Our Norwegian Jewel Cruise Review of Cabo, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta Leigh - Plane 2 Port
go to original April 8, 2016

Ceviche stand under the Rio Cuale bridge Puerto Vallarta

Here we review three of our “do-it-yourself” port days from the Norwegian Jewel Mexican Riviera cruise we took March 2016. It was our first time in all of these ports, so we did exploratory walking tours in each.

Norwegian Jewel Cruise Port of Puerto Vallarta

This was our favorite port of the cruise.  Puerto Vallarta is large and strung out, but is beautifully situated.  Just east of town are beautiful mountains incised by green canyons that were beckoning us to visit. Next time, we are visiting the town today.  You are docked at the port, but you are still several miles from town.  Right outside the port gate is a WalMart and Sam’s, which serve as your landmarks.

As we left the port, we saw the bus stop just to our left on the main road.  This is where you catch the bus into town.  Just pick any bus that says Centro.  The cost is just 7.5 pesos per person, and the driver can make change.  We had leftover pesos from the trip B. and I made in January to the Copper Canyon, but you can change money inside the port area.  We stayed on the bus for several miles until we crossed the Cuale River, then got off and walked around.

We found a table set up under a bridge that was making and serving ceviche.  Many local people and tourists were stopping by, so we decided that it was probably good, and it was.

We ended up eating about six fish ceviche tacos before we took a cooling swim in the Rio Cuale.

Before heading back to the port, we walked north back through the town and went up some of the side streets up the hillside. This is more of a double sidewalk and park rather than a street.  These are wonderful pedestrian-only neighborhoods.

When we got too hot to walk, we hopped on the bus back to port. We kept an eye out for the WalMart and got off when we saw it.

Read the rest about Cabo and Mazatlan at Plane 2 Port.