PV: Malecon and Playa de Los Muertos

I am interested in visiting these 2 places. I will be with my wife and 2 kids (age3 and 6). Are the places close to each other? Is it okay to be at either of these places with kids as young as mine? If we go there, we would likely take the bus. Is the bus ride safe? How far/long of a bus ride is it? Sorry for the rapid fire questions but any info is appreciated. Thanks.

The Malecon is quite safe to visit and has many amazing sculptures to view as you walk along it. Your children will find some of the quirkier ones quite amusing! You can begin the walk at the north end of the Malecon and end up at Los Muertos Beach on the south end. There are many beach restaurants there to stop and enjoy a refreshing drink or a bite to eat.

The bus is safe also and is used a lot by tourists. The best advice is to have your children seated quickly while you or your wife pays the fare since the driver will start up quickly and it's hard to keep your balance while standing. The ride will be about 15 minutes to the beginning of the Malecon. Tell the driver you want to get off at the Malecon, he is used to hearing that! You will have to walk a couple of blocks toward the bay to get to the Malecon once you get off the bus. After a day walking and seeing the sights don't hesitate to take a taxi back to the ship. Taxis are everywhere and they are cheap, probably about $12 US to get back to port. Be sure to agree on the price before you get in. Have fun!

The Malecon (translates to something close to "Sea Wall:) is now a pedestrian walkway that extends along the water through "Centro" or downtown. As the other poster said, you can get there on any bus that has "Centro" in the window (7.5 Pesos per person) or with an inexpensive taxi ride (avoid the port taxis, walk out to the main road and use the yellow taxis). If you walk along the Malecon (keeping the water on your right) eventually you will come to a small pedestrian bridge that takes you over the Rio Cujale (trickle trickle trickle). You are now on the Southside (old town, Viejo Vallarta, Romantic Zone, Zona Romantica are all terms used for this part of town) which is where we live in PV and, IMHO, the best part of town. Once in this part of town the beach is called Playa Muertos and you will see folks on the beach and also quite a few bars/cafes on this beach. The further you walk (going south) the better the beach becomes for swimming. However, on many days we would be very hesitant to take 3,6 year olds into the water (other then to wet their feet) as the water can get rough. If you do want to go in the water we think the area just south of the big pier is probably the safest. But you do have to gauge the situation and there are waves breaking near the beach do not take your kids in the water.

As to safety, we have been living in PV for the past 10 winters and fell absolutely safe either day or night. The biggest danger is crossing the streets (the buses move fast) which is made worse by a few Margaritas. The buses are safe, but getting on and off with little kids can be a challenge because the step up is higher then you might expect (there are no kneeling buses in PV).

Hank

Does the bus "end" in Centro? It doesn't continue on into Zona Romantica?

Does the bus "end" in Centro? It doesn't continue on into Zona Romantica?

The bus actually continues into the southside (Zona Romantica) but follows a route that takes it a few blocks (walking distance) from the beach. However, we normally recommend that folks hop off the bus somewhere in Centro. Since the bus follows along a street that parallels the coast you can get off almost anywhere in Centro (or when you cross the bridge into the southside) and then walk the couple of blocks to the Malecon. Part of the charm of PV is strolling along the Malecon, browsing some of the shops (touristy but fun) and perhaps stopped for a drink (or 2 or 3) along the way.

I should mention that we always smile when we see cruisers carrying bottles of water (that they purchased on their ship). No need. If you want bottled water you can stop just about anywhere in PV such as the common "Oxxo" convenience stores or even a bar and buy chilled bottled water for about $1. On the other hand you could do what most of us who live in PV do and drink beer, Margaritas (the ice is fine), etc. If you stop at the Sea Monkey or Cheeky Monkey (we plug these places because we are friendly with the owner) you will only pay $1 for a bottle of Corona or Pacifico beer...or you could even get one of their Margaritias for only $1 (these are not the best...but they are the cheapest).

Hank

Thanks to all for the info. It is very helpful.