. Banderas Bay is increasingly being used at the site of national and international regatta competitions.

Coming About (tel. 322/222-4119; www.coming-about.com) is a women-only sailing school that provides hands-on sailing instruction for day-sailing excursions, as well as weeklong sailing classes at a variety of skill levels. Owned and operated by Pat Henry, who spent 8 years sailing around the globe, then wrote about it in her book By the Grace of the Sea: A Woman's Solo Odyssey Around the World. The classes are challenging, inspiring, and entertaining, as Pat shares her adventures with participants. Dubbed "any woman's sailing school," the goal is to take away the fear and mystery, and make the skill of sailing accessible to everyone. Courses range from a 1-day introductory course to a 9-day bareboat charter captain course. Fees for the 1-day course are $475 (£238) for four people; $2,900 to $3,600 (£1,450-£1,800) per person, based on double occupancy, for the 9-day course, including hotel.

Swimming with Dolphins

Dolphin Adventure (tel. 888/303-2653 in the U.S., or 322/297-1212, ext. 3; www.vallarta-adventures.com) operates an interactive dolphin-research facility -- considered the finest in Latin America -- that allows limited numbers of people to swim with dolphins Monday through Saturday at scheduled times. Cost for the swim is $142 (£71). Reservations are required, and they generally sell out at least a week in advance. Dolphin Encounter ($76/£38) allows you to touch and learn about the dolphins in smaller pools, so you're ensured up-close-and-personal time with them. You can even be a Trainer for a Day, a special 7-hour program of working alongside the more experienced trainers and the dolphins, for a cost of $250 (£125). The Dolphin Kids program, for children ages 4 to 8, is a gentle introduction to dolphins, featuring the Dolphin Adventure baby dolphins and their mothers interacting with the children participants ($60/£30). I give this my highest recommendation. Not only does the experience leave you with an indescribable sensation, but it's also a joy to see these dolphins -- they are well cared for, happy, and spirited. The program is about education and interaction, not entertainment or amusement, and is especially popular with children ages 10 and older.

Tennis

Many hotels in Puerto Vallarta offer excellent tennis facilities; they often have clay courts. The full-service Canto del Sol Tennis Club (tel. 322/224-0123 and 322/226-0123; www.cantodelsol.com) is at the Canto del Sol hotel in the Hotel Zone. It offers indoor and outdoor courts (including a clay court), full pro shop, lessons, clinics, and partner matches.

A Spectator Sport

Bullfights are held December through April beginning at 5pm on Wednesday at the La Paloma bullring, across the highway from the town pier. Travel agencies can arrange tickets, which cost around $25 (£13).