Fishing in Puerto Vallarta – Journey into the Darkness

We’re up early enough to watch Princess of the island Slide into Puerto Vallarta just after dawn and you’ll already feel hot and humid. The ship pulls alongside a well-stocked dock and disembarks groups of passengers in search of adventures and bargains in the sweaty Mexican heat.

Taking our time, we lingered out of the gangway on deck 4, where we were ushered into the cruise terminal next to a woman holding a suspicious-looking blue parrot.

On the right is a small flea market with 25 or so stalls. There are gowns, leather goods, silver jewelry, tacky tourist T-shirts and dozens of fake sports jerseys. All the merchandise appears reasonable and is appropriately priced for cruise passengers.

After some nice bargaining, Linda bought a large sun hat from a kiosk for $15. It’s probably still a little pricey for Mexico, but it’s well built and fits, so we have no complaints.

What is infuriating is the aggressive, opportunistic tone of stall owners, desperate to sell their wares. We realize that these stalls are their livelihood, but the shopping experience is not enjoyable.

There is also a shopping center attached to the cruise terminal. It’s filled with more shops selling tourist tattoos, tequila, beauty parlors and discounted medicine to Americans. And of course Diamonds International outlet.

When exiting the mall, we head south, in the general direction of the Romantic District. This is the picturesque part of the city that Puerto Vallarta is famous for. There is also an escape room located about a mile from the port that we would like to check out.

Unfortunately, we were only able to make it a few blocks, due to the heat and terrible pavement conditions. This is not a city for mobility scooters.

Somewhat frustrated, we were forced to return to the ship. Our first Mexican adventure took less than an hour.

Accessibility information

Batteries used: -66%

Terrain: Very variable. Very smooth in the marina, mostly broken cement, high curbs and lots of traffic everywhere else. Once you leave the cruise terminal, you’re on your own.

Public transportation: There are dozens of buses that will take you into central Puerto Vallarta for a few dollars. However, these compounds are very basic. You will have to climb stairs to board and there is no place to store the scooter.

Taxis: Taxis are plentiful and relatively cheap. There are several larger vehicles around the station area which have plenty of space for scooters and luggage.

Overall accessibility rating: 2 out of 5

Did you get a passport stamp?

No.: “We don’t do that anymore.”

Will we revisit Puerto Vallarta?

Due to the aggression of local sellers, no.

Other things to do in Puerto Vallarta

If you’re more mobile than us, these manifestation activities look great:

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