Puerto Vallarta is Pet Friendly and Welcomes Four-Legged Friends Gustavo Rivas-Solis - Visit Puerto Vallarta
August 28, 2017

One of the great joys of traveling is sharing the experience with loved ones - including pets. Whether traveling with a pet for companionship, service or comfort, visitors will find Puerto Vallarta’s pet friendly atmosphere and infrastructure, as well as diversity of offerings and services, make it easy to bring along four-legged friends.
 
Many hotels and resorts across the city are pet friendly and offer convenient pet packages and doggie day camps; including the Westin Resort & Spa Puerto Vallarta located in the Marina area, Hotel Puerto de Luna and the Sheraton Buganvilias in the Hotel Zone; Casa Cupula Hotel, Casa Kimberly in Downtown Vallarta and Casa Iguana Hotel and Vallarta Shores located in the South Zone; to name a few. Visitors should confirm rules and availability with hotels when booking.
 
Pets are allowed on some of Puerto Vallarta’s many beaches and visitors will often see dogs accompanying their owners on a run or meeting up with local residents and their dogs for some playtime.
 
One of the most popular activities is walking the pedestrian-only El Malecon, Puerto Vallarta’s iconic boardwalk and open-air gallery featuring dozens of sculptures and statues. The Malecon’s wide cemented path, approximately 1.5 miles in length, is an ideal place to go for a stroll, a meal or a bit of shopping accompanied by one’s pets. Many restaurants, cafes, sidewalk eateries and bars along the Malecon and the historic Downtown area welcome four-legged companions to join at an outdoor table and will serve them a bowl of cold water.
 
The city also has a number of resident veterinarians and 24-hour pet hospitals in case of an emergency and local stores such as Wal-Mart and Sam's Club carry most pet food brands found in the US and Canada.
 
There are hundreds of direct flight to Puerto Vallarta from the US and Canada on a weekly basis; it is recommended that travelers check regulations and requirements for travel with dogs and cats as they vary from airline to airline.
 
Mexico is amicable to pets and does not quarantine cats and dogs arriving from the United States or Canada. However, pets must travel with an International Certificate of Good Health that has been signed by a certified veterinarian stating that they are healthy and free of internal and external parasites. Pets must be current on rabies, hepatitis and distemper vaccinations. A copy of the Rabies Certificate should be included, and they should also be tested for ticks & tapeworm prior to traveling to Mexico. All documents must be presented to an officer at the SAGARPA-SENASICA office located inside the Puerto Vallarta airport upon arrival.
 
For a complete list of pet-friendly hotels, restaurants and activities, please Visit Puerto Vallarta.
 
About the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board

The Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board is responsible for promoting Puerto Vallarta as a tourism destination both in national and international markets. Located in the heart of Mexico’s Pacific coastline and framed by the rugged, tropical Sierra Madre Mountains and the shores along Banderas Bay, Mexico’s largest natural bay and second largest on the American continent, Puerto Vallarta is easily accessible from the U.S. and Canada. Its warm tropical climate, with average daytime temperatures of 80 F and cooler evening temperatures in the mid 60’s F, make it an ideal vacation destination any time of the year. Located 4 miles from downtown Puerto Vallarta, Gustavo Diaz International airport receives­­­ over 4 million visitors annually. The destination is home to 300,000 residents and offers an estimated 22,500 hotel rooms with over half in 4-star-plus properties.

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