Puerto Vallarta Blends the Cosmopolitan With Escapism Meagan Drillinger - Business Insider
go to original July 1, 2022

The author is staying in an Airbnb with a rooftop pool in the quiet neighborhood of Versailles, Puerto Vallarta. (Meagan Drillinger)

One of the biggest perks of freelance work is that it can be done from anywhere, so when I left my desk job in 2014, I made it a point to pick up and work from all over the world wherever I could. I've worked from Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Colombia, Ireland, Italy, and, most extensively, Mexico. Of all the countries I've tried, it's Mexico that I find to be a remote worker's paradise — particularly the city of Puerto Vallarta.

I first started visiting the city in 2013, and it's since become a second home. I even met my now-husband there (on Tinder, believe it or not). A far-cry from the sleepy beach town it used to be, you can go so far as to call Puerto Vallarta a full-fledged city these days, thanks to all the hotels, Airbnbs, restaurants, infrastructure, shopping malls, coffee shops — you get the idea.

But even though it's fully connected and modern in its own right, Puerto Vallarta is still very much a coastal Mexican town with all of the charm, history, and quirks that come with a tropical paradise. An example: After a day of work, I stroll down the Malecon (boardwalk) past an ever-changing rotation of public art toward El Solar, a cash-only beachfront bar with a relaxing soundtrack and a menu of succulent ceviche, fresh tacos, and frosty drinks. I usually go here for happy hour by myself after a long day to unwind, toes in the sand — and it sure beats my 9-to-5 desk job routine in my previous New York City life.

Wifi is very fast and reliable in Puerto Vallarta, and it's free in most restaurants, bars, Airbnbs, and hotels. Unlike other more remote parts of the world, where the wifi can drop unexpectedly, you rarely have that problem here.

The city's also teeming with coffee shops and coworking spaces, most of which offer air conditioning, lockers for storage, private meeting rooms, and phone booths. Vallarta Cowork is one of the best in the area.

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