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Explore Puerto Vallarta

A Luxury Beachfront Puerto Vallarta Vacation Rental Home

Villa Personal Concierge Service

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Pepe, your personal concierge at Casa Carole, can assist you on how to best explore Puerto Vallarta and knows all the best deals. He can arrange any of the following activities to keep you busy:

  • “Art Walks” to local galleries every Wednesday night from November to April

  • Vallarta Botanical Gardens for horticultural tours and elegant lunches

  • Marina Vallarta Golf Club and the Vista Vallarta Golf Club, plus 4 more Championship courses

  • Playa Los Muertos, the beach at the lively Olas Altas district for jewelry bargains on the beach

  • Los Arcos, National Aquatic Park to swim with the fishes

  • Whale watching from mid December to March

  • Bird watching, turtle hatching and other Eco Tours

  • Tequila making workshops and tasting

  • Party boat trips from the Terminal Maritima, Daytime Pirate Excursions, Evening Dinner Cruises

  • Private boat tours aboard the Vikingo with Captain Juan Santana for deep sea fishing

  • Chico’s Paraiso on the bank of the Tomatlan River

  • Chico’s Dive Shop Scuba Outfitter

  • Several zip-lining locations

  • ATV and dune-buggy jungle rides

  • Horseback rides up jungle trails to secluded mountain retreats for lunch amd swimming

  • The Vallarta Zoo with personal animal petting opportunities

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There is so much to see, do and enjoy during your stay at Casa Carole. Listed below are some detailed adventures with information, pictures and videos of some of the best adventures in Puerto Vallarta. Please note that some things are only available during selected seasons and information may change from the time of posting.

Villa Concierge Services

Los Veranos Canopy Tour

5 star rating TripAdvisor rating - TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Best of the Best 2021 - 4.8 stars on Google 


Established in 2002 by an American family, Los Veranos Canopy Tour is Puerto Vallarta´s zip line pioneer - the original in North America, if not all of the Americas. One thing for sure, it is the largest zip line canopy in North America with 19 separate lines that span thousands of feet in the jungle and over a year-round free flowing river.  The location of the Los Veranos Canopy is perfectly located deep in the lush jungle nestled along the rushing waters of the Horcones River is 40 scenic minutes south of Old Town Puerto Vallarta.

 

Since the Los Veranos Canopy initially opened its gates we added an animal sanctuary that includes many species including monkeys, turtles, iguanas, tejons, birds, including macaw and toucans and snakes. Our animal sanctuary is sanctioned by the Government of Mexico. We also offer an absolutely beautiful hiking trail along the Horcones River to the Puerto Vallarta Botanical Gardens. We also have an exotic animal house petting zoo, river kayaking, water slides and swimming, Tequila tasting and more. Nature at its best.

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Also, we can't forget our restaurant experience. The Los Veranos Café has been rated number one in Puerto Vallarta over all other adventure parks. The café is perched along the river with amazing views. We offer a very healthy and delicious menu developed by a renowned chef. Our menu includes a variety of Mexican delights, pizzas, hamburgers and other tasty alternatives in addition to our alcohol and coffee bar menu. We also have tequila tasting. If that is not enough, we offer massage treatments in our tranquil location adjoining the river.

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They have multiple sea (speed boat) and land (jungle truck & van) pick up and drop off locations in and around Puerto Vallarta, including cruise ships and Nuevo Vallarta.

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Visit their website for more information, booking and schedules.

Los Veranos Canopy Tour

Puerto Vallarta Botanical Garden

2022 Garden of Excellence Award from American Public Garden Association*

*We are the first Garden outside the US ever to win the award.

USA Today Newspaper "10 best Botanical Gardens in North America 2018 - 2022"

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Vallarta Botanical Gardens is a leading environmental organization in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with the mission to study, preserve, and display Mexican native plants for the enjoyment of locals and international visitors and has been a top conservation leader in Mexico for over 16 years. The Botanical Gardens is located about 30 miles south of Old Town Puerto Vallarta. The Vallarta Botanical Gardens is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation in the U.S. Your donations and memberships are tax deductible. We are a registered charity (Asociación Civil) in Mexico.

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From a world-class facility in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Vallarta Botanical Garden provides an unprecedented opportunity to share the wonder of the vast diversity of Mexico’s unrivaled and unique plant species with people from around the world. The assembled botanical collections are housed in a safe environment, and the Garden maintains the most-visited public collection of orchids in the country of Mexico.


Additionally, The Vallarta Botanical Garden has focused on protecting endangered species and habitats since its founding in 2004. In an ongoing campaign, Vallarta Botanical Garden plays a vital role in a decade-long conservation project for the emblematic military macaw (ara militaris mexicanus), which was vanishing from the area until recently. The artificial nest box project has provided a vital link in the reproduction of this apex species, and wild military macaws can be seen daily at the botanical garden.

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There is also a gift shop and great restaurant with a menu featuring; breakfast, pizza, appetizers, soups, salads, tacos, burgers, sandwiches and desserts.  We also have a full service bar.

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Planning a wedding or special event.  We have you covered and can host most special events at our Botanical Gardens.

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Visit their website for more information

Botanical Garden

Puerto Vallarta Whale Watching

Whale watching in Puerto Vallarta should be near the top of every bucket list. Every winter enormous humpback whales arrive in the Bay of Banderas to give birth and mate. During their stay, they love to leap from the waters and flop back to the surface with an almighty crash, sending water in all directions.

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Being able to watch this extraordinary spectacle up-close is a humbling, often emotional, experience. But when is the whale watching season in Puerto Vallarta? And where do these leviathans come from? 

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Whale watching season in Puerto Vallarta runs from mid-December to March. The exact dates will change from year to year The majority of the whales you will see in Puerto Vallarta’s Bay of Banderas are humpback whales. However, Bryde’s Whales have also been seen in the waters, albeit rarely. Puerto Vallarta’s seas are also home to plenty of other large marine animals 

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Around 700 to 1,000 humpback whales arrive in Puerto Vallarta to give birth and mate. The natural shape of the bay provides protection for the mothers and their calves, which allows the youngsters to get through the tricky start to life in relative safety.

The majority of births take place from the end of December until the end of January. After that period, you are more likely to spot mothers and calves together when you go whale watching.

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The humpbacks in Puerto Vallarta are not permanent residents but a migratory species that visit once a year. The whales that arrive in the Bay of Banderas come from the west coast of Canada and the United States, travelling past Baja California until they reach Puerto Vallarta’s shores. The voyage is a relatively short one (it can take just 40 days for some of the animals).

After their stay in Vallarta, the whales will return once more to the waters off Canada and the US to feed and build up their strength for their next Mexican vacation.

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The Bay of Banderas is home to plenty of other animal life. At varying times throughout the year, the waters are home to bottlenose dolphins, spotted dolphins, rough toothed dolphins, and spinner dolphins. You may also see orca (killer whales) and false killer whales, although you would need to be very lucky to spot them. Manta rays and sea turtles can also be seen swimming off the shores of Vallarta.

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If you’d like to see the leaping humpback whales of Puerto Vallarta, then you can book your whale watching adventure with several whale watching tour companies in and around the Puerto Vallarta area.  We encourage you to select wisely and make sure the tour company is a licensed tour company, has eco-friendly multi-lingual tour guides. The best whale season Puerto Vallarta tours have onboard marine biologists whose knowledge of whales and the bay will give you a better appreciation for the environment. 

Whale Watching

Mismaloya, Los Arcos, Vallarta Zoo and El Eden

In a remote cove surrounded by jungle, Mismaloya is a former fishing village known for its namesake beach, cozy open-air eateries, and upmarket restaurants serving Mexican seafood dishes. Ecological marine reserve Los Arcos National Park is home to manta rays and turtles, and popular for snorkeling and diving among its rocky outcrops. Nearby Vallarta Zoo allows visitors to feed its hippos and monkeys

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Only some 9 miles down along the southern coast of Puerto Vallarta, you’ll find this paradise-like beach (and is approximately 1000 ft / 350 meters long) where you can enjoy various activities that will surely brighten up your Mexican vacation even more. Mismaloya itself is both a small village (the name is derived from a Nahuatl word Michmaloyan that means “the place where you can catch fish with your hands”) and a small sandy beach on a beautiful jungle-fringed cove with great views of the bay, the Los Arcos rocks and locals willing to wait on you hand and foot for a small tip.

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You’ll find several humble restaurants here, mainly small palapas at the edge of the sea that offer cold “cervezas” and fresh-grilled fish, authentic Mexican fare, as well as boats and fisherman that will take you out in the bay to swim or snorkel. On the northern part of the cove there is a large resort, Barceló Puerto Vallarta, that in the past was known as “La Jolla de Mismaloya”, it’s the only beachside hotel & resort here (there isn’t space for more either).

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Though most people won’t need much more than the beautiful setting of sand, sea and palm trees, the mysterious surrounding mountain jungle populated by a surprising variety of birds, armadillos, deer, jaguars, pumas and many other species (read more about Puerto Vallarta’s biodiversity), where the Mismaloya river meets the sea, for some is just an exceptional backdrop for their trip to Mismaloya.

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You’ll immediately notice that this beautiful beach offers gentle and clear emerald-green water that is also a favorite among those that enjoy different water sports, for example, Stand-Up Paddle (SUP), scuba diving, snorkeling and sailing. The golden sand is of intermediate grain, not very soft, but not as rough as what you’ll find on the beaches further south, like Yelapa. You will find yourself flushing out your swimsuit from time to time, though, unless it’s very tight.

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The beautiful Los Arcos is located in the Banderas Bay in Puerto Vallarta. It’s between Las Gemelas and Mismaloya beach. It’s a part of a protected national park called Los Arcos Marine Park, which was founded in 1984. Along with arches, in Los Arcos National Marine Park you’ll find caves, deep tunnels, and a coral reef. The warm blue waters are home to a number of tropical fish and other sea creatures. These include eels, rays, trumpetfish, and even sea turtles If you thought the rocks and islands above the surface of the ocean water are striking, just wait till you see what is underwater. There’s something delightful than spotting a colorful tropical fish swimming nearby. Los Arcos is a beautiful place to look around, enjoy the sunshine, and take pictures. But the best way to experience it is by jumping in the water. Among travelers, Los Arcos is a popular spot for swimming, scuba diving, and snorkeling. The clear water means you are sure to see the fish, coral, and other creatures in full color

 

The granite arches shooting out from the ocean make a beautiful backdrop for your ocean adventures. These rocky islands can be seen from downtown Puerto Vallarta, but to appreciate their size and stunning beauty, you need to get up close to them

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If you want some more action, take the road that goes up the valley by Barceló, into the little town of Mismaloya. After walking some 300 yards you’ll first find a Tequila factory, Mamá Lucía, where they offer a tequila tour and tasting and some 700 yards further along you’ll find the Vallarta Zoo, where you, unlike normal zoological gardens around the world, are actually invited to touch and pet the animals (not the dangerous ones though) and are provided with snacks to feed the animals (no more DON’T FEED THE ANIMALS signs).

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If you are a real hiker or have some type of vehicle you can also drive to El Eden, which we’ve already mentioned is a beautiful location further up the road where they shot “Predator”, the movie. Right beside it, there’s another ecological park called Edenva, it offers a more natural and pristine experience, especially when you walk up the trail to the different and beautiful natural pools created between the boulders and the nice fresh creek.

Mismaloya, Los Arcos, Zoo and Eden
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