Puerto Vallarta is made for doing things outside. The Malecón — a 1.6-kilometre seafront promenade lined with sculptures and musicians — is the first stop, best at sunset. From there, wander south over the Río Cuale into the Zona Romántica, the old-town grid of cobblestones, whitewashed houses, and the pink-steepled Church of Guadalupe. Beyond the town: boat trips to Las Ánimas and Yelapa, snorkelling at Los Arcos National Marine Park, whale watching between December and March, and day tours up into the Sierra Madre to the old silver village of San Sebastián del Oeste.