Marinas in or around Puerta Vallerta

[gramsdonna]

We are looking for a marina in or around Puerta Vallarta to keep our boat for a year. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, gramsdonna.

[nhschneider]

The last time we were in Banderas Bay was 2011 so it's possible that things have changed but at that time, there were three marinas: Marina Vallarta, Paradise Village Marina and Riviera Nayarit Marina in La Cruz.

We had stayed in Marina Vallarta in '96-'97 and enjoyed it very much, however, the last time we were there it appeared to be the victim of lack of maintenance.

Paradise Village Marina is more upscale but tended to be a more expensive option. Some cruisers say that you can see Mexico from there as its part of a large Western-style resort.

Marina Riviera Nayarit in La Cruz (about a 20-minute bus ride from Puerto Vallarta - it's also in the state of Nayarit whereas Puerto Vallarta is in the state of Jalisco) is well protected and was more reasonable as far as rates are concerned, at least the last time we were there. There is also a small yard for hauling the boat and some small chandleries. Great restaurants nearby but major grocery stores require a taxi or bus ride.

Fair winds and calm seas.

[zeehag]

marina la cruz, the most expensive one, in la cruz de huanacaxtle,
marina vallarta, the busiest one, in puerto vallarta
marina nuevo vallarta, popular
paradise marina, puerto vallarta, anothe r exclusive spendy one.
take your choice. they are all in banderas bay.
have fun.
they are also listed in "the log" listing of slips on west coast of these american continents.

[TJ D]

Hello,

You've got the places lined out, just a couple of thoughts on each for you.

1. Marina Vallarta. This is the marina downtown. There is also a canal off the main channel which leads to the 'Iguana' development, where people will sometimes rent out the dock behind their condo.

The marina is a bit of a wreck, frankly. It's pretty dirty, run down, and is surrounded by your typical shops/bars/timeshare salesmen. If you like to party until late, however, this is a great spot.

2. Nuevo Vallarta marina. This is the cheapest option. The place used to be just awful, big holes in the docks, etc, but they have put in some new concrete floating docks and it's really pretty decent now. The derelict boats are still there, but they're living on the old docks. It's not a bad choice these days.

3. Paradise Village. This shares the Nuevo basin. Nuevo marina's to starboard, Paradise village up the canal to port. It's a big resort, slightly more expensive (we averaged about $900/mo for our 43 footer there with power), but it is really a very nice facility. In recent years, however, it's been occupied by a lot of nicer boats which are often unoccupied. It seems like most of the cruisers are going to La Cruz these days.

4. La Cruz. Basically the same price as Paradise Village. It's a nice facility located in an honest-to-god Mexican town. Security is good, and it seems to be the most popular place for transient sailors. I was around when it was being built, and did keep my boat there for a year or so. My only caution would be that it's probably not going to fare as well in a hurricane as any of the other marinas. Just my opinion.

I hope that helps. PV was our base of operations for about 10 years, and we do love the place.

TJ

[NirvanaBob]

hat length boat? Monohull or multi-hull? That aside, four marinas:
1. Marina Vallarta; closest to downtown Puerto Vallarta. Much needed upgrades to docks, electricity and water have recently been made. Much better security. Prices competitive with other marinas. But, no bathroom and showers. Can be noisy, can be very hot as sheltered from winds. Last stayed there in Jan 2015-would stay there again. Easy local bus commuting to CostCo, Walmart, etc (for provisioning) downtown PV and PV airport. Reasonable weather (hurricane) refuge.
2. Paradise Village (resort) marina. Extraordinarily well run marina. Well sheltered from any significant storm. RO water on the docks. Good stable electrical power. Access to swimming pools, excellent beach, other amenities as part of slip fees. High season rates ~$0.60/foot. Low season rates ~$0.38/foot. Excellent security and marina manager personally walks the docks daily. Reasonable bathroom and shower facilities. Good access to services (bottom cleaning, boat maintenance, chandlery, etc.) Out and away from "Mexico" as tucked away in a resort area. About 30 mins from airport and 45 mins from downtown PV by inexpensive buses. Last stayed there in 2014; have left our boat for extended periods. Would stay there again without hesitation. Excellent weather refuge.
3. Marina Nuevo Vallarta. Some docks newly refurbished. Same storm protection as Paradise Village (across the estuary). Less expensive, fewer amenities. Less security, comparatively speaking, than Paradise Village. Many fellow cruisers have stayed there/left boats there for significant periods with no issues and satisfied with stay. Dock water unknown. Have not stayed there, but have been to the marina and nearby restaurants numerous times. Would stay there with little hesitation, assuming slip availability on new docks.
4. Marina La Cruz. Stayed there many times, including most recently in early 2015. Short term prices slightly higher than Paradise Village; long(er) term competitive with all others. Dock water potable but dodgy (local town water); we normally buy bottled water to refill tanks. Good bathrooms/showers. Dock electrical power OK. Easy walk into La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, local tiendas (for groceries), inexpensive good restaurants, very excellent local musicians (almost nightly), Sunday market in the marina (really good). Very good security. Well run and managed marina. Good access to services (bottom cleaning, boat maintenance, etc.). Easy bus access to nearby excellent grocery stores, Walmart, etc. 45 mins to 1 hour bus ride (easy and reliable) to airport and downtown PV. Very good weather protection. Have left our boat there on several occasions for months long absences, without any concerns.
Hope this is helpful. Cheers

[n8kraft]

We spent two months in Banderas Bay. I highly recommend Paradise Village Marina if you plan to leave your boat for a year.
The area is touristy and has very good security.
The rates were cheaper than Marina La Cruz for way nicer amenities. You have full resort access (2 pools, hot tubs, cruisers lounge and showers, wi-fi) while your boat is in the marina.
When we were cruising we took our boat there each week because the dock water is 100% potable, not questionable like other areas. This gave our watermaker a break and the guy who runs the watermaker from cleaning/swapping filters.
Free happy hour (margaritas and rum punch) and snacks on Sunday when the regular weekly tourists arrive.

There's an onsite marine store. You can make arrangements for all the regular services like hull and topside cleaning.

We took my parents to Paradise Village. It's not the real Mexico experience but it's fun. More on our blog at Aboard Astraea, Nana and Pappy's visit and Paradise Village Marina

Dick Markie is the Harbormaster, you can contact him as below:
Marina Operations
Tel & Fax: 52-(322)-226-6728
Harbormaster: Dick Markie
E-mail: marina@paradisevillagegroup.com
Alternate E-mail: marina@pvg.com.mx
V.H.F. Channel 16

[gramsdonna]

Thanks so much everyone This information is so helpful