Puerto Vallarta is situated on the Pacific coast of Mexico in the northwest corner of the state of Jalisco. Puerto Vallarta is a quaint, colonial seaside village encircled by rugged, tropical Sierra Madre mountains to the east and fronted by the Bay of Banderas, Mexico's largest natural bay. The center of town is divided by the Cuale River. There are frequent taxi or van transfers from the airport at reasonable rates.
Proof of citizenship is necessary to cross the border into Mexico.
Either a current passport, birth certificate or voter's registration will suffice. Upon arrival, visitors are given a Tourist Card which must be turned in upon departure at the airport. At that time, a departure tax is charged and payable in U.S. dollars or Mexican pesos. Some airlines now include this tax when ticketing, but check ahead to make sure. Pesos, although U.S. dollars are widely accepted in businesses throughout town.