DIY port days in Puerto Vallarta

Take a street taxi from outside the federal gate to Hotel Rosita, the northern end of the Malecón (about $13, or $25 from inside the port).

Walk south along the seafront. You will pass nine major bronzes — start with Ramiz Barquet’s Nostalgia and end at the Seahorse, the city’s emblem.

Detour two blocks inland at Calle Corona to Our Lady of Guadalupe, the church with the crown on its tower. Entry is free; dress modestly.

Cross the Río Cuale onto Isla Cuale. The shaded walkway and the small archaeology museum are free, and the vendors are cheaper than the Malecón.

Finish at Los Muertos pier in the Zona Romántica. Grab a michelada on the sand, then taxi back — leave 45 minutes for the return.

The rule first: eat where there is a queue of locals and high turnover. Busy stands cook to order and nothing sits. An empty stand at noon is the one to skip.

Walk out the federal gate and turn left toward Marina Vallarta. The taquerías on Calle Popa, behind the boardwalk restaurants, serve the marina’s boat crews — that is the endorsement you want.

Order al pastor from the vertical spit if you see one turning, and birria if you see a clay pot. Both are Jalisco specialities and both are what the state does best.

Ask for the salsas on the side (“salsa aparte, por favor”) until you know which one is the hot one. The green is usually, but not always, milder.

Budget $1–1.50 per taco. Four tacos, a drink and a tip comes to under $12 for two people. Carry pesos in small notes — most stands do not take cards.

Every beach in Mexico is federal public land up to the high-tide line. Resorts cannot legally stop you walking on the sand — though their chairs and palapas are theirs.

Walk out of the federal gate to the boulevard and catch any city bus marked “Centro” southbound. The fare is around 10 pesos, paid in cash to the driver.

Get off at Playa Camarones for the closest decent public beach (about 15 minutes), or stay on to Los Muertos in the Zona Romántica for the liveliest stretch with the most food options.

Beach clubs will let you use a lounger if you order food or drinks — usually a minimum of around $15 per person. Or bring a towel and use the free sand.

To return, catch a bus marked “Túnel” or “Ixtapa” northbound on the seaward side of the boulevard, and ask the driver for “el puerto”. Leave an hour’s buffer.

Turn left out of the terminal gate, follow the sidewalk along the boulevard and cross at the pedestrian bridge. Twelve minutes, flat, shaded for most of it.

The boardwalk loops the whole marina. Walk it clockwise for the best light in the morning and the fishing boats coming in.

Climb El Faro, the lighthouse bar at the marina entrance, for a 360° view of the bay. Free to enter, and a drink costs less than a soda on the ship.

On Thursday evenings in season the marina hosts an art and craft market along the boardwalk — better prices and less pressure than the Malecón stalls.

Supermarket Rizo’s, at the back of the marina, is where to buy vanilla, tequila and coffee at local prices rather than terminal prices.