Who Puerto Vallarta suits
Walkers, food lovers and first-timers to Mexico
If you want restaurants within walking distance, an arts scene you can actually attend and a grid of city life that needs no car to feel alive, Puerto Vallarta delivers. The old-town and the Zona Romántica hold much of the charm and the marina district offers condominium living near the water.
For American and Canadian buyers, the neighborhood that counts most is the one where you can safely and happily wander your first week:and this city has been welcoming visitors and residents from the north for decades.
Local notes from Miguel's scouting
- Café La Ventana a neighborhood coffee spot in 5 de Diciembre
- Café Shekinah coffee beside Teatro Vallarta
- Café La Flor De Córdoba a café in the Centro, near Hotel Rosita
What to know
The facts that shape your shortlist
Healthcare
Modern private hospitals, including CMQ, Hospital San Javier and Amerimed, staffed partly by English-speaking, US-and Canadian-trained doctors.
Getting there
Lic. Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport (PVR) flies nonstop, year-round and seasonal, from dozens of US cities, and direct from Canada via WestJet and Air Canada.
The neighborhoods
Old Town (Zona Romántica) for charm and the marina district for condo living by the water,each with its own rhythm and price point.
Residency reality
Temporary and permanent residence visas are straightforward for retirees and pensioners and are usually planned alongside the purchase, not after it.
Value
City living tends to offer broader price range than the gated beach peninsula north and more walkable day-to-day convenience.
Community
An established expat community, veterans groups and every flavor of restaurant,from street tacos to fine dining,all in one hilly, colorful city.
See Puerto Vallarta with a guide who knows it