I recently came back from a four-day wedding weekend in Puerto Vallarta. It was my second time in Mexico, the first being a quick weekend jaunt to Rosarito a few years ago with a friend’s family.
I arrived in airport layers and was only too happy to step into the humid embrace of the city. Hot tip: Don’t take any of the taxi offers from the companies lining the hallway leading to the airport exit. They ask for all sorts of things that no taxi should ask for— like your passport. Wait til you get outside of the airport and chat with one of the many taxi reps standing around.
Once inside the taxi, I tried to practice my Spanish with my driver but he only wanted to practice his English. It was a halting, amusing conversation. The drive wound us through the city and smaller neighborhoods in El Centro until we reached the Hotel Tropicana in La Zona Romantica (the Romantic Zone) where I was staying. I loved the coziness of the rooms, the authentic Mexican decor and the fact that the hotel was mere steps from the beach. Everything was perfect except for the lack of internet. I’m not sure how I missed that when booking but I decided to make it a bra/internet/lotion-less weekend.
PUERTO VALLARTA – DAY 1
The first thing I did was change into something cooler and check out the rest of the accommodations. Located directly across the street from the hotel was a little convenience store and I purchased a bottle of water before I started exploring the neighborhood.
The Romantic Zone is in a word, charming. Everything was just adorable. After a meal of fish tacos (naturally), I headed back to the hotel for a quick nap before getting ready for the night activities. The bride and groom had rented out a mezcaleria for us to dine and dance the night away.
PUERTO VALLARTA – DAY 2
I met up with some friends who were staying at a different hotel and we explored El Centro for a bit. PS: El Centro isn’t a bad walk from the Romantic Zone and it allowed me to see life outside of the tourist bubble of beach hotels. We wove our way through multiples shops, bakeries, smoothie shops and a beautiful old church. I saw some textiles and bags I still regret not buying. I mean, how cute was this mother-of-pearl purse!
After parting ways, I rushed back to the hotel to make sure I’d be there to greet my friend/wedding date when she arrived. Fun fact: My friend and I have been Instagram friends for years but Puerto Vallarta was our first time meeting in real life. #yolo
After screaming our heads off in the hotel— “You’re so pretty! No you are!”— we got some grub and strolled around, happily responding to all the “hola bonitas” that came our way.
PUERTO VALLARTA – DAY 3
This was the day of the wedding and we spent the morning lounging on the sand and eating fresh coconuts and sliced mangoes from beach vendors. The wedding took place on the beautiful, private island of Las Caletas. Las Caletas is only reachable by boat. Our hosts outdid themselves to make sure we were having fun— from the ride on the chartered bus to the boat ride itself. On the way back (after the wedding), we were even treated to a fireworks show on the harbor.
PUERTO VALLARTA – DAY 4
I see travel as the best opportunity to live like the locals so we used this day to walk from the Romantic Zone, through El Centro and to downtown Vallarta where the bride and groom were throwing a “recovery” pool party at their hotel. As always, El Centro lured us into its vibrant city attractions. Regrettably, I couldn’t remember how to find the shop with the mother-of-pearl bags so I promised myself to never make that mistake again. If you have no plans to come back to the country you’re visiting, buy the things you want!
The next morning, we did one final beach lap, had a round of breakfast tacos and then it was off to the airport and, sadly, normalcy.
So there is it friends, a four day weekend in Puerto Vallarta celebrating love, life and meeting new people. If you have ever been to Puerto Vallarta and can recommend some not-to-miss spots, leave a comment below!