The most popular attractions in Nuevo Vallarta are the Dolphin activities. Children as young as one year old can participate. There are several ways to experience the dolphins.
Dolphin Encounter lets you enter the waist-deep water to pet, kiss, and hug the dolphins as they swim up to you. Dolphin Encounter runs about $69 for a 45-minute experience.
The Dolphin Swim allows you to enter the water alongside the dolphins and actually frolic with them. The Dolphin Swim costs about $129.
If you really want to go all out, you can become a Dolphin Trainer For A Day, shadowing a real dolphin trainer and getting up close and personal with the joyful animals. Dolphin Trainer runs about $240 for a 6-hour experience.
What could be more romantic than a horseback ride through lush tropical jungles alive with sparkling waterfalls? Nuevo Vallarta offers guests just that.
You will first ride through the countryside, away from the tourist attractions to the little town of Las Palmas where the adventure awaits. Your horse will take you along lush tropical trails, past rushing waterfalls, and beautiful Mexican landscapes before you are treated to a Mexican picnic. You even get to get off to go for a swim in the cool waterfall pools. A six-hour horseback ride with lunch can be had for about $67, half price for kids 10 and under.
If deep sea fishing is your passion, you can take a day-long tour to fish for black marlin, tuna, and mahi mahi in the Pacific Ocean. Tours leave daily from Paradise Marina in Nuevo Vallarta and include all equipment, bait and lunch. Local restaurants will even cook your catch for you!. Prices run about $150 for a 10-hour trip.
The majestic humpback whales migrate to the warm waters of Banderas Bay in Nuevo Vallarta from late November through April. There are many whale watching tours available from the marina in Nuevo Vallarta. Take a 1/2 day tour in either the morning or afternoon for around $50 per person, $25 for children. Most of the tours are about 4 hours and include food and beverages.
The canopy tours literally let you zip across Mexico. A shuttle picks you up in Nuevo Vallarta and takes you to the top of the rainforest where you will ride zip lines across the terrain. This is an excellent family activity but kids must be at least 3 feet, 8 inches. This popular attraction costs about $67 for adults and $49 for kids.
After experiencing some of Nuevo Vallarta's excitement, you'll certainly be hungry and the city doesn't disappoint. Numerous restaurants serve authentic, mouth-watering Mexican food. From family-run bakeries to open-air sports bars to oceanfront dining, Nuevo Vallarta has something delicious for everyone.
