This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Visit Puerto Vallarta. All opinions are 100% mine.

Puerto Vallarta, a beach resort city located on the Pacific coast of Mexico, offers a unique blend of exotic environments and cultural diversity. During the 19^th century, this beautiful city was a mining town but has now transformed into a vibrant, tolerant, and historically-rich Mexican town with a cosmopolitan touch.

 During the summer of 2017, the city opened what it claims to be the longest vehicular suspension bridge in the world. Canopy River’s El Jorullo Bridge is 1,540-feet long and is suspended nearly 500 feet in the air. The bridge offers panoramic views of the Sierra Madre Mountains and is a must-see for anyone visiting Puerto Vallarta.

Besides its natural beauty, rich culture, and history, Puerto Vallarta is continually growing and transforming. Here’s what’s new!

Dining

Metate Café

Located in the center of downtown Puerto Vallarta, Metate Café calls itself the best place to drink coffee or chocolate in Puerto Vallarta. The café is easily accessible and is only two blocks from Cuale Island, three blocks from El Malecón, and 12 blocks from Los Muertos Pier.

Much like the city of Puerto Vallarta, Metate Café is ever changing. Throughout the year, you can enjoy different dishes typical to various regions of Mexico. So every time you pay a visit, you’re likely to encounter some new items on the menu.

Metate Café serves breakfast and lunch daily. The breakfast menu includes hotcakes, fresh fruit, eggs made to order, chilaquiles, and other tasty fares. For lunch, you can choose the soup of the day, salad, or main courses consisting of chicken, pork, beef, or fish.

Boasting an extensive drink menu, Metate Café offers several types of coffee, interesting takes on hot chocolate including chocolate with mango and chili, frappuccinos, smoothies, juices, and more.

Gaby’s Restaurant

Gaby’s was founded by Julio Cesar Castillón Perez in 1989. The chef opened the restaurant with the hopes of providing fast yet authentic Mexican food. And though Gaby’s has been around for a while, they recently reopened with a new kitchen exclusively for cooking classes. For 850 pesos (approximately 50USD), you can enjoy a lesson from Chef Julio Castillón on Monday and Friday at 9 AM.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served at Gaby’s. The breakfast menu is rather lengthy and super yummy. It includes your typical American breakfast items such as fresh seasonal fruit, French toast, omelets, waffles, crepes, and pancakes. For a more traditional Mexican breakfast, you can order chilaquiles, molletes, or machaca – a type of Mexican jerky – served in various ways.

For lunch, chile relleno, enchiladas, molcajete, chimichanga, and other traditional Mexican dishes are sure to satisfy your taste buds.

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Accommodations

City Express Plus Puerto Vallarta

This expanding resort city continues to attract international investors. Most recently, Hoteles City Express opened City Express Plus Puerto Vallarta in the city’s Marina zone. Very conveniently located, City Express Plus is less than a mile away from the airport and is surrounded by stores, restaurants, and other attractions. In fact, the hotel is directly across the street from Galerias Vallarta, the city’s largest shopping mall.

There are 127 air-conditioned and beautifully decorated rooms, and rates per night are incredibly affordable. As a guest at this new hotel, you will have access to free hot breakfast every morning, an in-room kitchenette, and a quaint gym.

Fiesta Inn Puerto Vallarta

Completed by Groupo Posadas on June 23, 2017, Fiesta Inn offers business accommodations done right. Combining functionality with style, the hotel is designed to encourage creativity and productivity.

Fiesta Inn is located in the La Isla shopping center, where you can find several opportunities for shopping and dining. As a guest in one of Fiesta Inn’s 144 rooms, you can enjoy the fully stocked business center, 24-hour room service, high-speed internet, fitness center, two outdoor jacuzzies, an outdoor pool, and dry cleaning services. Indoor parking is also available.

La Isla, the hotel’s on-site restaurant, is open 24 hours and includes a breakfast buffet, full-service restaurant, to-go meals, room service, and more. Enjoy views of the city from the hotel’s rooftop bar.

Four-Legged Friend Friendliness

The joy of traveling is amplified when you’re with your friends – including furry, four-legged friends. With Puerto Vallarta’s pet-friendly atmosphere, you can bring your little furry pal with you on your Mexican adventure. There are over 2,000 direct flights to Puerto Vallarta from the United States and Canada, and most airline carriers allow you to have one pet per ticketed passenger.

However, before you try to get your critters onboard, be sure that you have secured an International Certificate of Good Health signed by a certified veterinarian. This is kind of like your pet’s passport and signifies that your pet is free of internal and external parasites. Also ensure that your furry friend is up to date on his rabies, hepatitis, and distemper vaccinations, and bring a copy of your pet’s rabies certificate.

Several hotels in Puerto Vallarta are pet-friendly including the Westin Resort & Spa Puerto Vallarta, Hacienda San Angel, Hotel Puerto de Luna, Sheraton Buganvilias Resort, and others. Some even offer doggie day camp and special pet packages.

The city itself is also quite pet-friendly. Many eateries and restaurants along El Malecón and historic downtown allow dogs to join at an outdoor table, and some will even serve them a bowl of cold water. There are tons of nature trails dotting Puerto Vallarta and pets are welcome on most if not all.

What is there to do in Puerto Vallarta?

Pretty much everything. Puerto Vallarta is an outdoor sports paradise. Water lovers can choose to partake in virtually any water sport – snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, and surfing. Naturally, fishing is prevalent in these parts as is deep sea fishing.

For those wishing to keep their feet on solid ground, you can opt for a jeep safari or go horseback riding. Mountain biking, zip lining, hiking, and tours of the nearby jungles are all popular tourist activities in Puerto Vallarta.

For a “tamer” experience in Puerto Vallarta, there are numerous world-class golf courses in the area.

If you’re planning your next vacation, you should, without a doubt, put Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on the list for consideration. This amazingly exotic and culturally-rich city in Mexico offers something for everyone. From parasailing to golf and restaurants to nightclubs, Puerto Vallarta is truly putting itself on the map as a world-class tourist destination.