If you’re not in too much of a hurry, Puerto Vallarta’s public bus system is a cheap and easy way to get around and see the city.
There are two main bus companies that service Puerto Vallarta, and their buses can be distinguished by their colors – one company’s buses are blue and white, and the others are blue and green. For the purpose of this article, we’ll be focusing on the blue and white buses.
Once you’ve spotted a blue and white bus, next you need to look at the bottom of the passenger side of the windshield. Here, you’ll see a sign that says either “CENTRO” or “TUNEL.” Take a CENTRO bus – they go through the entire downtown area.
If you’re going downtown, this is all you need; all the blue and white CENTRO buses take the same route around downtown. Once you’re leaving downtown, though, you need to look at the bus’s final destination. All CENTRO buses go as far north as Wal-Mart, but after this, their routes vary. The final destination will usually be in large letters either at the top of the bus, or at the top of the windshield. Here are some of the most common:
PITILLAL – After leaving downtown, these buses travel north, make a right turn at Wal-Mart on Prisciliano Sánchez Street, and go to Pitillal. Don’t take a Pitillal bus if you’re going anywhere north of Wal-Mart, such as the Marina or the airport.
MARINA or MARINA VALLARTA – These buses continue north past Wal-Mart, and then enter and make a loop through the Marina. These are the only buses that actually enter the Marina; if you’re staying in a hotel in the Marina, you must take one of these buses to get back. MARINA and MARINA VALLARTA buses are a little less frequent than the others – you may have to wait fifteen minutes or so to catch one.
MOJONERAS, JUNTAS, or IXTAPA – All of these buses continue north past Wal-Mart, past the airport, and to the small towns for which they’re named. Take one of these buses if you’re going anywhere between Wal-Mart and the airport, such as Plaza Neptuno or Plaza Marina.
Please see below for our detailed route map. For more information about taking the bus, see our tips page.
