No matter what kind of family vacation experience you’re looking for, Mexico’s Pacific Coast has a resort area for you. In Puerto Vallarta, the Sierra Madre mountains supply plenty of adventure options. Miles of white sand beaches provide the perfect backdrop for everything from water sports to turtle watching. Riviera Nayarit is a sleepy area just beyond Puerto Vallarta that’s known for the planned resort area of Punta Mita and Sayulita, a cool little surfer town. Acapulco offers the best of all worlds: This glittering city combines extreme water sports with an extraordinarily eco-conscious heart.
There are direct flights from most major U.S. cities to the Pacific Coast’s major resort areas, including Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco.
This area traces its roots back to Aztec civilizations. Even the traditional cuisine has UNESCO World Heritage status.
Whether it’s white-rafting or surfing on the turquoise-blue coast, this area has spectacular landscapes that are made for outdoor adventure.
Mexico is one of the world’s top-five most bio-diverse countries, with almost 3,000 native bird and animal species and 30,000 indigenous plant species.
Beachy and sunny, Mexico’s Pacific Coast has exceptional places for a family vacation.
The historic town of Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific coast offers the best of Mexico: beautiful beaches, hiking and horse riding in the foothills of the Sierra Madres. There’s tradition here, too, and it’s a great town for fiestas, art events, children’s festivals and spectacular food (Basilio Badillo AKA Restaurant Row is one of the foodie hotspots). You’ll find affordable hotels on the beach with great kid’s activities. Visit in August and the kids can help with hatchlings at the local turtle farm.
Expanding north of Puerto Vallarta, from Nuevo Vallarta to Sayulita and beyond, this lesser-explored area along the Pacific Coast offers expansive, all-inclusive resorts, boutique surfer-chic hotels and a more authentic visit. Visit before the entire world understands this is the place to visit.
Take Me to Riviera NayaritThe city of cliff divers, high glamour and awe-inspiring beaches, Acapulco is the grand old dame of Mexico’s Pacific coast resorts. It’s perfect for families who want the thrill of serious water sports and lively resort life. Naturally, there are dozens of enormous resort hotels here, but you’ll also find eco-experiences like camping on sensational Ventura Beach and camping near Saint Jean de Monts. And don’t miss seeing the legendary Acapulco cliff divers doing their daring feats at La Quebrada – they perform five times a day, and in the evening, it’s particularly dramatic when they dive with torches.
No matter which part of the Pacific Coast you’re visiting, you’ll want to have a car to get out and explore.
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