South Shore
Just past the Blue Bay resort, halfway to Mismaloya, lies the beach of Punta Negra. Three tall buildings line the beach, with a fourth under construction. The beach is mainly golden sand, but rocks can appear at certain times in certain areas. The views are spectacular and encompass the whole of Banderas Bay, and the surf is almost literally at your door. All the buildings have elevators, and offer many conveniences, but shopping or nightlife requires a trip to town. Prices for a nice two bedroom beachfront unit start in the low $300k’s and can go up to close to $1 million for a spectacular full floor four bedroom with all the amenities a buyer in this price range would expect. Fortunately buses run every fifteen minutes or so, and cabs can be flagged any time of the day or night. The residents are an exceptionally heterogeneous mix of Mexicans, Americans, Canadians, and others. Many of the Mexicans are not native to Puerto Vallarta either.
Garza Blanca – A little more than halfway to Mismaloya (heading south out of Puerto Vallarta), lies the new development of Garza Blanca. Once the site of a large hotel, Garza Blanca is quickly becoming the most exclusive address in the Puerto Vallarta region. The development faces the ocean, but nestles back into the jungle for the best of both worlds. Many consider the beach at Garza Blanca the most beautiful beach on the Bay of Banderas.
As with most places of this type, those on a beer budget need not apply. Beachfront villas in Garza Blanca start at almost $2 million. Dollars, not pesos. Condos go from a quarter million on up, and houses run a minimum of $800,000. But future residents will have everything they might desire right at their doorsteps: shops, nightclubs, even an elegant French beachfront restaurant.
zona Romantica
If Puerto Vallarta had a Greenwich Village, Olas Altas would be it. Along this street one block east of Playa Los Muertos one can find half a dozen cafés, many restaurants, and galleries galore. The cafés are usually filled with expatriated Americans enjoying a cappuccino and a pastry, playing chess, or reading a book. Everyone is on at least a nodding acquaintance with everyone else, and its not unusual to end up in a long conversation with the person sitting at the table next to yours.
At night, Olas Altas really comes alive. The sounds of revelry can be heard up and down the street. Lines form outside popular restaurants and the discos begin to heat up. And though it’s one of the most touristy areas of Puerto Vallarta, it’s also the one area where the expatriates may outnumber the tourists.
A place on or near Olas Altas is not for everyone. It offers tremendous convenience, from the expanse of Los Muertos beach, to the variety of restaurants, shops, and markets. And it is a wonderful place to hang out, party, or shop. But it is also congested, noisy, and filled with tourists. City folks will love it. Rural folk and suburbanites, come to visit, but stay elsewhere. Again a supurb investment area, but if you are interested in this area, be prepared to act quickly, properties are often listed and sold in the same day.
Vallarta Centro
You can’t get closer to town than El Centro. El Centro is town. From the Rio Cuale at the south, north to the end of the Malecon (Puerto Vallarta’s boardwalk), El Centro encompasses the heart of the city. And it is a vibrant area, indeed, rivalled only by Olas Altas for its nightlife. Everything you could need is within easy walking distance: shops, cafés, restaurants, nightclubs, markets, theaters, and more.
This is the real Puerto Vallarta. The streets are cobblestone, the buildings, authentic. The population is a mix, but probably more Mexican than gringo. For the young urbanite, El Centro is pretty close to heaven. Get anything, walk anywhere, party anytime. For those with a more rural bent, El Centro will be unbearably noisy, crowded, hot, and smelly. And it can be quite expensive to boot. Old Vallarta style villas start in the $500,000 range, and the few condominiums available start at $300,000.
hotel Zone
Often called the Northern Hotel Zone to differentiate it from the string of hotels running along the coast just south of Puerto Vallarta, the Hotel Zone stretches from the intersection of Libramiento and Avenida México to just south of the Maritime Terminal where the cruise ships dock. Along this strip are some of the finest resort hotels in Mexico. Shopping, markets, restaurants, and nightlife abound, though the area has the stretched out feel of a suburban strip mall: flat and commercial.
The hotels are often huge, little cities unto themselves. And within their boundaries many tourists spend their entire stay in Vallarta. For those looking for a big beach, lots of activities, and all the conveniences of home, this may be the way to go. For others, however, the area may seem a bit too touristy and perhaps a little crass. In the luxurious confines of the hotel zone, little remains of the real culture of Mexico. Perhaps that’s why it is almost exclusively a short-term rental area. Fly in, get a tan, flirt, parasail, fly home. Nothing wrong with that, just not for everyone. Cozy one bedroom beachfront units are available for full time ownership at $150,000 USD and just across the street from the beach are cute two bedroom units at around $100k.
Marina Vallarta
Though technically still in Puerto Vallarta, Marina Vallarta is a good 15 to 20 minute drive north from downtown. The Marina boasts dozens of restaurants, shops, malls, a golf course, and, of course, a large marina with every service imaginable. The land is flat and walking is easy, so everything is convenient. Lots of wealthy Mexicans live in Marina Vallarta, along with a growing contingent of Americans and Canadians.
Two bedroom marina view condominiums are available in the $250k range, and private homes on the golf course start at $350k. Shangrila is a spectacular ocean front tower boasting units of 3,500 sq. ft and prices starting in the $500k´s.  Siete Mares is a new building in the Marina with spectacular ocean views.
