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Outdoorsy Vallarta switches gears after dark and rocks into the wee hours. When the beachgoers and sightseers have been showered and fed, Vallarta kicks up its heels and puts the baby to bed. Happy hour in martini lounges sets the stage for an evening that might include a show, live music, or just hobnobbing under the stars at a rooftop bar.
Many hotels have Mexican fiesta dinner shows, which can be lavish affairs with buffet dinners, folk dances, and even fireworks. Tour groups and individuals—mainly middle-age and older Americans and Canadians—make up the audience at the Saturday-night buffet dinner show at Playa Los Arcos and other hotels. Vaqueros (cowboys) do rope tricks and dancers perform Mexican regional or pseudo-Aztec dances. The late-late crowd gets down after midnight at dance clubs, some of which stay open until 6 am.
The scene mellows as you head north and south of Puerto Vallarta. In Punta Mita (aka Punta de Mita), Bucerías, Sayulita, and San Francisco (aka San Pancho), local restaurants provide live music; the owners usually scare up someone good once or twice a week in high season. Along the Costalegre, tranquility reigns. Most people head here for relaxation, and nightlife generally takes the form of stargazing, drink in hand. If you're visiting June through October (low season), attend live performances whenever offered, as they are few and far between.
Although there's definitely crossover, many Mexicans favor the upscale bars and clubs of the Hotel Zone and Marina Vallarta hotels, while foreigners tend to like the Mexican flavor of places downtown and on the south side (the Zona Romántica), where dress is decidedly more casual.
This oceanfront bar is just the way a beach bar is supposed to be—small, hip, and laid-back—making it a real pleasure to enjoy a beer while watching the waves of Playa Camarones. There's live music on Friday night and a DJ on Saturday. There's always a good vibe, and if you feel like having a bite, you can always ask the waiter to bring you some food from their next-door sister restaurant, El Barracuda.
Right on the sand across from Parque Lázaro Cárdenas, this restaurant-bar has bargain brewskis and equally inexpensive fruity margaritas by the pitcher. The seafood is less than inspired, but nachos and other munchies are good accompaniments to the drinks. Watch the waves and listen to Bob Marley and the Gipsy Kings among lots of gringo couples and a few middle-age Mexican vacationers.
Cheleros Bar is the perfect place to have a beer and watch the sunset in a nice and comfortable setting.
This popular bar by the beach shows most live sports events, features a pool table, and plays good dance music until 4 am every day.
El Soñador is a small but cool and unpretentious bar where you can have a cold beer or a fancy cocktail, and play pool downstairs or dance on their rooftop terrace.
Live music is played in this simple but fun grill. You can also enjoy burgers, steak, salads, and tacos here, as well as blues and good rock.
A cool—although a bit posh—bar with the largest TV screen in Puerto Vallarta, it attracts locals for "pre-copa" (pre-drinks) and to watch big soccer or boxing matches.
This gay, adults-only beach club located right on Los Muertos Beach is one of the best party spots in the Zona Romántica. Featuring a gorgeous infinity pool, restaurant, bar, several Jacuzzis, and stunning views of the Banderas Bay, Mantamar has it all. A flying pool and private areas showcase how extravagant this place can get. It closes early in the evening, but it's a great place to start the fiesta.
Mr. Flamingo is an LGTBQ+ tiki bar with a long history in Puerto Vallarta. Widely popular among locals and tourists alike, it's a nice open-air bar perfect for a night-starting drink, but many people also come here to spend the whole night as it has great music and a large dancing floor.
Players is the best sports bar in the Zona Romántica for tourists and expats alike to gather together to watch football, basketball, and even hockey games.
What's called simply "Frog's" by the locals is a good old-fashioned free-for-all for the young and the restless. There are black lights on the walls, barstools shaped like thong-clad women's butts, and a giant-screen TV above the dance floor. Expect foam parties, ladies'-night Friday, or, in the high season, beach parties with bikini contests and other shenanigans.
This unpretentious place filled a bar void in Nuevo Vallarta. Large TV screens show every major sporting event, and the second floor has a pool table. The bar fills with young locals, especially on Thursday when there is live music (mostly rock). A variety of chicken wings and other snacks are available, along with a wide array of beers, both national and international.
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