Car rentals at Licenciado Gustavo Diaz Ordaz Intl. Airport from $3

While Puerto Vallarta is commonly thought of as one in a litany of beautiful Mexican resort locales, there are many elements of this Pacific Coast city that distinguish it. Unlike other Mexican resort areas, Puerto Vallarta was a thriving city long before it became a tourist destination. Founded by Spanish conquistadors in the mid-1850s, Puerto Vallarta quickly became an important producer of agricultural and mining resources.

This robust history complements the natural beauty of Puerto Vallarta with a culturally rich backdrop for an experience not lost on visitors. In fact, Puerto Vallarta is a highly popular destination for domestic tourists, creating a unique environment in which local residents as well as domestic and international tourists coexist.

Because public transportation in Puerto Vallarta is basically nonexistent, car services are able to charge high prices while limiting scheduling options and routes. Arranging a rental car when you deplane at Licenciado Gustavo Diaz Ordaz International Airport, besides allowing you to get a head start on your vacation, becomes essential to ensuring your trip to Puerto Vallarta goes off without a hitch.

What to See in Puerto Vallarta

The beaches in Puerto Vallarta might be particularly fantastic with their clean white sand, great waves cresting from the Pacific Ocean, and plenty of drinks and food nearby. However, for a truly unrepeatable experience, head to the Marieta Islands, just a few miles off the coast of Nayarit, Puerto Vallarta’s bordering state. Uninhabited and closed to the public, the land of the Marietas Islands are prized for preserving the region’s abundant animal species.

The most famous is undoubtedly the adorable flying blue-footed booby. More than that, the unique structure of the islands also makes it a popular destination for water sports, such as snorkeling, paddle boarding, and kayaking around these glistening islands. For a glimpse into the longstanding culture surrounding the region of Jalisco and Nayarit, travel to Sayulita, a small surfing village just north of Puerto Vallarta.

In addition to its picturesque cove-shaped beaches and rows of beachfront open air restaurants, visitors were originally drawn to Sayulita by its reputation as the premier surfing spot in western Mexico. Even though surfing remains an integral element of Sayulita’s cultural fabric, the village has most recently been lauded for the rapid growth of boutique shops and art galleries that line the village square, often in bright and multi-color painted buildings.

One consistent favorite is the Sayulita Wine Shop, home to dozens of locally sourced and produced wines, tequilas, and mezcals as well as preciously unique handcrafted leather goods and jewelry.

Car Rental with Orbitz

With highly limited public transportation options and a spectacular array of sights throughout the Bahia de Banderas, Puerto Vallarta lends itself toward a rental car as the best way to eliminate any transportation issues that could cloud your trip in paradise. At Orbitz, we have the widest range of classes and sizes, so whether you’re planning an adventurous coastline expedition or just want to hit the resorts and beaches on your own time, we can perfectly suit your car rental needs.