I was talking with a friend recently who had never been to Puerto Vallarta, and he asked, "What else is there to do there, besides go to the beach and drink?" - There is SO MUCH to see and do in Vallarta that a week is barely enough time to visit!

Mind you, I don't mind sitting on the beach, having hot latin waiters flirt and bring me drinks all day, watching an perfect sunset, then freshing up for an amazing dinner, then go night clubbing! However, there is lots more to see and do to break up your days.

How about  parasailing ?  It gives you a birds eye view of Banderas Bay and the mountains around Puerto Vallarta. Parasailing costs about $35-40. Jet-Skiing is also available.  Seasonally, whale watching is pretty amazing here. From December through March, the waters off the coast of Puerto Vallarta offer some of the most spectacular whale watching opportunities in the world. How about snorkeling? Banderas Bay offers sanctuary to a great profusion of sea life - and snorkeling in Puerto Vallarta is a fun-filled experience!

Maybe you want some different sites? How about 15 minutes away you can experience Mismaloya, the area where Richard Burton filmed Night of the Iguana. If you are feeling adventerous, fly like a bird through the jungle at El Eden Canopy Tours! Glide effortlessly over the treetops of the set of the Arnold Schwarzenegger Movie, "Predator".  Fly high over waterfalls, forests, and jungle with the greatest of ease on over 2 miles of zip lines. Plan on spending a few hours here - explore the natural waterpools and waterfalls and enjoy  some tequila samplings!

Shopping in paradise, what a concept! In Puerto Vallarta there is something for everyone under the sun; funky trinkets, T-shirts of every description, Mexican "sombreros", tequila, hand-crafted furniture, leather goods, cigars, pottery, glass, sterling silver, woven blankets... the list goes on and on. There is lots of shopping information advice at Virtual Vallarta.

They have an amazing art gallery district also. With the exception of the capital, Puerto Vallarta has more important art galleries than anywhere else in Mexico. Artists from around the world gravitate to Puerto Vallarta’s beauty, which they mirror in their work – fashion, jewelry, sculpture, ceramics, painting, poetry, writing, the list is endless. And the Huichol Indians, who live deep in the mountains around Puerto Vallarta as they have for centuries, enliven the local art scene with their culturally meaningful yarn and bead art.

Is that enough?! There's even more we'll be covering on this site in coming weeks!

The Best of Gay Puerto Vallarta!