Puerto Vallarta is 357km from Guadalajara, which is about a four-hour drive or a five-hour bus ride. The resort has a mild climate and many beaches, restaurants and tours. The jungle comes right up to the beach and the city, so you will find many canopy and jungle excursions available here. There are also whale-watching tours, dolphin tours and many snorkeling, diving and fishing tours. Playa de los Muertos is an excellent beach with many vendors selling everything from beer to meat on a stick. Accommodations are easy to come by. You can find a budget hotel such as the hotel Belmar downtown or luxurious accommodations like those found at the Mayan Palace in Nuevo Vallarta.
Bucerias is 308km from Guadalajara, which is about a three-hour drive. This is really a sleepy little fishing village with outstanding beaches and friendly people. The town plaza is a few steps from the beach. There are many outdoor seafood restaurants and a few outdoor nightclubs with live music, too. You don't have many choices when it comes to nightly entertainment, but just walk on in anywhere you hear music that you like. There is an annual festival dedicated to the Virgin of Peace in January. Fishermen decorate their boats and bring them into town to be blessed. Places to stay include the Vista Vallarta, the Hotel Royal de Cameron or the Hotel Palmeras.
This small beach town is in the state of Nayarit and is 330km from Guadalajara and 200km from Puerto Vallarta. If you like unspoiled natural beaches and inexpensive outdoor seafood restaurants, you will like Barra de Navidad. It is a fishing village with a population of about 5,000 and is considered the ideal surfing and skiing beach. It is also considered an ideal fishing location. However, there are other fun activities here too, such as sightseeing excursions or adventure tours. Accommodations can be found at the Grand Bay Hotel, the Hotel La Alondra, or the Meson Doña Paz.
