10 Best Adults-Only Hotels in Puerto Vallarta

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Book downtown if you want to walk to dinner, and pick the south coast only if you’re happy to taxi everywhere. Both work for a quiet trip, since the adults-only rule keeps children out of every pool. Pick where you want your dinners first, and the hotel follows. That matters more than the pool.

Adults-Only Hotels in Puerto Vallarta

Which Part of Puerto Vallarta to Pick

Distance to the Malecon shapes your evenings. Pick the area before you pick the pool.

• Downtown and the Zona Romantica Are for Walkers Centro has cobblestone streets and hills, and the Zona Romantica sits next door. Both get noisy around the Malecon on busy nights.
• Marina Vallarta Stays Calmer Marina Vallarta is a planned waterfront neighbourhood built around a yacht marina and a golf course. Downtown is a drive away.
• The South Coast Means Taxis The south coast is hilly and spread out, so you’ll taxi to dinner in town. Book there for the resort itself.

Getting From the Airport to Your Hotel

The airport sits inside Marina Vallarta.

• Buy a Fixed-Fare Taxi Ticket Inside Official taxi counters sit in the arrivals hall, and you pay there for a fare set by zone. Walk past anyone in a branded vest selling vouchers, since their prices run three to five times the counter fare. Unmarked taxis outside the terminal set their own prices.
• Marina Vallarta Takes Minutes Marina Vallarta is 5 to 12 minutes from the terminal. Centro and the Zona Romantica run 15 to 30 minutes, depending on traffic.
• South-Coast Stays Add Time The south coast lies beyond downtown, so that drive comes on top of the airport run. Ask the hotel about a transfer before you land.

Room-Only or All-Inclusive

Four hotels sell all-inclusive rates.

• All-Inclusive Stays Carry Higher Rates Hotel Mousai Puerto Vallarta, Secrets Vallarta Bay Resort & Spa and Casa Velas sell all-inclusive stays, and their rates cover meals. Villa Premiere Boutique Hotel & Romantic Getaway sells an all-inclusive rate too.
• Downtown Hotels Leave Dinner to You Centro and the Zona Romantica have taco stands and cafes within walking distance. Eating out is part of the plan there.
• The Jungle Hotel Has Its Own Restaurant Villa Lala Boutique Hotel serves its meals on site. A private dinner by the sea is also on offer.

Age Rules at Adults-Only Hotels

Minimum ages differ from hotel to hotel.

• A Resort Starts at 18 Hotel Mousai Puerto Vallarta takes guests 18 and older only. The rule covers the whole hotel.
• One Boutique Hotel Says Adults Only Villa Lala Boutique Hotel calls itself an adult-only hotel with 12 suites. Its site prints no minimum age.
• Check the Age Line Before You Pay With a teenager in the group, write to the hotel before you book. Ask for the minimum age in writing.

Beaches Near Your Hotel

The sand within reach depends on the area you pick.

• Camarones Is the Beach Near Centro Playa Camarones sits within walking distance of Centro. Centro is not as close to the big beaches.
• South-Coast Beaches Are Coves Steep ground makes beach access difficult on the south coast. The sand sits in small coves.

When to Book an Adults-Only Stay

Dry weather and whales share the same months.

• December to March Is Dry and Busy Humpback whales arrive in early December and stay through March, with January and February the most active. Humidity is lowest in the dry months.
• Summer Brings Rain and Heat Afternoon showers arrive in summer, and June to September is the wet, humid stretch. The Pacific hurricane season runs mid-May to November.
• Semana Santa Fills Hotels Holy Week and spring break bring large crowds in March and April. Book those weeks early or pick the weeks either side.

Days Out on the South Coast

Boca de Tomatlán is the starting point for the coves.

• Water Taxis Reach the Coves Water taxis leave from the pier at Boca de Tomatlán for the beaches along the coast. Check the return times before you land on a remote beach.
• Los Arcos Comes by Kayak Hotel Mousai Puerto Vallarta lists a kayak and snorkel tour to Los Arcos. The tour asks for swimming and kayaking skills.

FAQs

1. Do you need a car in Puerto Vallarta?

No. Walking covers Centro and the Zona Romantica, and city buses run along the main boulevard, linking Marina Vallarta and the Hotel Zone with downtown. Taxis reach the south-coast resorts, and the Malecon boardwalk links Centro and the Zona Romantica. If you’re staying out there, plan on a taxi each time you head into town.

2. How do you get to Boca de Tomatlán from Puerto Vallarta?

Take the Mismaloya/Boca bus from the Zona Romantica, which runs 30 to 40 minutes, or a taxi, which takes under 40 minutes from town. The bus stops at the top of the hill, a short walk down to the pier. A pedestrian bridge crosses the river from there to the trail.

3. What is the Zona Romantica?

It’s the Old Town neighbourhood south of Centro, packed with cafes and bars. Nights are liveliest near Olas Altas, and the southern and eastern edges are calmer. It’s a hub for LGBTQ+ travellers, and walking is the easiest way to get around. Restaurants and the beach sit within a few blocks of each other.

4. Which adults-only hotels in Puerto Vallarta involve stairs?

Amaca Petit Hotel is a hillside building reached only by stairs. Casa Pancha Puerto Vallarta Centro has no elevator and several flights of stairs, on a hilly street. Streets in Centro and the Zona Romantica slope uphill from the sea, so step-free rooms are worth asking about at every hotel there before you book.

5. Is the Hotel Zone a good base for adults-only travellers?

Wide beaches are the reason to pick it. The zone is busier and more commercial than Centro. Resorts line the main boulevard just north of downtown, and Marina Vallarta sits further north along it. A short ride takes you into the old town for dinner, and city buses cover the same stretch.

6. What is there to do in Marina Vallarta in the evening?

Walk the waterfront promenade, which is popular for evening strolls, and eat at the restaurants around the yacht marina. Boutiques sit nearby too. Nightlife is mild next to Centro and the Zona Romantica, so take a taxi downtown for a bigger night out. Evenings in Marina Vallarta itself are quiet and walkable.

7. Can you hike from Boca de Tomatlán to the south-coast beaches?

Yes, a coastal trail leads from Boca de Tomatlán past Colomitos beach to Las Animas, about 4 kilometres and 2 to 3 hours one way. Wear shoes with grip, because the path climbs through jungle. Carry water, and start early so you have time to swim at Las Animas. Colomitos is the first beach you reach, so a short outing can stop there.