The great variety of activities that you can enjoy in Puerto Vallarta cover water adventures such as boat rides, flyboard, windsurf, diving, and swimming with dolphins, as well as riding through its tropical forests on ziplines or rappelling down a river. Which one will you pick?
If extreme adventures and adrenaline-filled activities are your thing, Puerto Vallarta offers the best options for you to spend a thrilling vacation.
Enjoy speed on the high seas aboard an inflatable boat, cross wild territories driving an ATV or RZR, wander through the Sierra Madre mountain range on a horse or a bike, or descend from its mountain tops on a zipline. Cross El Jorullo – the world’s longest suspension bridge – and parasail or skydive to admire the bay from the sky.
Puerto Vallarta hosts top level sports events that offer assistants the opportunity of attending renowned national and international tournaments all year-round.
Some of this competitions are: Yelapa Trail Running 2024, Fridas en Bici, XVII Los Muertos Beach Fishing Tournament, International Fishing Tournament Puerto Vallarta, 23 Anniversary Vista Vallarta Golf Club Tournament, Burden: Fitness & Obstacle Racing Puerto Vallarta 2024, among many others.
Riding a horse through the Sierra Madre mountain range is a not-to-be-missed experience when in Puerto Vallarta. Plan a day to visit the fascinating rivers and waterfalls or venture into riding in the mountains to admire the best views.
Take a look at the certified tour operators that offer this activity.
The best part of hiking is that you’ll get to know a bit more of Puerto Vallarta at a minimum cost; you’ll only need comfortable clothes, sunscreen, insect repellent, a water bottle and a light snack.
Nature lovers have a variety of options when it comes to practicing this activity. Some of the best trails include: the Cerro de la Cruz Lookout to witness the sunrise over the mountains and the magical Puerto Vallarta sunsets by the beach; the trail to Colomitos through the mountain to arrive to this famous and enchanting beach; and the Palo María River that offers an irregular trail to arrive to its refreshing waterfall and lagoon after the hike.
Puerto Vallarta’s lush, natural beauty is fascinating and provides the opportunity to explore the surroundings with an extra dose of adrenaline. Steep mountains, rivers, and waterfalls are the scenarios that’ll frame your adventure whilst you’re flying over the treetops.
Many of the certified companies that offer zipline tours include horse or mule riding for a steady trek into the tropical forest, where an exhilarating day awaits.
Rappelling down majestic waterfalls in Puerto Vallarta is an adventure meant only for the bravest. A tour operator can lead the way, oversee and provide the proper gear, while you explore the Sierra Madre forests and Eco parks that offer activities such as crossing suspension bridges hundreds of meters above the ground, refreshing river dips and so much more.
Puerto Vallarta’s beaches are ideal for swimming, but if you want to practice your surfing skills, there are excellent options in Yelapa, Quimixto, all the way to Mismaloya, as well as Marina Vallarta. These beaches are perfect for surfing, with amazing waves from the Pacific and ideal temperatures.
Few experiences can be compared to swimming with dolphins in their natural habitat, and in Puerto Vallarta a great number of them can be found. Learn more about these friendly mammals, their behavior and social organization, while you skim across the water holding their fins.
Dolphins are social animals that enjoy interacting with humans, and in Puerto Vallarta their wellbeing is a priority, so you can be sure that this experience and all certified activities are safe for both you and them.
In Puerto Vallarta you’ll find extraordinary places to dive, whether you’re already been certified or it’s the first time you do it. Experts will lead the way through the depths of the sea and you’re sure to find remains of shipwrecks, coral reefs full of marine life, natural reserves and underwater caves.
You can admire the underwater rock formations known as “The Churches”, due to their similarity to cathedral pillars, found in the dive site at the picturesque village of Chimo; immerse into the deepest area in the bay at more than 1500 feet (450m) at Los Arcos Marine Park and discover its famous Devil’s Canyon, whilst you swim along stingrays and marine turtles; or be amazed by the sight of the Princesa Vallarta shipwreck, close to the Mismaloya beaches.
Jet skis and wave runners are just pure fun, and in Puerto Vallarta you’ll find many options to ride the ocean and admire the stunning sceneries.
A jet ski offers, beyond the adventure, an experience for the senses. It’s one of the safest water sports and does not require great technical skills, you only really need to place it in the water and ride it, even in high seas. Their stability makes it easy to maneuver and ride the waves.
Flyboarding is a fun and extreme sport that challenges your balance and control. Once you master the first phase, you’ll be able to perform freestyle tricks and spins some meters above the water, which makes it even more thrilling.
Are you ready to fly high above the Pacific? You will find instructors and providers of this amazing activity along the coast of Puerto Vallarta.
Fun starts the moment you board the plane that’ll take you 9,800 feet (3000m) above the ground to make this exciting jump equipped with a parachute, a double harness, and a guide that will tell you all about this activity that should be on your bucket list on your next visit to this destination.
Imagine free falling for 45 seconds at an approximate speed of 120 miles per hour (193km). Then, after this hallucinating experience, open your parachute and fly over Puerto Vallarta to end up landing softly on the beach.
Skydiving is the perfect way to enjoy Puerto Vallarta from above and be enchanted by the beauty of the bay embraced by the Sierra Madre mountain range.
