If you picture a classic Mexican beach vacation (a wide sandy beach, palm-lined pools, golf, a marina and an easy airport transfer), you're picturing Nuevo Vallarta. The hotel zone sits about 15–20 minutes from Puerto Vallarta International Airport, and many of the area's best-known resorts line the same stretch of sand. Here's a friendly guide to the standouts, the stories behind them and who each one suits best.
Quick orientation: Nuevo Vallarta is in the state of Nayarit, not Jalisco, in the municipality of Bahía de Banderas. Since 2022 its official name has been Nuevo Nayarit, though almost everyone still says Nuevo Vallarta. Good news for travelers: it's on the same clock as Puerto Vallarta. Get the full picture in our Nuevo Vallarta guide.
A short history of the Nuevo Vallarta hotel zone
Puerto Vallarta grew organically: it began in 1851 as Las Peñas, a small port that supplied salt to the mines up in the mountains. Nuevo Vallarta is the opposite story. It was drawn on a planner's map. In November 1970 a federal decree created the Bahía de Banderas Trust, which pulled together more than 5,000 hectares (over 12,000 acres) of coastal communal farmland to build a tourism economy. The new resort town was laid out from scratch, complete with streets, canals lined with private docks, and a marina. One of the first hotels was the 170-room Hotel Nuevo Vallarta, built by the government-run chain Nacional Hotelera as part of that original plan.
Private developers followed in the 1980s, and with them came one of the more surprising footnotes in Mexican travel history. According to Marival Group, it opened its first condo hotel in Nuevo Vallarta in 1984, and in 1987 it opened Jack Tar Village, which the company describes as Mexico's very first all-inclusive hotel. In other words, the wristband-and-everything-included vacation that now rules this coast has some of its earliest roots on this beach. The municipality of Bahía de Banderas was carved out of Compostela in December 1989.
Timeline at a glance
- 1970: federal decree creates the Bahía de Banderas Trust; the resort zone is planned.
- Early years of the project: Nacional Hotelera builds the 170-room Hotel Nuevo Vallarta.
- 1974: Daniel Chávez Morán founds the company now known as Vidanta.
- 1984: Marival opens its first Nuevo Vallarta condo hotel.
- 1987: Jack Tar Village opens, billed by Marival as Mexico's first all-inclusive.
- 1989: the municipality of Bahía de Banderas is created.
- 2022: Nuevo Vallarta is officially renamed Nuevo Nayarit, and the PGA Tour's Mexico Open moves to Vidanta Vallarta.
- December 2025: Cirque du Soleil's resident show LUDÕ premieres in Nuevo Vallarta.
The best resorts in Nuevo Vallarta
Most sit along Paseo de los Cocoteros, the hotel-zone boulevard, with direct beach access.
Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit
One of the most celebrated luxury all-inclusive resorts on the bay. It belongs to Velas Resorts, led by president Eduardo Vela Ruiz, a company whose story, in its own telling, began nearly four decades ago on the Puerto Vallarta coast. The Grand Velas brand was built around one idea: reinventing the luxury all-inclusive.
Its 267 one-, two- and three-bedroom suites start at around 1,000 square feet, and every one has a private balcony facing the pool, beach or bay. Forbes Travel Guide, which gives it a Four-Star rating, describes contemporary Mexican design set among lush, colorful gardens.
Dining is a highlight. Frida serves traditional Mexican dishes with a modern twist; Lucca does Italian and Mediterranean cooking with homemade pasta; Piaf focuses on classic French flavors; and Sen Lin is Asian fusion with notes of Thailand and China. According to the brand, all four have earned AAA Four Diamond recognition.
The expansive SE Spa starts every visit with its "Water Ceremony," a hydrotherapy circuit that moves from steam to ice. The brand notes the resort was named a "Most Excellent Spa Hotel" by Condé Nast, and in Tripadvisor's 2026 Travelers' Choice awards it ranked among the top five all-inclusives in Mexico. Families get a Kids' Club for ages 4 to 12 and a Teens' Club for 13 to 18.
Best for: travelers who want all-inclusive luxury, great food and a serious spa, whether as a couple or a family.
Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta
Less a hotel than a resort city by the sea, now branded Vidanta Nuevo Nayarit, and also home to the company's headquarters. Founder Daniel Chávez Morán was born in 1951 in Delicias, Chihuahua, and started the business in 1974; over the years it operated as Paraíso Mazatlán, Vidafel and Mayan Resorts before becoming Vidanta.
It brings together nine resort hotels with different personalities, including Grand Luxxe (which Vidanta presents as AAA Five Diamond), The Grand Bliss, The Grand Mayan and Mayan Palace. Expect 25-plus restaurants, an aqua park with a lazy river and water slide, two spas with a temazcal, and three golf courses: The Nayar, The Lakes and the Norman Signature Course. Golf here has real pedigree: since 2022 the PGA Tour's Mexico Open has been played at Vidanta Vallarta, a Greg Norman design. Past champions include Jon Rahm (2022), Tony Finau (2023), Jake Knapp (2024) and Brian Campbell (2025).
The headline act is LUDÕ, Cirque du Soleil's resident show, which premiered on December 4, 2025. It's an 85-minute, water-inspired dinner show set in a mystical cenote, following Ludovico, a stage director searching for inspiration somewhere between dreams and reality. The name comes from the Latin for "I play."
Best for: families and groups who want everything in one place, plus golfers.
Tropical gardens and pool at a Nuevo Vallarta resort.
Paradise Village Beach Resort & Spa
A Nuevo Vallarta classic with architecture inspired by Maya culture, set on a roughly 12-acre peninsula surrounded by its own marina, where all 681 rooms are suites. The fun part is the names, borrowed from the Maya world. The towers are Tikal (the great Maya city in Guatemala) and Uxmal (in Yucatán); the spa is Palenque, after the Maya city in Chiapas; and the restaurants include Tulum, Mayapan (the political capital of the Yucatán Maya from roughly the 1220s to the 1440s) and Kabah, the sushi bar, named for a Maya site linked to Uxmal by an 18-kilometer raised causeway.
The Palenque Spa has 13 treatment rooms and a hydrotherapy circuit. The 18-hole, 7,239-yard El Tigre course is the work of Robert von Hagge, an American golf architect credited with more than 250 courses in over 20 countries. The marina sits in a protected natural lagoon, welcomes everything from sailboats to megayachts, and bills itself as Mexico's only certified "Clean Marina." An all-inclusive plan and a kids' club are available.
Best for: families, golfers and anyone who loves a marina setting.
Villa La Estancia Riviera Nayarit
In the Flamingos area at the northern end of Nuevo Vallarta, this beachfront resort describes itself as AAA Four Diamond and puts the spotlight on cuisine and personal service. It's part of The Villa Group, a company with more than 30 years in the business whose first property was Villa del Palmar Puerto Vallarta; it now runs nine resorts in five destinations, and it says its move into Riviera Nayarit came with the opening of the Nuevo Vallarta area.
Suites are spacious, and you can even book a chef to cook in your suite. The spa's name carries meaning: in Wixárika (Huichol) tradition, Tatewari is "Grandfather Fire," the guardian deity of this mountain people of Nayarit and Jalisco. Treatments include an agave massage and one using tepezcohuite. To learn more about Wixárika culture, read our Huichol art guide. Choose room-only or all-inclusive.
Best for: longer stays, families who need room to spread out, and travelers who appreciate attentive service.
Marival Distinct Residences & Spa
Part of the Handwritten Collection, this all-inclusive resort has 142 residences, presents itself as AAA Four Diamond and blends Italian charm with Mexican culture. It stands out for its residence-style stays: swim-up suites, penthouses and multi-bedroom villas. The food follows suit: Al Fresco for wood-fired pizza and fresh pasta, Omaggio for an international buffet, signature dinners at Lemmon Grass and wine at the Brunello bar. Up top, the Insú Sky Bar has an infinity pool; on the sand, the Mozzamare beach club serves Italian-Mexican fare with Balinese beds. You'll also find the Mélange World Spa and clubs for kids and teens.
Best for: multigenerational families and groups who want the space of a home with resort service.
Marival Emotions Resort & Suites
Its sister property, also on Paseo de los Cocoteros, is the largest in the Marival group, with 488 rooms, and now carries a "by Mercure" label. It's built for families: a baby program, a kids' club for ages 4 to 12, a teens' club, daily shows, a Mexican night, mini golf, and pickleball and tennis courts. Restaurants range from Asian fusion at Silk to Italian at Amalfi and neighborhood-style Mexican cooking at La Pérgola.
Marival is woven into Nuevo Vallarta's story: beyond the 1984 condo hotel and 1987's Jack Tar Village, it opened Club Marival in 1995, Cameleon Marival in 2003 and its luxury residences concept in 2010.
Best for: families with kids of all ages.
Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta
An all-inclusive with the brand's signature energy: music, design and plenty going on. It recently completed a makeover the brand calls "Vallarta Reimagined," with redesigned rooms and new gathering spaces. Highlights include the Rock Spa, the Roxity Kids Club, multiple pools, championship golf and a full wedding and events program.
Best for: active families, groups of friends and music lovers.
We recommend confirming rates, hours and availability directly with each hotel.
Nuevo Vallarta's hotel zone, lined with palms along the bay.
How to choose a Nuevo Vallarta resort
- Luxury and dining: Grand Velas, Grand Luxxe at Vidanta, or Villa La Estancia.
- Families: Paradise Village, Marival Emotions, Hard Rock and Vidanta all have kids' clubs and lots of activities. See more in our family resorts guide.
- Room to spread out: Marival Distinct and Villa La Estancia, with large suites and residences.
- Golf: Vidanta and Paradise Village have their own courses.
- Somewhere more secluded: check our guide to luxury hotels in Punta Mita.
All-inclusive or room-only?
Most of these resorts run on all-inclusive plans, but the details vary. Villa La Estancia lets you choose room-only or all-inclusive; at Marival Emotions, some restaurants and beach clubs cost extra; and at Vidanta, some themed kids' nights carry a separate fee. Before you book, ask exactly what your plan covers. If you'd rather eat out, here are ideas for where to eat in Nuevo Vallarta.
The beach and wildlife in front of the resorts
Nuevo Vallarta's beach faces the open ocean: wide, with surf that changes by season. Always check the warning flags.
- Sea turtles. This is one of the busiest olive ridley nesting beaches along the bay. Nesting starts in late June, and hatchlings emerge about 45 days later. If you spot a marked nest or a turtle, don't touch it or shine a light on it; sea turtles are protected by Mexican law. More in our sea turtles guide.
- Humpback whales. Every winter they come to the bay to mate and calve. For the 2025–2026 season, Mexico's environment ministry (Semarnat) set the viewing period from December 8 to March 23 and declared a restricted 2-kilometer strip along the coast from Punta Mita to the mouth of the Ameca River, right in front of this hotel zone, to protect mothers and calves. Go out only with authorized operators and check the current rules. See our whale watching guide.
- Crocodiles. The American crocodile is native here and lives in the Ameca River and the El Quelele estuary, a mangrove wetland that's also good for birding. Keep away from river and estuary banks, and if you see one on the beach, alert hotel staff or Civil Protection.
Best time to stay in Nuevo Vallarta
- Dry season (roughly November to May): clear skies, lower humidity and whale season. If you're traveling around Christmas or Easter, book early.
- Rainy season (roughly June to September or October): humid heat, afternoon downpours, very green scenery and turtle season.
- Hurricanes: the official eastern Pacific season runs May 15 to November 30. If you travel then, watch official advisories and check your hotel's change policy.
Getting around from your resort
Paseo de los Cocoteros has a bike lane, and you can walk the beach north all the way to Bucerías. The airport is about 15–20 minutes away, and downtown Puerto Vallarta about 25–45 minutes depending on traffic. Sayulita is roughly 30 km (about 19 miles) north, with San Pancho just a few minutes beyond on the same highway. For another side of the bay, see our Marina Vallarta guide.
A day off the resort: sample plan
- Morning: walk the beach or ride the bike lane.
- Midday: head to Sayulita and San Pancho, or cross the Ameca River to explore downtown Puerto Vallarta and the Malecón.
- Late afternoon: get back in time to watch the sunset over the bay from your hotel.
What to pack: reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, insect repellent (especially in the rainy season), some pesos in cash for the towns and a light daypack.
Day trips from Nuevo Vallarta with Riviera Tours & Transfers
Our tours don't include these hotels, but if you're staying in Nuevo Vallarta and want a day off the resort, you can also explore the nearby beach towns on our Sayulita and San Pancho tour. It runs Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, lasts a full day, is offered in English and Spanish, and groups top out at 17 people. It includes:
- Round-trip transportation
- Certified guide
- Tasting of traditional Mexican sweets
- A stop at San Pancho's plaza and beach
- Guided walk through downtown Sayulita, plus free time
- Bottled water
Lunch isn't included. Optional surf lessons are available at an extra cost, with 50% off for tour guests. Prefer to see Puerto Vallarta? The Vallarta City Tour runs daily (about 7 hours) with a guided downtown walk, a tequila stop and shopping time.
Good to know: ask us about the pickup point if you're staying in Nuevo Vallarta.
See dates and book the Sayulita and San Pancho tour →
Planning more days? Check out our guides to things to do in Sayulita and things to do in Puerto Vallarta.
Sunset from a hotel pool in Nuevo Vallarta.
FAQ
Are Nuevo Vallarta resorts in Puerto Vallarta? Not technically. They're in Nayarit, just north of the Ameca River, but very close: the Puerto Vallarta airport is about 15–20 minutes away, and the time is the same.
Which Nuevo Vallarta resorts are best for families? Paradise Village, Marival Emotions, Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta and Vidanta have kids' clubs and lots of activities; Grand Velas and Marival Distinct offer kids' clubs too.
Are there luxury all-inclusive resorts in Nuevo Vallarta? Yes. Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit is one of the best known, and Grand Luxxe stands out at Vidanta.
Did Mexico's first all-inclusive really open in Nuevo Vallarta? That's Marival Group's claim: according to the company, Jack Tar Village, which opened in Nuevo Vallarta in 1987, was the country's first all-inclusive hotel.
When is the best time to visit Nuevo Vallarta? November through May is drier and brings whale season; June through October is hotter, with afternoon rain and turtle season.
What is LUDÕ, and where can I see it? It's Cirque du Soleil's resident show at Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta, a water-inspired dinner show that premiered in December 2025.
Photos: Ferfive / CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons · Steve Hedin / CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons · Harpqueen / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons · Netzaa / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
