Any suggestions of what to do in PV would be appreciated:
-Ruins, (if any)
-Places to eat
-Places to explore
-Historical
-Best place to party!

Thanks,
Spartacus_33 >-

OK- I can help with this one, as a frequent PV visitor and dedicated fan.

Ruins-- none that I know of in that part of Mexico.

To eat-- if you stay *IN* Puerto Vallarta (not out in the resorts at Nuevo to the north) there are literally 100's of great restaurants in all price ranges, and all types of food, that you can walk to.

Explore-- take a local bus heading north or south from town. There's smaller villages and towns that line the coast. If you like more formal activities there's jungle tours, mountain bike tours, horseback riding, snorkeling boats, etc. Activities offered on the beach like parasailing, banana boats, boogie boards, innertube rentals. Take a water taxi from the main pier at the local beach out to Yelapa for the day. Walk INland away from the tourists and explore around the town of PV in the residential local neighborhoods. Go to the cathedral. Go to the cemetary. Walk up the Rio Cuale.

Historical-- Again PV just isn't that old of a place. While you'll find a nice neighborhood in "Old Town" which is south of the river, cobblestone streets, red tile roofs, black wrought iron metal work, bouganvilla... well it's just not all that "historical". You can visit the main cathedral with the crown on the top which appears old, but I believe was only built in the 50's.

Party-- You can figure that one out for yourself!!! Again, I mean this only in that there are all kinds of bars all over town. Senor Frog, Hard Rock Cafe and that sort, places with live bands, smaller local bars. Some people rave about Andales down on Olas Altas. Depends what age crowd and what kind of club you're looking for. Plenty to choose from that's for sure.

Enjoy! PV is a magical place.

Susan

Once you arrive PV, you can visit the tourist office near the cathedral in the municipal building, pick up the free English tourist newspaper, and/or buy a copy of Vallarta Lifestyles magazine for more idea of things to do, places to eat, shopping, galleries, etc.

In addition to buying Vallarta Lifestyles - they have an online version at www.virtualvallarta.com for some ideas before you get there.
(Owner the magazine and website is a good friend so I always recommend them!!!)
Cheers,
Andrew

for PV

Thanks for all the advise..........
One more question:
Where is the best place to exchange USD for pesos? Last time I was down there, I exchanged at my resort/hotel. Sometimes I used the little "exchange booths". The exchange rate was always a little different.

I just returned from Europe a month ago and the "exchange booths" in Paris were a total rip off.

ATM machine to withdraw is best.

Casa de cambio windows all over town give pretty decent rates (not a rip off IMO).

You can go to a bank and stand in line.

Check your hotel's front desk posted exchange rates against the other options. It is usually not so favorable, but may be worth it to you for the convenience.

The airport in PV is known to have among the best exchange rates in town.