This itinerary is split into two parts: morning and afternoon/evening. The morning part is entirely in Old Town (also known as the Romantic Zone), and the afternoon/evening will be spent Downtown. In between, there’s time to go back to your hotel and take a nap.
You’ll soon notice that this itinerary calls for a lot of walking – about 2.75 miles (4.5 km). Personally, I think walking is one of the best ways to get to know a new place. I still haven’t gotten tired of walking around Vallarta; there’s always something new to see or hear. If you don’t want to walk so much, feel free to substitute cab rides.
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MORNING
Pack a light bag with some beach essentials, but nothing too heavy. Take a blue and white CENTRO bus to downtown (for more information about the downtown bus route, see our article here). Get off the bus at the corner of Basilio Badillo and Constitución. You should be standing right across the street from Memo’s Pancake House.
Memo’s Pancake House (Basilio Badillo 289)
Hands down, this is my favorite breakfast spot in town. Serving up both Mexican and American classics, Memo’s has everything you want in a good breakfast place – generous servings, reasonable prices, and bottomless cups of coffee. It’s always busy here, so expect to wait a little for a table. My recommendation: the chilaquiles rojos con pollo – fried pieces of tortillas covered in a red sauce, melted cheese, and pulled chicken with refried beans on the side. It’s delicious, and if it doesn’t sound like the healthiest breakfast choice ever, it’s because it’s not. Don’t worry too much, though – we’ll be walking off the extra calories today. To read more about Memo’s, see our article here.
After leaving Memo’s, turn left and walk to the first intersection (Basilio Badillo and Constitución). Turn right at the intersection and keep walking down Constitución. Walk two blocks, then take a right on Francisca Rodríguez. Walk straight down this street the whole way until you reach the ocean and the pier. At one point, it will look like you’ve hit a dead end, but there are stairs you can take to continue on Francisca Rodríguez.
Los Muertos Pier
Besides being a main hub for panga (water taxi) operators, the pier is a nice place to watch local fishermen and check out the town’s coastline for a few minutes.
Los Muertos Beach
Find a good spot on the beach and relax for a few hours.
After you leave the beach, you want to get back on Basilio Badillo Street. To find it, you can look for a beachfront restaurant called "Coco Tropical."
Shopping on Basilio Badillo Street
If you could only pick one street in Vallarta to do your shopping, this would be it. Nicknamed “Restaurant Row,” Basilio Badillo has at least as many shops as restaurants. The shops here tend to be small boutiques that carry unique clothes, jewelry, and folk art and crafts, as opposed to mass-produced souvenirs (although you can find those on Basilio Badillo, as well). Some of the shops to keep an eye out for are A Touch of Gold, Alberto’s, Cassandra Shaw, Cielito Lindo, In Latino, La Rosa Boutique, Lalo Morales, Lucy’s Cucu Cabana, Myskova, Que Mona!, Serafina, and Sirenas.
After walking eight blocks from the beach on Basilio Badillo, the road will start to curve. Instead of continuing to follow Basilio Badillo, take a left on Naranjo Street. You’ll almost immediately see Marisma Fish Taco under a few shade trees.
Marisma Fish Taco (Naranjo 320)
I love tacos. With so many delicious tacos in Vallarta, it’s hard to pick a favorite. If I had to, though, I’d probably choose Marisma’s namesake tacos de pescado, or fish tacos. (Marisma does other seafood tacos, like shrimp and octopus, but I like the fish tacos so much I’ve never ordered anything else.) The fresh fish is battered and fried, then put on corn tortillas with shredded cabbage. Equally amazing are the salsas available to choose from – a mild avocado and cilantro, salsa Mexicana, soy sauce and onions, and a few spicier ones as well.
After leaving Marisma, keep walking on Naranjo Street for another block and a half. Turn left at Lázaro Cárdenas, and walk three blocks to the corner of Lázaro Cárdenas and Insurgentes. Here, in front of the Oxxo, you’ll be able to catch a bus back to your hotel.
AFTERNOON/EVENING
From your hotel, catch another blue and white CENTRO bus. This time, you’re going to get off the bus a little sooner, before you cross the river, just after you pass the end of the Malecon (on Morelos Street between Guerrero and Libertad).
When you get off the bus, turn around and start walking back the way you were coming from. After a block and a half, you’ll reach the end of the Malecon, and the town plaza on the other side of the street. Walk through the plaza. If you’re here around 6:00 P.M. on a Thursday, you’ll get to enjoy a free performance by the Municipal Band. Keep walking to the far end of the plaza, where you’ll see the cathedral.
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe
The most recognizable landmark of Vallarta, the city’s main cathedral has been evolving since the beginning of the 20th century. Its main bell was installed in the 1920s, its dome in the 30s, the main tower in 1952, the original crown in 1963, and the side towers in 1987. The cathedral also mixes a number of architectural styles, including Renaissance, baroque, and neoclassical.
When you exit the church, keep walking straight toward the water. You’re now on the Malecon.
Walk the Malecon
The Malecon is Vallarta’s twelve-block seawall promenade, and the center of the city’s social life. There’s always something going on here, from early morning when people walk their dogs and jog, to late at night when couples stroll and people go club-hopping. In between, there are food vendors, street vendors, caricaturists, and artists selling their paintings. Speaking of art, the Malecon is lined with ten bronze public sculptures, the most famous of which is undoubtedly the iconic Seahorse. No trip to PV is complete without a walk on the Malecon.
Walk down the Malecon for eight blocks, and then turn right on Leona Vicario Street (you can look for the store called “Popo’s” on the corner. Walk three blocks up the hill to the intersection with Guadalupe Sanchez street. Galería Omar Alonso is on the corner.
Galería Omar Alonso (Leona Vicario 248)
This was the first, and remains the only gallery in Vallarta dedicated to fine art photography. Galería Omar Alonso has featured the works of famous photographers such as Sebastiao Salgado, Wouter Deruytter, and others.
After leaving the gallery, walk back down the hill and continue walking along the Malecon. One block after the Malecon ends, you’ll see Parque Hidalgo, a large public plaza, on your right. Keep walking one more block. Lolita’s will be on your left.
Restaurant Lolita (México 1061)
This is a small, family-run Mexican restaurant (you can usually see Lolita herself in the kitchen) improbably located just before the start of the Malecon. There’s nothing too fancy here – just heaping servings of common Mexican foods. You really can’t go wrong since everything on the menu is good. Try the pozole con pollo – a traditional Mexican soup dating back to pre-Columbian times. The main ingredient is hominy, or corn kernels that have been cooked in a lime-water mixture until their hulls fall off and they expand. You control the spiciness of the pozole by adding garnishes like diced onions, radishes, and chili sauce.
When you leave Lolita’s, head back to the Malecon. Three blocks from the restaurant, at the corner of Allende Street, you’ll see La Bodeguita.
La Bodeguita del Medio (Paseo Diaz Ordaz 858)
Try to get to this Cuban bar a little before sunset, and try to snag a table on the second floor for a view of the Malecon below and the Pacific Ocean beyond. Listen to a few songs by Caribe Expresso, the house salsa band. To read more about La Bodeguita, see our article here.
