Puerto Vallarta is a vibrant city full of history and beauty. It’s also a perfect place for a beach getaway! Families looking for things to do in Puerto Vallarta with kids will be pleasantly surprised by how much the city has to offer.
We first came to Puerto Vallarta in 2019 when we spent a memorable month experiencing all the fun family things to do in Puerto Vallarta for kids. We returned to Puerto Vallarta again in 2024 and enjoyed even more fun Puerto Vallarta activities for families in and around the city.
This family travel post is a compilation of our favorite Puerto Vallarta family activities to get you off the resort and into the heart of Mexico’s culture and nature. From excursions to beach exploration, classes to snorkeling adventures, this is the post you need for planning a family trip to Puerto Vallarta with kids.
Whether you're visiting Puerto Vallarta with a baby, visiting Puerto Vallarta with toddlers, or coming to the city with teens, these family activities in Puerto Vallarta with kids cover a wide range of ages. You'll be surprised at the number of fun things to do with family in Puerto Vallarta!
This article was originally published on June 12, 2021.
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Table of Contents
Want a quick run down of our favorite activities in Puerto Vallarta for kids? Here are our top 5 picks for family things to do in Puerto Vallarta with kids.
Families visiting Puerto Vallarta with kids can find several lodging options in Zona Romantica, which is located adjacent to Centro. Zona Romantica is convenient to a lot of the things to do in Puerto Vallarta with kids, as you're right in the heart of the city. However, the costs of accommodation may be more expensive than places away from the city center.
Another option for families is to look for Puerto Vallarta kid friendly resorts, hotels, or vacation rentals in the Hotel Zone. This area is located right along the beach in the northern part of the city. Most of the all inclusive kids and family resorts in the Hotel Zone have their own offerings of things to do in Puerto Vallarta with kids, along with kids clubs.
A final option is Marina Vallarta, which also has family resorts in Puerto Vallarta. This neighborhood is located to the north of the city. So it’s not necessarily the most convenient location for many of the things to do in Puerto Vallarta with kids. However, there are often a lot of vacation rentals available in the condo complexes around Marina Vallarta.
Within Zona Romantica is a cute and colorful hotel called Hotel Posada de Roger. This family-owned hotel, built in the 1970's, offers families a truly Mexican experience. The rustic hotel has an outdoor pool, a courtyard for relaxing, and a communal kitchen if you're in the mood for cooking your own meals. Hotel Posada de Roger is a 3 minute walk from Playa Los Muertos.
Rooms at Hotel Posada de Roger can accommodate families of 4 and 5 people. The rooms are equipped with air conditioning, WiFi, and TV with cable. Breakfast is available for guests for a fee. But there are also many restaurants within a minute walk from the hotel. It's a perfect location for experiencing Puerto Vallarta kid activities!
For families looking for a hotel close to the beach, consider a stay at the Emperador Vallarta Beachfront Hotel and Suites. This hotel, located close to the Zona Romantica, is just a 1 minute walk from Playa de los Muertos. Several restaurant options are located within a 1-2 minute walk from the hotel.
Rooms at the hotel have WiFi, air conditioning, TV, and kitchenette and can accommodate families of 3-6 people. While there is no pool at the Emperador Vallarta Beachfront Hotel and Suites, there are loungers at the beach that guests can enjoy. And once you're done with the beach, you can enjoy the views of the ocean from your room.
Another beach side hotel option for families is the Paramar Beachfront Boutique Hotel. This hotel offers spacious rooms, daily free continental breakfasts, an outdoor pool, and a restaurant on-site. The hotel is a 10 minute walk from the Malecon, Puerto Vallarta's boardwalk. And there are several restaurants within a 1-3 minute walk from the hotel.
Rooms at the Paramar Beachfront Boutique Hotel can accommodate families of 4-6 people. They're equipped with air conditioning, TV with cable channels, WiFi, kitchenette, and microwaves. Many of the rooms offer ocean views.
A unique place we've stayed when we were in Puerto Vallarta is Casa Los Arcos. This vacation rental is located just outside of Zona Romantica and is actually a small 4-room hotel. The owners live onsite, and are from Canada and the US. While the hotel is about a 15 minute walk from the heart of Zona Romantica, up a steep hill, families will enjoy this place for its sweeping views of the Banderas Bay and spacious feel.
Casa Los Arcos has one suite that can accommodate a family of 4. The suite has a full kitchen, living room, balcony, TV, and WiFi. There is a communal pool, hot tub, and garden that guests can access. Daily housekeeping is offered to guests, as well as an airport taxi.
As you’re researching family things to do in Puerto Vallarta with kids for your trip, take a look at the family-friendly activities suggested here. To get the full experience of Puerto Vallarta, aim to spend at least a week in the city. That way, you can plan for one or two Puerto Vallarta kids activities each day.
However, if you’re visiting Puerto Vallarta as part of a bigger Mexico itinerary, you can condense your trip to one or two days.
In a destination like Puerto Vallarta, where tourists mainly come for the beaches and resorts, taking a food tour and cooking class may not seem like an obvious choice for things to do in Puerto Vallarta with kids. But actually, it’s a great way for families to dive deeper into Mexican culture. And it's a fantastic opportunity to learn some new Mexican food phrases too!
Cookin’ Vallarta helps visitors learn about Mexican culture by offering Mexican cooking classes five days a week. Every class includes a visit to the local market. And it also includes a cooking demonstration, with hands-on opportunities to prepare traditional dishes. The classes are $65 to $90 for children and adults.
Book your cooking class with Cookin' Vallarta:
Puerto Vallarta Cooking Class: Market Tour
If your family enjoys adventurous activities, then they’ll want to try a paddleboarding tour with Xiutla Riders Ecoadventure. It’s a locally-owned adventure tour company that offers ATV tours, paddleboard lessons, surfing lessons, bike rentals, scooter rentals, and other things to do in Puerto Vallarta with kids.
Paddleboard lessons with Xiutla Riders cost 780 pesos (roughly $49 USD) per person for a 2 hour lesson. They are done right at the beach. You can also do a 4 hour paddleboard tour of Los Arcos National Park for 1,620 pesos (roughly $102 USD) per person. For families interested in bike rentals, hourly rentals with Xiutla Riders range from $4 to $28, depending on the length of the rental.
Book your paddleboard lesson with Xiutla Riders:
Stand-Up Paddle Board Lesson in Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta has a long history, invaded by the Spanish in the 1500s, but populated by indigenous groups prior to that. Learning about the city’s history and culture is well worth doing when you’re visiting Puerto Vallarta with kids.
For a short history lesson, visit the Museo Historico Naval, a small museum that provides more information about Puerto Vallarta’s maritime history. The Museo Historico Naval is located on the Malecon, the city’s coastal boardwalk, on Calle Zaragoza.
Entrance to the museum is 45 pesos (roughly $3 USD) and 30 pesos (roughly $2 USD) for children ages 6 and under. The museum is open from 11am-7pm on Tuesdays to Sundays.
One of our favorite family things to do in Puerto Vallarta with kids is to eat tacos. Puerto Vallarta has a wide selection of taquerias (taco stands) that offer various types of tacos. It’s a great place to get a sampling of the different flavors of Mexico.
To get a delicious taste of Mexico, you can do your own DIY taco tour. Visit these taco stands that we personally love in Zona Romantica and order these recommended tacos:
Or you can book a guided food tour, led by a local guide who can give you the history of all the best food places in Puerto Vallarta for kids.
Book this food walking tour:
Downtown Puerto Vallarta Food Tour
An option for fun family things to do in Puerto Vallarta with kids is to take a chocolate workshop at ChocoMuseo. Located just off of the Malecon, ChocoMuseo, which also has locations in Peru, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, offers workshops in Puerto Vallarta for kids and families to learn about the history and making of chocolate.
Chocolate comes from the Nahuatl word, cacauatl, and the Mayan word, xocolatl, both of which mean bitter water. Traditionally in Mexico, chocolate was consumed as a drink made from roasted cocoa beans, water, chile, and honey. Colonization from the Spanish introduced cocoa to Europe and over time chocolate became what it is today.
Families can take a variety of workshops from ChocoMuseo, including a mole cooking class. We especially enjoyed the bean to bar workshop because it allows families to learn about the full process of making chocolate, from traditional methods to more modern methods.
Book a chocolate workshop from ChocoMuseo:
Bean to Bar Chocolate Workshop
If you're looking for things to do in Puerto Vallarta with kids, why not spend an afternoon or evening walking along Puerto Vallarta’s Malécon? It’s lined with plenty of restaurants and shops.
During sunset, the Malecon is a great place to be as vendors set up shop selling street snacks and artisan goods. Marvel at the sculptures that line the Malecon, or if you’re lucky, there might be an event happening around the stone arcs near the Naval Museum. On some nights, you’ll also be able to catch some fireworks on the water.
No trip to Puerto Vallarta with kids is complete without spending a day at the beach! Puerto Vallarta has over 7 km of coastline, so you won’t have trouble finding a beach for swimming.
All beaches in Mexico are accessible to the public, even those in front of the resorts. To the north, you’ll find Playa de Oro, Playa Los Tules, and Playa Las Glorias. But if you’re staying closer to Zona Romantica, Playa Los Muertos and Playa Olas Altas are popular spots.
If you want to splurge on lounge chairs and a beach umbrella, head to one of the beach clubs. Minimum charge is usually around 200-500 pesos (roughly $14-34 USD) per person. Alternatively, you can look into a day pass at many of the resorts in the city.
For free Puerto Vallarta things to do with kids, stroll through the city’s Romantic Zone. Officially called Emiliano Zapata, this picturesque neighborhood is full of trendy shops, restaurants, and markets.
You can take a walk through the Isla Cuale Flea Market to see the beautiful artisan goods for sale. Or you can visit the Rio Cuale Municipal Market or the Emiliano Zapata farmer’s market. Every Saturday, there’s also a farmer’s market at Olas Altas.
Ecotours Vallarta offers nature excursions, expeditions, and adventure-based things to do in Puerto Vallarta with kids throughout Banderas Bay. The company also plays a role in whale research and conservation through its support of a local non-profit organization called Ecobac (Ecología y Conservación de Ballenas, Ecology and Conservation of Whales).
Tours offered by Ecotours Vallarta include wild dolphins snorkeling, bird watching, a sea turtle encounter, snorkeling, scuba diving, whale watching, and more. Ecotours Vallarta has a very extensive selection of eco-friendly activities that families can choose from when visiting Puerto Vallarta with kids.
Book your dolphin excursion with Ecotours de Mexico here:
Wildlife dolphins encounter and snorkeling at Los Arcos
La Vida Bella Private Boat Tours is a family-owned company based in Puerto Vallarta. They offer a selection of things to do in Puerto Vallarta with kids, by way of tours and excursions, including dolphin encounters, snorkeling, whale watching, and other day trips from Puerto Vallarta. Our favorite tour from La Vida Bella is the one that takes visitors to the gorgeous beach village of Yelapa.
Tours from La Vida Bella Private Boat Tours are private, which offers a lot of flexibility for families in terms of what they will see and do during their tour. The tours cost around $600-$750 USD for a group of up to 8 people. The tour time is roughly 5 hours, and includes snorkeling equipment.
La Vida Bella Private Boat Tours offers tours to Los Arcos preserve and Las Animas beach; Yelapa village; whale and dolphin watching; and fishing (see our next suggestion for family things to do in Puerto Vallarta!). Pick the one that fits your family!
Book one of the private tours from La Vida Bella Private Boat Tours:
Private Sightseeing Cruise in Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta is a perfect destination for families who enjoy fishing. The waters of Banderas Bay are popular areas for fish like mackerel, mahi-mahi, and yellowfin tuna.
If you’re looking for family things to do in Puerto Vallarta with kids that involve fishing, consider booking a private fishing boat and crew. La Vida Bella Boat Tours offers private full day fishing adventures around Banderas Bay.
Book a fishing excursion near Puerto Vallarta with kids:
Private Inshore Fishing Adventure in Puerto Vallarta with Snacks
The Marieta Islands, also known as Islas Marietas, are a series of small uninhabited islands in Banderas Bay. The islands are home to birds, including the blue-footed booby. And the waters around the islands are full of marine life. It’s a designated UNESCO world heritage site.
But beyond the beautiful nature, a popular reason to visit Islas Marietas is to go to the hidden beach (Playa Escondido), also known as Playa del Amor (love beach). Located within a crater on one of the islands, the beach is only accessible at low tide. Though it’s never been officially confirmed, the crater was allegedly created by Mexican military bomb testing in the 1900s.
The only way to get to Islas Marietas is by boat. You can book a guided tour that takes you to the islands for snorkeling and a beach visit.
Book this Isla Marietas tour in Puerto Vallarta with kids:
Besides water activities like sailing, dolphin watching and whale watching are also popular family things to do in Puerto Vallarta with kids. Within Banderas Bay, you’ll mainly find bottlenose dolphins and humpback whales.
The best way to see these dolphins and whales is to take a whale and dolphin watching tour. The tours offered by Wildlife Connection are led by biologists who are knowledgeable about the marine life of the area.
Book the whale and dolphin tour in Puerto Vallarta for kids.
Whale & Dolphin Watching with a Biologist in Puerto Vallarta
When you’re traveling with kids, you have to find ways to make travel fun for them. That’s why the Marigalante Pirate Ship tour is the perfect experience for things to do in Puerto Vallarta with kids. Although the prices for these tours are a bit hefty ($113 with the special online discount for adults, and $57 with the discount for kids), it’s nice to give your family a splurge from time to time.
The Marigalante Pirate Ship tour, which pays homage to Puerto Vallarta’s pirate history, offers an on-ship entertainment show that is completely bilingual, with plenty of dancing, singing, and action. Two meals are served on the ship during the tour.
The ship also makes a stop at Majahuitas beach, where activities like kayaking, beach volleyball, snorkeling, and banana boat riding are all set up for you. There’s even a bar on the beach, so while the kids are off doing their treasure hunt, led by one of the pirates, the grown-ups can enjoy a cold drink on the beach! Be sure to wear some reef-friendly sunscreen when you’re out in the sun.
Book any of these Puerto Vallarta pirate ship tours for your trip:
Puerto Vallarta Pirate Sailing Cruise
Majahuitas Island Pirate Ship Adventure
The Bay of Banderas is abundant with diverse marine life. And the perfect way for families to experience it is through a snorkeling tour. Estigo Tours offers a great private snorkeling tour for families to Los Arcos that our family personally enjoyed.
Los Arcos is a series of small protected rock islands where birds such as blue footed boobies and pelicans live. Erosion over the course of millions of years has caused arches to form at the base of the islands (hence its name). And the coral surrounding the islands attract various marine life such as needlefish and manta rays.
The tours offered by Estigo Tours, a national company that offers tours in other cities as well, such as Oaxaca City and Mexico City, are led by a knowledgeable local guide. The tour includes snorkeling at Los Arcos (snorkeling equipment is provided), as well as an opportunity to play at the beach and have lunch at Playa Las Animas (south of Puerto Vallarta).
The best time to take this half-day tour is the morning, when the weather is calmest. Lunch is not included, so be sure to bring cash with you.
Book a Los Arcos tour with Estigo Tours:
Los Arcos Snorkel and Beach Tour
For families wanting to learn history while in Puerto Vallarta with kids, a visit to the Pueblo Magico of San Sebastián del Oeste is a must. Pueblos Magicos are historic towns designated by the Mexican government as culturally or historically significant. In Sebastian del Oeste, families can step back in time to experience this former silver mining town dating back to the 1500’s.
While you can certainly visit San Sebastián del Oeste on your own by renting a car and driving there, you’ll learn much more by taking a tour. Vallarta Adventures offers guided tours to San Sebastián del Oeste that also includes a lunch. Besides learning about Mexican history, you’ll also have a chance to visit an agave plantation, taste tequila, and visit a family-owned coffee farm.
Book a tour to San Sebastián del Oeste:
Families who enjoy nature and are looking for more adventurous family things to do in Puerto Vallarta with kids can opt for excursions that take you out to the outer areas of the cities. The Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range lies inland and to the northeast of Puerto Vallarta.
Popular activities in the Sierra Madres are hiking and horseback riding. If you have older kids who are comfortable around horses, you can book a guided horseback riding tour of the Sierra Madre Mountains from Rancho Capomo. The tour goes along a river, over a bridge, and up a hill, so you should have some knowledge of riding horses.
Book this horseback riding tour from Puerto Vallarta for kids and adults:
Horseback Riding Tour in Sierra Madre
Despite being a beach town, Puerto Vallarta can get quite busy. For a break from the hustle and bustle of the city, and see a different side of Mexico, head north to the small town of Sayulita.
This town is known for its beautiful beaches and slow pace of life. Like San Sebastián del Oeste, you can visit Sayulita on your own by renting a car and driving there. It’s worth spending a night or two in Sayulita to really get a feel for the town.
But if your time is limited and you don’t want to deal with the hassle of driving, you can take a day trip to Sayulita with companies like Vallarta Adventures.
Book this tour of Sayulita on your trip to Puerto Vallarta with kids:
FFor ideas for simple Puerto Vallarta excursions, take a visit to the family friendly Vallarta Botanical Gardens. Known locally as the Jardin Botanico Vallarta, the Puerto Vallarta Botanical Gardens is full of native plants and Mexican orchids.
Entrance to the Vallarta Botanical Gardens is 200 pesos for adults and children over 4 years old. The garden is open 7 days a week from 9am to 6pm during the months of December to March. It’s open 6 days a week (closed on Mondays) during the months of April to November.
If you want to visit the Vallarta Botanical Gardens with a guide, the guided tour offered by Puerto Vallarta Discovery Tours (which also includes a tequila tasting), is a great option.
Book this Vallarta Botanical Gardens tour:
Vallarta Botanical Garden and Tequila Tasting
Another excursion idea is to visit a water park in Puerto Vallarta. There are a few water parks located in nearby Nuevo Vallarta with plenty of fun activities and water slides for families, even ones with older children.
Aquaventuras and Splash Parque Acuatico are popular water parks for travelers looking for fun Puerto Vallarta family activities.
If you’re looking for unique family things to do in Puerto Vallarta, spend an evening at La Expedicion Board Game Restaurant. Located in the Colonia Versailles neighborhood, La Expedicion offers an extensive selection of board games (many that are in English) for families to play.
La Expedicion also offers food such as tacos, hamburgers, and crepes, so you can enjoy dinner while playing games. While there’s no limit to how many games you can play at La Expedicion, you’ll need to spend at least 140 pesos per person on food and drinks to be able to play games.
Check out another popular beach destination in Mexico: Cancun!
Puerto Vallarta is a popular resort destination, located in Banderas Bay, on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. There are around 200,000 people living in Puerto Vallarta. Yet the city sees over 3 million tourists each year! Puerto Vallarta tourism certainly plays a big role in the city’s economy, with plenty of options for things to do in Puerto Vallarta with kids.
The city was once part of the Manila Galleon, which connected Acapulco, Mexico with Manila, Philippines. There is a rich maritime history in Puerto Vallarta. You can read more about Puerto Vallarta’s history in the Lonely Planet Mexico travel guide book.
Puerto Vallarta has an international airport which sees several million passengers per year. The airport services international destinations such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, and Houston in the United States. Flights from Puerto Vallarta also fly out to places like Calgary and Vancouver in Canada.
Major international airlines that fly into Puerto Vallarta include Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta, United and Air Canada. Domestic airlines that fly into Puerto Vallarta include Aeromar, Aeromexico, VivaAerobus, and Volaris. Some domestic flights may route you through Guadalajara on your way to Puerto Vallarta.
Puerto Vallarta is a great city to visit with kids, and is one of the top safe places in Mexico for travel.
From the airport, getting to Zona Romantica takes about 25 minutes by taxi. There is an authorized taxi stand outside of the terminal (avoid the desks of aggressive salesmen telling you they will offer free shuttle service in exchange for discounted tours!).
Alternatively, you can rent a car for your stay in Puerto Vallarta. The car rental desks at the airport are also located outside the main terminal.
If you don’t want to rent a car, the easiest way to get to your family things to do in Puerto Vallarta with kids is by taxi. However, beware when taking a taxi! Drivers may try to charge you a higher than normal fare to get around town. Be sure to ask other travelers or locals what the regular charge should be. Uber is available, so you can use that service instead of taxis.
Another option for getting around Puerto Vallarta is to take the public bus. These buses service routes mainly centralized along Highway 200. Average fare is around 12 pesos per person.
Mexico uses the peso for its currency. At the time of this writing, $1 USD is worth roughly 20 pesos. The bills come in the following denominations: 500, 200, 100, 50, and 20. For the coins, they include 20, 10, 5, 2, 1, and .50.
The main banks you’ll find in Puerto Vallarta are Banamex, Banorte, and Bancomer. You will also find HSBC, Santander, and Scotiabank. All these banks have ATMs that can accept foreign bank cards. However, they will have varying amounts of fees. There is usually a daily cap on how much cash you can withdraw.
Many of the things to do in Puerto Vallarta for families requires that you pay in cash, particularly pesos. But some activities and attractions allow you to pay in US dollars as well. So check your attraction or activity ahead of time.
Much like the rest of Mexico, the main language spoken in Puerto Vallarta is Spanish. However, because of the huge tourism industry, many tour operators that offer things to do in Puerto Vallarta with kids speak English. The same is the case for many hotels and restaurants.
With that said, it is still helpful to brush up on some basic Spanish words before traveling to Puerto Vallarta with kids. Some examples of words you should know include hola (hello), por favor (please), and gracias (thank you). Desculpe is used when trying to get someone’s attention, and lo siento is used when apologizing.
In terms of packing for a trip to Puerto Vallarta with kids, be sure to bring your bathing suits and lightweight beach towels or sarongs. It’s also helpful to pack some water shoes as some of the things to do in Puerto Vallarta with kids may require them, such as snorkeling or boat excursions.
Most toiletries items and first aid items are available for purchase in Mexico, so there really is no need to pack them for your trip. However, specialty items like motion sickness strips or reef-safe sunscreen may not be as readily available in Puerto Vallarta.
Explore the Pacific Coast region of Mexico here.
There is so many unique things to do in Puerto Vallarta with kids. The city’s interesting history is worth diving into. But you can also dive into the city’s surrounding natural marine wonders too!
If you’re planning to visit Puerto Vallarta with kids, you really need to plan for a second trip as well! After your first visit, you will most certainly want to come back again.
Have you visited Puerto Vallarta with kids? What are your tips for things to do in Puerto Vallarta with kids? Drop us a comment on our Facebook page.
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