Puerto Vallarta All-Inclusive Travel Guide
Puerto Vallarta is the Mexican beach town that stayed a town: cobblestones, a malecón with actual life on it, jungle mountains dropping into the huge, calm sweep of Banderas Bay. The all-inclusive scene spreads around the bay — from town-adjacent hotels to Nuevo Vallarta's family flagships and Punta Mita's luxury point — with protected, swimmable water almost everywhere and zero sargassum.
Last reviewed July 2026 · Always confirm entry and safety details with official government sources before you travel.
Pacific season June–November; Banderas Bay's geography has historically softened direct hits, but late-summer systems bring serious rain.
Rainy season: June–October — dramatic afternoon storms, lush green hills.
Where on Banderas Bay?
South-side Puerto Vallarta (Zona Romántica and the beaches toward Mismaloya) keeps you closest to the town's restaurants, art, and nightlife — PV has Mexico's most celebrated LGBTQ+ beach scene. The Marina and airport corridor is convenience territory. Across the state line in Nayarit, Nuevo Vallarta lines up the big family all-inclusives on a long flat beach, and Punta Mita crowns the bay's northern point with five-star seclusion.
The bay protects almost every beach here — water is genuinely swimmable in a way parts of Los Cabos aren't.
When to go
November–May is the dry season sweet spot: warm, rainless, and — December through March — full of humpback whales inside the bay. Summer (June–October) turns lush and humid with dramatic afternoon storms; it's the value season, and the Pacific hurricane risk, while real, is softened by the bay's geography.
Beyond the resort
Walk the malecón and the Zona Romántica at sunset, boat to Yelapa or the Marietas Islands, zipline the Sierra Madre foothills, and eat — PV's food scene, from street tacos to serious dining, is the best of any Mexican beach destination. This is the coast where leaving the resort is half the point.
Puerto Vallarta weather by month
Approximate climate normals for Banderas Bay — planning guidance, not a forecast.
The best all-inclusive resorts in Puerto Vallarta
The Puerto Vallarta properties we'd actually book — tap through for photos, real guest ratings, and what's included.
Where to stay in Puerto Vallarta
The resort areas we cover, and which properties sit in each.
Resort chains in Puerto Vallarta
The brands operating here — tap any chain for its full ranking and what its all-inclusive plan really covers.
Puerto Vallarta, head-to-head
Or compare Puerto Vallarta with any destination we cover:
Frequently asked questions
Puerto Vallarta or Cancún for an all-inclusive?
PV for calm swimmable water, real-town culture, and no sargassum; Cancún for Caribbean-blue water, bigger resort choice, and the cenote/ruins excursion belt. Flight math matters too — PV favors the western half of North America.
Is the water swimmable at Puerto Vallarta resorts?
Yes — Banderas Bay shelters most beaches, making PV one of the Pacific coast's most reliably swimmable resort areas. Summer storms can bring surf, but it's a different world from open-Pacific beaches.
Not sure which Puerto Vallarta resort is right for you?
Take our two-minute quiz and we'll match you — or browse the whole collection.