Nuevo Vallarta vs Puerto Vallarta

What's the difference? In simple terms, think of Nuevo Vallarta as a suburb of Puerto Vallarta with the airport (PVR) in the middle. Kind of like how the Riviera Maya is a "suburb" of Cancun.

In fact, Nuevo Vallarta is the first in a line of "suburbs" of that makes up Mexico's new Riviera Nayarit. Also included in the Riviera Nayarit are the beach towns of Bucerias, Punta Mita, & Sayulita to name a few.

In Nuevo Vallarta, the hotels & resorts are mostly all-inclusive with multiple restaurants on site. Therefore, guests really have no need to leave the premises. In Puerto Vallarta, most of the hotels pre-date the all-inclusive wave. There is no doubt you're in a city and NOT the 'burbs. If you want a nice dinner, you shower up, put on a clean shirt, and find a nice restaurant every night. Puerto Vallarta has a variety of restaurants (some world-class) for a variety of tastes and budgets. Afterwards, Puerto Vallarta offers a bustling nightlife. There are a multitude of bars & clubs to choose from to party all night if you wish.

Nuevo, outside of your hotel's lounge, has no such offerings (at his time). Very little outside nightlife. Remember, you ARE in the suburbs. Of course, you can always easily venture into Puerto Vallarta from Nuevo by cab (about $17-$20 USD) and experience the best of both worlds.