Do you want to explore the most authentic and historical part of Puerto Vallarta? Well, there is a specific area of the city you should totally explore to make the most of this side of your trip there: Downtown Puerto Vallarta. This is basically the main center, the heart of the traditional and historical background you really need to visit to understand something more about the local roots, culture and to marvel at the outstanding beauties and attractions for a complete travel experience.
The Malecón (oceanside walk) from the Rosita Hotel south to the Rio Cuale. Right at the beginning there is a fishmonger, right on the beach, where in the morning you can buy fish right off the boat!
On the way to the main Plaza, you’ll see many sculptures, there’s a free, two hour, weekly walking tour for this, see Weekly Events. At the Plaza the City Hall is on one side and the Our Lady of Guadalupe Church is one block inland. There’s also a historical building one the corner of Juarez and Iturbide, which was the first theater in Puerto Vallarta, The Saucedo Theater was built in 1922 and there’s a plaque on the Iturbide side wall. If you want to keep your shopping traditional and your experience authentic go to the flea market and you will be able to live an incredible experience just as a local. Acrossing from the Plaza, you will see the Arches to the rear of the Aquiles Serdan Amphitheater, where there are many different performances in the evenings. On the south side of the Amphitheater is Naval Museum, with a lot of ship models and the history of the navy in Mexico and a nice coffee shop. Considering the maritime history and identity of all Jalisco’s area, places like this one are a must to get to know a little bit better this area in a proper way going back into time. Isla Rio Cuale, is a great place to stroll at as its relaxing scenario and being located between the two bridges where you can find many vendor stands selling the same articles that are sold in the famous Flea Market, but open air. On the beach side there’s a great place to deepen your knowledge of local culture and historical background: the Museum of Anthropology. These are just some things you can do in Downtown Puerto Vallarta. We highly recommend you to take your time and go for a walking tour to really appreciate its beauties and hidden corners for an outstanding and authentic experience.
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