With their vast natural beauty, interesting attractions and wide variety of family-friendly accommodations, the Mexican Pacific destinations of Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit are perfectly positioned to satisfy families looking for a rewarding getaway. Children of every age will find activities geared to their interests and abilities, while adults will find lots of opportunities to relax and enjoy quality time with the kids while treating themselves to indulgent experiences, as well.
Here are some of the best options for creating a memorable family vacation in both destinations.
The Mexican Pacific destinations of Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit are perfectly positioned to satisfy families looking for a rewarding getaway.
Puerto Vallarta for Families
As one of Mexico’s highest-profile Pacific Coast vacation destinations, Puerto Vallarta offers a wide range of vacation possibilities, including a variety of watersports, lively excursions such as the Pirate Ship Vallarta cruise, canopy tours at Nogalito Ecopark and tasty visits to Chocomuseo, a museum dedicated to all things chocolate.
Puerto Vallarta’s hoteliers are also well versed at serving the needs of families on vacation. The Fiesta Americana Puerto Vallarta All-Inclusive & Spa, for example, keeps the little ones busy with its Fiesta Kids Club, which is open to children between 4 and 12 years of age and offers a wide range of daily activities that can include volleyball tournaments, cooking classes, dance lessons and arts and crafts.
Buenaventura Grand Hotel & Great Moments Puerto Vallarta offers a similarly diverse set of offerings. Here, the Candu Kids Club offers activities that range from sandcastle building and beach soccer games to arts and crafts and music sessions.
At Velas Vallarta, meanwhile, a turtle mascot character named Franki leads the fun at the resort’s children’s club, which includes activities such as arts and crafts, video games, foosball and movie screenings. The program changes with every season, assuring a refreshed menu designed to keep kids engaged and entertained, with seasonal options including cooking lessons, tennis clinics, Mexican bingo and karaoke, to name a few. In addition, Velas Vallarta recently began offering birthday celebrations, complete with cakes served by a bonfire on the beach.
For a fascinating introduction to Mexican culture that’s appropriate for all ages, Villa del Palmar Beach Resort & Spa has introduced a Mexican Experience program with a variety of entertaining and educational components, including folkloric dance performances, live Mariachi music and authentic Mexican cuisine.
Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta offers special venues for families.
Credit: 2021 Hard Rock HotelsRiviera Nayarit Resorts for All Ages
Whether it’s horseback riding and ziplining with tour operators such as Vista Paraiso, whale watching cruises with Vallarta Adventures or sea turtle release programs at a variety of hotels, the Riviera Nayarit packs a lot of family-friendly excitement into its long coastline.
In Nuevo Vallarta, the region closest to the Puerto Vallarta airport, hotels including the Krystal Grand Nuevo Vallarta and Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta have children’s clubs with extensive activities. The Krystal Grand has a club for ages 4 to 12, as well as a teens’ club for ages 13 to 17, while the Hard Rock has its Roxity Kids Club, plus a venue designed for the entire family called the Cavern Club — featuring X-Box, air hockey and a pool table. Families also might enjoy the Hard Rock’s Sound of Your Stay program, which allows guests to rent professional band equipment and vinyl records for in-room entertainment.
Among the newer luxury hotels in the Riviera Nayarit with children’s programs is the Conrad Punta de Mita, which has both a game room and children’s club, as well as 24-hour babysitting service available. One&Only Mandarina, meanwhile, has a 42,000-square-foot, indoor/outdoor club called KidsOnly designed by Brigitte Broch, the Academy Award-winning art director and production designer for the movies “Moulin Rouge” and “Romeo + Juliet.”
Conrad Punta de Mita has suites that are ideal for families.
Credit: 2021 Conrad Punta de MitaAlso in the luxury vein is the Grand Palladium Vallarta Resort & Spa, which aims to make everyone feel special with Family Selection, a program that provides kids with their own check-in area and cool amenities such as a milk-and-cookies turndown service, toy-filled bubble baths and access to a video game lounge. The property also has a kids’ waterpark with slides designed for various ages.
If testing the legendary waves of the Riviera Nayarit are a family’s priority, they might want to consider a stay at Dreams Bahia Mita Surf & Spa Resort, which offers surfing lessons for all ages and experience levels. In addition, kids can splash around a swimming pool with a pirate ship play area or spend time at the Explorer’s Club, which is for kids ages 3 to 12, or the Core Zone Teens Club, for ages 13 to 17.
Children of all ages can also find lots to do at Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit, which has clubs for teens and younger kids. Both clubs offer a variety of activities including Spanish-language lessons, cooking and baking classes and even a workshop that teaches guests the craftsmanship that goes into the creation of alebrijes (fanciful Mexican folk-art sculptures). Even babies are well attended at Grand Velas, thanks to the baby concierge, who handles arrangements for cribs, toys, pool floats and baby-friendly bath amenities.
On Mexico’s Pacific Coast, it’s easy to find a warm welcome for every member of the family.
