Are you ready to enjoy a wonderful vacation with your friends or family? If so, why not come stay with us at Villa del Palmar Beach Resort & Spa Puerto Vallarta? Our luxurious resort is ideally located on Mexico’s Pacific Coast in Banderas Bay. There, we enjoy a warm climate all year long along with the beautiful waters of Banderas Bay, Mexico’s largest bay.

Villa del Palmar Beach Resort & Spa has gorgeous beachfront suites and tons of great amenities, too. We also have a genuine timeshare club and Beachfront Rewards program, too. In terms of things to do in the area, Puerto Vallarta has great restaurants, tons of shopping options, excellent tours, and so much more. In addition to miles and miles of amazing beaches, there are also lovely rivers, waterfalls, and swimming holes in the area, too.

To learn more about things to do in Puerto Vallarta, keep reading below.

Adventures in Mismaloya at El Eden

For starters, while many people love lounging at the resort pools or hitting the beach in front of the property, El Eden is a top natural attraction that is located south of Puerto Vallarta just inland from the village of Mismaloya. There, El Eden has a magical natural waterhole with both sun and shade that is ideal for swimming.

Located about half hour south of downtown and just inland from Mismaloya Beach, El Edén’s natural swimming holes are fed by the Mismaloya river. The lush greenery of the jungle offers refreshing shade and there are sunny spots too so everyone will love exploring El Eden on a hot day in Puerto Vallarta.

In addition to the swimming hole, there is also an onsite restaurant that serves authentic Mexican dishes and cold drinks, too. If you want to skip the beach for the day, go explore the jungle at El Eden.

Explore the Cuale River

Next, you probably already know that Puerto Vallarta is known for having miles of beautiful beaches, but the area also has several rivers, too. The Cuale River is one of the seven rivers that originate in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains about 2,500 meters above sea level. From there, the river runs through a small mining town called El Cuale on a rugged path with deep ravines before it reaches Banderas Bay in Puerto Vallarta.

Over 40 kilometers in length, local residents love going swimming to cool off in El Rio Cuale in downtown Puerto Vallarta underneath the Malecon boardwalk bridge where the river flows into the ocean. The Cuale river creates a natural division between Old Town and El Centro neighborhoods in PV. There are also a variety of bird species that inhabit the area around the river as well.

Relaxing Vibes in Yelapa

Thirdly, if you want to check out a small beach town near Puerto Vallarta, take a water taxi to Yelapa. The laid back coastal village has bohemian vibes and a slower pace of life than Puerto Vallarta. To get there, take a bus or taxi to the town called Boca de Tomatlan which is located half hour south of PV.

From there, you can catch a water taxi and head to Yelapa for the day. The town is only accessible by boat and only has around 2000 full time residents. Yelapa has a beautiful beach, great restaurants, and there’s a nice waterfall that you can hike to as well. Yelapa is also one of the safest places to visit in Mexico because of its secluded location and friendly long-time residents, and electricity didn’t even arrive in Yelapa until 2001. Today, many locals make their living through gardening, farming, or fishing.

Hike Cerro del Mono (Monkey Mountain)

Last but not least, another fun thing to do in Puerto Vallarta is to hike up Cerro del Mono. Known as Monkey Mountain in English, the hike starts in the town of Higuera Blanca located 10 minutes inland from Punta de Mita north of Puerto Vallarta.

There, you can hike Monkey Mountain with a local guide or on your own if you have a good map. The hike only lasts about an hour or so to climb, but there are a few challenging sections along the way, especially towards the summit where there are large rocks that require a bit of bouldering.

The hiking trail weaves through jungle and has turns marked with arrows so hikers don’t miss any turns. Up top, hikers will love the stunning 360° panoramic views of Banderas Bay. It’s best to hike early and bring water, a hat, and your camera to take photos, too.

Are you ready to book a trip to Puerto Vallarta to check out the amazing natural attractions we talked about above? If so, call Villa Group Resorts today. We are a genuine resort provider with 10 luxury hotels in Mexico’s top destinations including Puerto Vallarta. Right now, we have special discounts on all-inclusive vacation packages so you can pamper your loved ones with a dream getaway to Puerto Vallarta.

During your stay, sign up to attend a Villa Group timeshare presentation which covers all the details about our exclusive vacation club membership available for purchase. We also have a Beachfront Rewards program in place where members earn Awards Credits each time they refer a friend or family member to join.

Then, Beachfront Rewards credits can be used to upgrade accommodations, at the onsite spa, at onsite restaurants, and more. Contact us today to book your stay and learn more!