Puerto Vallarta in the Summer

I have been visiting Puerto Vallarta for over 25 years.  But I have never experienced this vibrant city during the summer months.  So when my friend, during a brilliant happy hour conversation, suggested a week in Puerto Vallarta in August, I jumped on the idea.  We immediately decided on 4 days in the city, followed by a short 4 day road trip to the north side of the bay and beyond. Visions of thunderstorms over the bay, days filled with hot summer sun and humidity, and all of the things I love about this amazing area filled my mind.

Of course, I spent the following months trying to figure out what to expect from my favorite city in August.  From Youtube videos, blogs, vlogs, and anything else i could get my senses on,I absorbed everything I could on what to expect.  Tales of heat, humidity, rain and bugs flowed in and out of my mind.  The most promising thing I read was that it could be sunny during the day, before the 4pm clouds rolled in. Regardless of what I learned I was still extremely excited for this summer adventure.

Arriving at the Puerto Vallarta airport felt the same as every other time landing at PVR.  The smell of the air, the friendly people and the familiarity brought to every sense, brought a sense of peace.  I zipped through immigration, customs and the timeshare area, to find a nice spot outside at the corona bar. This was when I first noticed the difference.  Yes it was hot.  But it felt so good.  I had about 30 minutes to wait until my friend arrived.  After enjoying my first margarita, bowl of guacamole and finding Jen, we were off in our Taxi to Vallarta Shores.

I have wanted to stay at Vallarta Shores since I first looked at Puerto Vallarta in 1995.  This trip was the first time I was able to get a room at this iconic resort right at the end of Los Muertos beach. Which also brings the first perk of traveling to Puerto Vallarta in the summer.  You will find much more flexibility in your accommodation choices.  Check-in was quick, smooth and friendly.  We were given unit 4.  boasting its own private pool with views of Los Muertos Beach and the seahorse statue. We didn’t know until day 2 of our time, how lucky we were to have such an amazing setting to end our day and see the sunset.

With arriving at Vallarta Shores around 5pm, checking the condo out, and changing, we didn’t get out of the room until nearly 6pm.  By that time the temperature was quite comfortable. Off we go to find the perfect beach spot to watch the sunset.  We quickly learned that the sunsets this time of year are magnificent.  The clouds that roll in late afternoon each day, start to separate just in time for the sun to set over the bay.  The perfect amount of clouds remain to make the most beautiful colors in they sky.  And shortly after the sun sinks into the horizon, the storm clouds start rolling in. 

Years ago, I was in Cancun during the rainy season and had the joy of watching lightning storms over the ocean from underneath a palapa. I have since dreamed of having a similar experience watching a storm over the Bay of Banderas, from the safety of a palapa bar.  This dream came true on this summer visit.  There were plenty of lightning filled storms over the bay during our visit.  

Summer mornings in Puerto Vallarta are another highlight.  I wasn’t expecting beautiful mornings that allowed for long walks to start the day. The mornings were warmer than other times of the year, but still very comfortable. The high humidity didn’t sneak in until closer to 10am. Watching the city wake up has always been one of my favorite things to see. Strolling the different neighborhoods and areas of Puerto Vallarta in the morning is such a great way to start the day.   We were even able to get in a hike to El Mirador de la Cruz on our last morning in town. This is an amazing climb up a hill, aided by stairs, that brings you to the most magnificent view of the bay.  Not to be missed! 

After our morning walks, we usually stayed in the condo to work until at least noon each day.  By the time we left the condo, it was nice and hot outside.  Steamy sunglasses came quickly as we walked away from Vallarta Shores toward the beach.  Our short walks to our favorite beach spots were HOT.  Luckily the heat was soon relieved when we found our shaded lounge chairs on the beach. Drink in hand, under an umbrella, we felt perfect and ready for a relaxing afternoon. 

It didn’t take us long to realize that having our choice of restaurants, and even table within the restaurants was another awesome side effect of visiting Puerto Vallarta in the summer. No reservations needed! We were even able to get into Panchos Takos with only a 15 minute wait.  The beaches all felt very busy, but restaurants had plenty of room for us.  

If you are worried about mosquitos and other bugs, like I was, do not fret.  We did not have any issues with any bugs while in Puerto Vallarta.   We did run into some no-see-ums in Sayulita.  But that is another story.  

On our 5th day, we checked out of Vallarta Shores. It was time to begin our aventures north! This adventure includes renting a car, picking up another friend at the airport and driving north to Sayulita. Let’s go!

Thinking that there would be plenty of cars available this time of year was a mistake. We had our taxi driver bring us from Vallarta Shores to Sixt Rent a Car by the airport. Sixt didn’t have any cars available at that location. But the wonderful gal at the counter, called Easy Car Rental who had something for us. The representative at Easy Car Rental came to Sixt to bring us to their office to take care of the paperwork. After being pulled over by the policia moments after leaving the rental agency, we safely made it to the airport to pick up our friend.

After an uneventful drive to Sayulita we arrived at our airbnb on the outskirt of Sayulita. This was my first time visiting Sayulita, so I don’t have another time in the year to compare it to. The first thing I noticed, other than the heat, was the mud. Don’t wear light colored bottoms and flip flops! You will be speckles in mud spots. The streets were not paved, which left puddles and wet dirt every where. Although the unpaved streets added a certain charm to the town, it would have been nice to keep the mud off.

Sayulita was the only place that we ran into any bugs on this summer visit. The only pesky little biters we had to work around were the tiny little biting flyers. Maybe no-see-ums? They would bother us on the beach and in restaurants in town. They seemed more prevalent in the mornings an at night. Luckily we brought some bug repellant with us! Looking for a Organic answer to these little pests? Here is what we used: https://amzn.to/3T6P9Ek

Our first evening in Sayulita was full of fun and food! We started on the beach and made our way through town. The town was busy and lively. It was perfect! Full of people enjoying their evening. The best part was that it wasn’t busy enough that we had to wait for a table at any of the places we stopped at.

Our first morning in Sayulita brought us to a lovely cafe for breakfast and mimosas before we ventured out to San Pancho.

As we arrived in San Pancho we noticed how busy it was. The sides of the streets were filled with parked cars. So we grabbed the first spot we saw. Since we had never been in San Pancho before, we didn’t realize we had parked a 1/2 dozen or so blocks from the beach. It gave us a great chance to really see more of the village.

Once we found the beach, we headed straight to some inviting lounge chairs in hopes of a relaxing morning on the beach. 5 minutes into our beach time, the rain started coming down. At first it was light drops that we could dodge under the umbrella. The intensity of the rain quickly increased. Sending us under the restaurant’s palapa. We spent the next few hours enjoying delicious food and drinks while waiting for the sun to take over the rain. We asked our waiter how long the rain usually hung around. He told us he didn’t know because he had only been in town for 3 days and this was the first time it had rained during the day. Of course!

After a few hours, the rain lightened up enough for us to comfortably walk back to the car. The streets were flooded. Water was rushing everywhere. It really was quite awesome! It must be a normal occurrence because there was little reaction from the people we saw. We had experienced our first summer rain!

Our final full day of our summer adventure leads us to Bucerias. A quick and smooth drive into Bucerias lead us to the condo that we had just booked that morning. Small snag. The owner of the property didn’t receive the booking from our chosen booking sight. So even though we had a confirmation, they did not have a room for us. They were extremely apologetic. We were able to find a couple small hotel rooms a few block down the beach. We were not expecting it to be hard to find a last minute hotel during the summer. Luckily it all worked out!

Time to experience Bucerias. We started with lunch on the beach. Then proceeded to hop down the beach and back. We played this game until well after the sunset. One night in Bucerias was not enough, we will be back.

Ultimately, I would not second guess another summer visit to the Puerto Vallarta area. Everything was perfect. Yes, there was some heat, a little rain and a few bugs. But overall, it was an amazing week. Don’t forget your fan! Having a little hand held breeze saved our comfort level a few times! https://amzn.to/3AvhHyX