Travel Guide of Marina Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta for: Casa Velas Hotel Boutique Rating: 4.5 Pearls

Marina Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

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Arricefs Restaurant at the Westin Resort & Spa Puerto Vallarta

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Marina Vallarta Summary

What It's Like

Located just south of the airport and a few miles north of Puerto Vallarta itself, Marina Vallarta is an upscale development that has grown up around the marina, with its cruise ship docks, yacht harbors, boat owners, and boat-related businesses. This is also a serious golf community, and the hotel is located right on the Marina Vallarta Golf Club course.

Marina Vallarta draws visitors from Puerto Vallarta with its excellent traditional dining (with the odd tableside mariachi band thrown in for good measure). No matter which hotel you book, the area's shopping plazas and restaurants are all accessible by foot.

That being said, the area is a converted swamp and the beaches are less impressive than the ones in Puerto Vallarta to the south, with darker sand and less pristine water. Certain parts of the neighborhood have not quite developed according to plan, and look a little shabby and unfinished, but for the most part Marina Vallarta has the feel of a well-heeled waterside development in Southern California.

Where To Stay

Marina Vallarta is built around its waterfront, so no matter where you stay you'll be close to the beach, shops and restaurants. The size of hotels vares from smaller boutique to large resort.