News & Guides
Stories, guides, and ways to get involved in Vallarta.
Why Navigating Vallarta exists
Puerto Vallarta is full of life — clubs, classes, causes, neighbors, and small businesses that make the bay feel like home. But finding them often means scrolling through directories built to sell, not to connect.
Community groups: get featured, free
If you run or help run a community group — a hiking crew, a book club, a language exchange, a volunteer team, a weekly class — there is a place for you here, and it is free.
For businesses: listings, referrals, and reaching members
Business is part of living well, and local businesses are welcome on Navigating Vallarta.
How the directory works
Most directories file everything in one rigid tree, so you have to guess how someone else organized it. Navigating Vallarta works differently — you can reach the same place from whatever direction makes sense to you.
Membership, plainly
There are four ways to be part of the directory.
Finding your way around
Here is how to get the most out of the site.
Puerto Vallarta's New 160-Peso Visitor Fee: What Residents and Their Guests Should Know
As of January 1, 2026, foreign visitors to Puerto Vallarta pay a new tourist fee of 160 pesos — about nine US dollars. It is a one-time annual charge that covers stays of up to 180 days. The fee has a slightly bumpy backstory. An earlier version, approved in 2024, was struck down by Mexico's Supreme Court on Decembe…
Eight New Flights for 2026: Vallarta's Airport Adds Vegas, Edmonton, Calgary and More
Puerto Vallarta's Gustavo Diaz Ordaz International Airport is adding eight new routes during 2026, bringing it to 54 connections served by 17 airlines. On the domestic side, Volaris is opening service to three Mexican cities: Puebla and Aguascalientes (each three times a week) and San Luis Potosi (four times a week)…
Farmers-Market Season Returns to Vallarta: Where to Go and When
Each winter, Puerto Vallarta's open-air farmers markets become a central ritual of community life — and the season runs roughly from November through April. Three favorites anchor the calendar. The Olas Altas Farmers Market opens in early November, Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Lazaro Cardenas Park in the Roman…
Vallarta's Water Future: Inside SEAPAL's 900-Million-Peso Plan to Secure Supply
Puerto Vallarta's water utility, SEAPAL, has laid out an ambitious plan to close the gap between how much water the city can produce and how much it needs on its busiest days. The project — estimated at around 900 million pesos across three phases — would build a new intake and treatment system where the Mascota and Am…
A New Chapter for Isla Cuale: Vallarta's 40-Million-Peso River-Island Renewal
The Cuale River Island — the leafy strip of green sitting in the river between downtown and the Romantic Zone — is in line for a roughly 40-million-peso makeover, funded through the city's Tourism Trust. Mayor Luis Munguia announced the plan during the island's centennial celebration, with Historic Center manager Ju…
How to Adopt a Dog or Cat in Puerto Vallarta
Adopting a rescue pet is one of the first commitments many newcomers make in Puerto Vallarta — and the process differs a bit from what you may be used to back home. The best-known route is the SPCA Puerto Vallarta, a donor-funded shelter. Adoption starts with an online application; the SPCA reviews it, gets in touch…
The International Friendship Club: A First Stop for Meeting People in Vallarta
If you are new to Puerto Vallarta and looking to meet people, the International Friendship Club (IFC) is the spot longtime residents point you to first. Founded in 1985 as a social club for English-speaking residents, the IFC pairs friendship with charitable work — most famously its cleft-palate clinic program and i…
Healthcare in Vallarta: How Public IMSS and Private Hospitals Work for Foreigners
One of the most consequential decisions a new resident makes is how to handle healthcare — and Mexico runs on essentially two tracks. The public system, IMSS (Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social), is free at the point of care for those who qualify. Foreigners need legal residency to enroll. If you work for a Mexica…
The Bronze Icons of the Malecon: A Walking Guide to Vallarta's Sculptures
Puerto Vallarta's Malecon is the city's living room, and the bronze sculptures lining the boardwalk are among its most photographed residents. Each has a story. Near Hotel Rosita stands 'Millennia' (Mathis Lidice, 2001), a 7.3-meter figure tracing time through cosmology, science, biology, and history. A short walk a…
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