Puerto Vallarta is a famous port of call on repositioning cruises. It is a resort town located on Bahia de Banderas. This safe and friendly town is one of the best cities in Mexico. It is not an artificial tourist trap, but more a city that became an amazing beach destination by luck when it was discovered by Hollywood in the ’60’s. Vallarta has lovely resorts, a great old town and lots of great attractions to visit in the near area. Read the Vallarta cruise port guide underneath.
Also visit our cruise port guide for
San Diego
Corinto
Fort Lauderdale
Cozumel
Puerto Quetzal
Puerto Chiapas
Cruise port guide Puerto Vallarta – Mexico
There are 4 cruise docks at Puerto Vallarta. All of them are located at the Northern part of town approximately 5,5 km or 3,5 mile from the old city center of Puerto Vallarta. Cruise dock 1 (see map above) is the main cruise dock where you will find the cruise terminal and lots of other facilities. There is a tourist information point, ATM, wi-fi hotspot, taxi stand and souvenir market right at the dock. When more ships are in town cruise dock 2, 3 and 4 might also be taken in use. Keep in mind there are less facilities at these docks, although it is a small walk over to cruise dock 1.
Shuttle services
Depending on the cruise line you are travelling with there might be shuttle service offered. Check with your cruise line if this will be offered during your cruise or not.
Taxis
The white taxis waiting at the cruise port are authorised by the federal Government. Taxi rates are posted in port. The official taxi rates are: From Vallarta cruise port to Malecon (center of town): 16 dollar per car or 5 dollar per person From Vallarta cruise port to Cathedral: 20 dollar per car or dollar per person From Vallarta cruise port to Playa Los Muertos: 24 dollar per car From Vallarta cruise port to Mismaloya: 40 dollar per car The taxi rate per hour is 40 dollar for a van and 30 dollar for a car. But we always recommend you to negotiate before you step into the taxi. The yellow taxis you will find outside of the port area are also official taxis. They are generally cheaper than the white taxis in port. They also do not have a meter and you will have to negotiate a price before you step in.
Public Transportation
You can also catch the local bus from the Puerto Vallarta cruise port to the old town. The bus stop is marked in the map above. Any bus saying “centro” is able to take you to town. You simply pay 1 dollar to the bus driver and this will get you to the city centre. Going back you can take busses going to “Marina” or “Walmart”. Walmart you say? Yes, there is Walmart located opposite the Vallarta cruise port.
