Puerto Vallarta - Dec 2009 - Things to do - 7 day family trip

Take a boat trip to Yelapa for snorkeling, beach, and waterfall

Walk the malecon, day or night

Pirate ship (have never done it, but kids might like it)

ATV trip into the mountains

Rent a car and visit El Eden (lunch, swimming, jungle)

Ride the local buses

Visit the various beaches

Your best source of information imo are these websites: www.allvallarta.com & www.vallarta-info.com

If you really want a printed guidebook I like both Fodor's and Moon Handbooks 'Puerto Vallarta'.

I love PV and have been there often but don't have kids and stay in a different part of town so can't be much help with your other questions.

Two hints; the pirate ship is a getting-drunk ship. and there is a new private zoo (do no go to the one at El Eden, its pathetic how the animals are housed), but I don't know more about the new zoo, just that they have "big cats".

Another idea; you may be there for the festival of Guadalupe. there is a charming parade in Vallartas downtown that goes north to south on the street of the main Catholic church, ending at the church. School children parade, off-key bands play and it is wholesome and a lot of fun for kids. The Vallarta website says annually Dec.1-12, but I saw it on a December 18. the church also has a fun diorama in its entry way. Double check this (or write to me after I come back from my Vallarta trip over Thanksgiving) but I remember that every Saturday evening, beginning around 8 PM, the townspeople all gather at the Plaza to hear a band, eat cotton candy and ears of corn, and just have a wholesome good time. Walk on the seawall "Malecon" with them any afternoon, again to see the locals strolling, grandmothers with the grandkids, young people flirting, and to see the unusual sculptures on the walkway. Also take them into a Huichol craft store and have the salesperson explain about this separate people who use bees wax to imbed beads in gourds to make designs like scorpions, corn, deer and gods-eyes (OK and peote buds designs too).
Also, don't go to El Eden at all, but have a lunch at Chico's Paradise, eating on a broad balcony overlooking the stream with waterfalls, divers and zip-line doers. Good food but not cheap, but the kids will love the Macaws in cages and the architecture.

the festival of Guadalupe ends on Dec 12th, sorry. The restaurant near El Eden is Chino's Paradise, not Chico's Paradise, that is up the Rio Horcones from Boca de Tomatlan.

Oops, I was going to say the same, Cabron beat me to it. The Festival culminated on the 12th of December each year, so they unfortunately will miss it.

Thank you for all your responses - very helpful. Suze - I am looking at the map on vallarta-info.com, and find it very helpful. Our hotel is in the Marina airport zone, and we have not rented a car. What's the recommendation on traveling to downtown & other areas? How much do taxis cost? Are buses safe?

What are some of the nice beaches (family friendly)?

Still haven't had a chance to go pick up the books, will do that over thanksgiving.

Thanks!

The busses are relatively safe, LOL, just get to your seat quickly and hang on, the drivers tend to take off as soon as the last person has boarded. There's one bus line that servers the Marina, 5.5 pesos each, which goes all the way to the south side, you should go there and visit Los Muertos Beach. On the way back, catch the Marina bus, it'll say "Marina" in the top display window.
Don't understand the 'family friendly beach' ? All the beaches in Mexico are public beaches.

Taxis are relatively inexpensive, but definitely take the bus. Its fun and you get a lot of local color. You can take the bus to Los Muertos and change buses to go south as far as Mismaloya Beach and Boca de Tomatlan. You can also take a bus north to the town of Bucerias which has beautiful beaches! Last time we went to PV we rented a car just for a day to drive into the mountains and visit Chino's Paradise.
One of my favorite beaches is Las Gemelas near the Presidente hotel. There are two small pristine beaches divided by a rocky point. During the week they are nearly deserted.
Have fun.