Puerto Vallarta & Vicinity Adventure Guide

With easy access from the US, Puerto Vallarta and the surrounding coastal towns are one of the top destinations for US travelers. This means five-star resorts and fancy restaurants, of course, but you'll find many more options in this book, from homestay programs to B&Bs and market stalls selling fresh-roasted corn to excellent seafood eateries where the fish is fresh off the boat. Puerto Vallarta's malecon is a great place to walk, but head farther afield and you can scuba dive in Los Arcos Underwater National Park or go birding in the Marietas Islands, just an hour away by boat. Whale-watching is another attraction, with the local waters declared a UNESCO site in 1993. The region also has its very own canopy tours, where you can swing from cables strung between jungle trees at heights of up to 350 feet. Feel like a drive? Rent a car or boat and explore the villages around Chapala Lake, many of which feature cobblestone streets and adobe brick houses. Covers the gateway city of Guadalajara, as well as Puerto Vallarta, Laguna Chapala, Tomatlan, Quemaro, Chamela Bay, Costa Careyes, Cuitzmala, Tecuan, Cihuatlan, Playa Boca de Iguanas, Playa Manzanilla and Barra de Navidad/Melaque. Town and regional maps, photos, index. 300 pages.