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First Time to Vallarta
by Brenda Retzlaff | published: 8/16/2004
Hit the Ground Running
 Smooth LandingWhen arriving in Puerto Vallarta, your first adventure will be when you go through customs. Anytime you fly into Mexico from an International destination you must do the customary customs "red light, green light" routine. As simple as pushing a button on a traffic light, you may immediately "pass go", or you may be selected to be one of the lucky few who get a good luggage rummage. If you do push a red light, your best bet is to take it completely in stride. Really, it is not a big deal at all; it maybe takes three minutes out of your vacation time to have the customs officials do a quick search of your belongings. If you do make a fuss, be prepared for some good natured official to wave your dainties in the air as your luggage is searched from top to bottom… slowly. Keep in mind; you never know if you are going to push red or green, it is a random selection process. Patience is a virtue. Off to the Races!  Once you leave the safety of customs and immigration, you are in the land of "Taxi!" and "Where are ya stayin'?... need a ride?" Yes, you are in the land of chaotic cab drivers, tour reps and the time share industry's "off premise contacts". Best bet: dodge to the left, don't make eye contact, and get into line at the HSBCl bank or cash machine and change some dollars into pesos. Any cambio (money exchange houses), bank, or ATM machine has great exchange rates, actually, sometimes the best exchange rate in town. Once you have pesos in your pocket, head over to the TAXI booths and tell them where you need to go (which hotel/condo) and how many people. They will charge you the regulated amount, give you a receipt of payment and off you go. Piece of cake. One thing you should know: all of the taxis at the airport and cruise ship dock are federal zone regulated taxis, so the prices are higher. These taxis are white in color, whereas the regular taxis in Vallarta are yellow. When you leave the airport and go to your hotel/condo it is more expensive than going from the hotel to airport when you leave.  If you want to try to save a few pesos, you can walk across the orange pedestrian bridge and try to flag down a yellow taxi. There is a 50/50 chance you may save a few pesos because most of the yellow taxis have caught on and now ask equally high prices.Settling In Not everyone arrives in Vallarta at the same time, nor does everyone check in and out on the same schedule. Most check-in and check-out times are the same at all hotels. Check-in is usually at 3:00 PM and check-out is usually at 11:00 AM or 12:00 Noon.  If you arrive early, most hotels will have a room ready immediately, but maybe not the room you reserved. Pushing for an early check-in may mean you get a lesser room. Best bet: Have the hotel store your luggage, (take with you the valuables and your swim-suit) and set off to explore the hotel. Even if you are hot and tired, a cold margarita and a dip in the pool will refresh you and make the "wait for the room" a pleasant experience indeed.Out on the town Disregard the "Robbed by Taxi Driver" stories you hear from people who have "been to Mexico". Everyone has a horrifying Mexico story to tell that happened to their "neighbor's -best friend's- cousin in 1987 on their Mexico vacation". Second hand gossip and urban legends are simply that, legends. Not to say that something out of the ordinary cannot happen, it can. Needless to say, Puerto Vallarta is a tourist town that relies heavily on tourism; the city officials try to keep the city nice, clean, and as pristine as possible for your enjoyment. Just remember, keep your wits about yourself, don't drink so much that you need to be poured into the taxi, and don't put yourself in compromising positions. Taxis Taxis here do not use meters. The prices are set by zone, and while the taxi drivers should know the exact price and they all should quote the same price, they do not. It is good to agree on a price before you get in and go for a ride, or you may get taken for a ride. Remember: Mexico is a VERY courteous country, a polite "hola!" (hello) and a "¿como estas?" (how are you?) before asking the price can make a difference. All hotels have official taxi zone prices; so you may want to jot down the destinations and prices to have a good idea what is a fair fare. Best bet: Look at the number on the taxi and take note. This has nothing to do with safety but with countless stories and emails from visitors who left a camera, wallet, purse in one of the over 1200 taxis in Puerto Vallarta. If you do not know the taxi number, and the taxi driver cannot find you (which they usually try to do) you are out of luck. There is no giant "lost and found" depository in Vallarta.  Another One Rides the BusThe bus. The longest roller coaster ride in the world. For 4 pesos, you can go lightening speed across cobblestones, jump over speed bumps, and rattle and jiggle yourself silly as you go from one end of Vallarta to another. It is cheap, it is fun, and it is always an experience. If you are unsure about riding the bus, remember this, the buses are the "lions of the food chain" here in Vallarta. They have no natural predators. They are the biggest vehicle on the road, so, the safest place to be on the road is on the bus! In reality  , the bus is a very economical way of transportation throughout Vallarta and the bay. Most buses stop in front of or near most hotels and traverse the way through town. To get off the bus, just push the button or pull the cord labeled "timbre" and the driver will stop at the next available bus stop. It is best to exit the rear door so other passengers can enter at the front. Hitting the Streets Puerto Vallarta is quaint. The majority of the smaller streets are picturesque, with high curbs and roads made of cobblestone. It is easy and safe to explore the streets of Vallarta, and no matter where you go, there will be treasures on every block. The downtown/centro area and the south side/zona romantica areas are a shoppers, eaters, and drinkers delight. You can easily spend hours on one block alone, or you can walk from the Sheraton hotel to the downtown area in 15 minutes, depending on how much window shopping you do. Selecting appropriate footwear for trekking through town is a wise decision. If you buy new shoes just for vacation, break them in before you visit or you will be battling blisters the entire time. Handy tip: Look both ways before crossing the street and keep your head semi-out of the clouds. Every year somebody does get hit by a vehicle, and 99% of the time it was because they were not paying attention. We want you to have fun on vacation, but we also want you to be safe.  Buying Things off the Streets and BeachesIn Vallarta, almost anything can be bought on the beach or off the street. That is half of the charm, you don't have to go shopping, the shopping comes to you! Blankets, bracelets, puppets, masks, shrimp on a stick, T-shirts and sarongs and bags of fruit are just a few items available. If you are interested, start bargaining, as nothing should ever be bought at the quoted price. Only in stores are prices marked at the selling price, at the beach, street and at the Mercado you are expected to bargain, haggle or dicker. One thing to remember: be very careful when buying silver jewelry off the beach and street, some of it is fake silver and it is hard to tell the difference. If you want to buy silver, it is recommended you purchase from a reputable shop and only buy silver stamped .925 which means it is sterling silver and not a lesser grade. Leaving Vallarta To prolong your vacation, the day before you leave, have all of your dirty laundry done. The laundries here are inexpensive and they do a fantastic job, plus, when you arrive home, all you have to do is unpack and put away your clean and fragrant frocks. If you have plenty of pesos upon departing, you may want to just spend them on last minute souvenirs. Of course, you can exchange them back to your home currency, but you will lose a few bucks on the double exchange. If you do decide to blow them, do it outside of the airport, this one is like every airport around the world, you are a captive audience and the prices are marked up about six billion percent (slight exaggeration). The taxi going back to the airport will be less expensive than the one that you took when you landed in Vallarta. The money you saved will buy you a shrimp burrito at Tacon de Marlin across the highway from the airport. A great idea is to get to the airport two or three hours before your plane leaves. Check in, deposit your luggage and head across the orange pedestrian bridge for some great "going away" food. Besides the above mentioned Tacon de Marlin, there is a roasted chicken place Pollo Feliz (the happy chicken) that is really good, and a few other small places that are pretty good as well. The prices here along this strip are half price of the airport food, much better, and you get to see a bit more of Vallarta before you have to head back home. There is also a small store where you can buy gum, candy, snacks, pop, and beer. Last Glance 
Because of the Sierra Madre Mountains behind Vallarta, the planes taking off need to circle the Bay of Banderas before bringing you home. In the winter months, the plane is usually low enough above the bay that you may see a whale breeching or surfacing. Best tip: Be sure to ask for a window seat! |
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