The city of Puerto Vallarta is divided into different zones and visitors should know which zone would suit their needs best before booking a vacation to the area (map of Puerto Vallarta hotels).  Many tourists stay in the Hotel Zone located just a few minutes South of the Airport.  This area is home to some of the larger resorts and larger stores including WalMart and Sams Club. 

The Marina area, also a short distance south of the airport, has its own shopping and dining options, along with some well known resort hotels such as the Westin and the Marriott.  This is an upscale environment compared with the Hotel Zone.

The Malecon is the heart of Puerto Vallarta, located north of the river in El Centro, what most call "Old Puerto Vallarta" along with the "South Side" or "Zona Romantica".  The South Side is south of the Rio Cuale river and within Old Vallarta and the South Side there are hotel, B&B and condo rental options.  Most of the hotels in this area are not deluxe, but are for budget minded travelers.  The B&B options range from budget to extremely luxurious.  This part of the city offers the most dining and shopping, along with a multitude of art galleries.  For nightlife, there are several clubs along the Malecon and within several blocks of the area.  Los Muertos beach is located on the South Side and is one of the beaches within the Puerto Vallarta area.  There are many restaurants and condominiums located on the beach, and vendors patrol the beach selling everything from jewelry to hair braiding service to blankets.

Further south is Conchas Chinas, the residential area which includes a couple of hotels and many condominium and hacienda rentals.  This is considered an expensive and exclusive area of Puerto Vallarta.  There are not many restaurants or stores located in this area, but it is just a short distance from the South Side by taxi or bus.

Traveling further south, you will find some resorts and condominiums spread out along the coast, finally taking you to Mismaloya, the resort area where Night of the Iguana was filmed.

Traveling north of the airport will take visitors to Nuevo Vallarta in the state of Nayarit.  This area is sold as "Puerto Vallarta" but is quite a distance to go if visitors wish to dine or shop in the city of Puerto Vallarta.  The beaches are larger and more condusive to boogie boarding or body surfing here.  All of the area is new construction of large all-inclusive resorts, there was no town or village there before, so visitors wanting a meal "out" will need to travel to Puerto Vallarta or go to one of the local towns such as Bucerias.