Everything people ask before they book.

Check-in is at 4 PM and check-out is by 11 AM. If the apartment is ready by 3 PM we give you that hour free, without your having to ask, and we contact you on your arrival day to let you know. Priority Early Check-In, for a small fee, can be requested from noon, and Late Check-Out until 5 PM the same way. The details and request forms are in the Villa Extras section of the guest guidebook, and if neither is available we store your bags.

You will have keyless entry with your own personal code, which works on the entry gate and on your apartment door. The code activates once your check-in form is complete. Miguel's Mirador and Curiel's Retreat use a physical key for their sliding doors, and that key is waiting in the lock. There is a video doorbell at the entrance.

The airport is about a 25-minute drive. Our concierge Faby can arrange a private transfer ahead of time, which is the easiest option after a long travel day, and taxis and Uber are plentiful. We would skip the bus on arrival day: there is no direct route and you would finish with an uphill walk on cobblestones with your luggage.

There is no parking in our alleyway, but free street parking is available on the adjacent streets a short walk away. You can pull up to the entrance to drop off luggage. Please do not park above the villa on our street, as that is private property.

Yes, and no elevator. It is 17 steps up from the street to the gate. Curiel's Retreat, Jonathan's Lugar, and Las Brisas are one flight up from there, on the villa's main level. Ivan's Bella Vista, Miguel's Mirador, and the Penthouse are one more flight up, on the top floor. There are shady spots to stop and take in the view along the way.

When we are around, gladly. Packing so each bag stays under about 23 kg (50 lb) keeps the climb easy for everyone, and if the alley is blocked by a delivery truck, message us and we will come down.

Yes. Every tap in the villa is filtered and purified, kitchens and bathrooms alike. Fill a glass at the sink, fill your bottle before you walk down the hill, and make coffee and ice without a second thought.

The saltwater pool overlooks the bay, is open 24 hours a day, and is kept around 29 to 30°C (85 to 86°F) in the winter months. It is shared by the apartments, along with the two terraces, the honor bar, and the BBQ grill. When the entire villa is booked, all of it is exclusively yours.

Yes. Fast fiber Wi-Fi up to 1 Gbps with a backup line, in every apartment.

Yes. Each apartment gets light housekeeping Monday to Friday, with beds made, a tidy, and a restock of essentials, and fuller cleans with fresh linens on a set schedule for longer stays. The entire villa comes with full daily housekeeping Monday to Saturday. Extra towel or linen changes and a mid-stay deep clean can be added for a fee.

Yes. Mark, who owns the villa and runs it, and John, his best friend and co-host, both live onsite, each in their own private apartment, and Miguel, who looks after the place, lives here too. You will see us now and then around the villa, and your privacy always comes first.

Villa Amistad is a house with four private apartments, not a hotel or a condo building. Each apartment has its own entrance and living space, and we added as much soundproofing as we could, but it is still a shared home, so now and then you may hear voices from another apartment.

Families are welcome, and everyone is: couples, families, groups, and LGBTQ+ travelers alike. The villa is not childproof, though. There is an unfenced pool, open stairs, low railings, and breakable art. If you are traveling with young children, write to us before booking and we will help you decide whether it is the right fit.

No. We love animals, but the villa is pet-free so that we can host guests with allergies. Service animals are the exception.

The whole property is smoke-free, we do not host parties or events, and quiet hours are 10 PM to 8 AM out of respect for our neighbors. The villa is for the registered guests staying with us.

From December through March, humpback whales are often visible breaching offshore from the terraces and the top-floor balconies.

Ivan's Bella Vista sleeps four and Curiel's Retreat sleeps four, each with two king bedrooms and two bathrooms. Miguel's Mirador and Jonathan's Lugar are studios for two. The Penthouse and Las Brisas each sleep six across three king bedrooms. The entire villa sleeps twelve, in six king bedrooms that each have their own bathroom.

Ivan's Bella Vista and Curiel's Retreat have full kitchens. Miguel's Mirador and Jonathan's Lugar have kitchenettes set up for reheating meals and making coffee, with no stove. Every kitchen is stocked with coffee from Chiapas, filters, tea, and sugar for your whole stay.

Ivan's Bella Vista and Miguel's Mirador are on the top floor and look out over the rooftops to Banderas Bay, so the Penthouse does too. Curiel's Retreat, Jonathan's Lugar, and Las Brisas are on the main level. Curiel's and Las Brisas have glimpses of the bay from their private terraces, beyond the rooftops, and you can watch the sunset from them; Jonathan's balcony looks over the cobblestone alley. From every apartment, the bay view is a few steps away at the pool.

Two apartments opened into one home. The Penthouse is the entire top floor, Ivan's and Miguel's connected by their interior door, with two ocean-facing terraces. Las Brisas is the entire main level, Jonathan's and Curiel's connected the same way, on a single floor with a private terrace. Booked separately, that connecting door stays locked.

Yes. Each apartment has a smart TV. Sign in to your own streaming accounts and sign out again when you leave.

Yes. Every apartment has an iron and an ironing board, and you will see them in the apartment photographs because people ask.

The Malecón and the Rio Cuale are a 5-minute walk downhill. Camarones Beach is about 9 minutes on foot, and Los Muertos Beach in the Romantic Zone roughly 17. Five of Puerto Vallarta's most highly rated restaurants are within five minutes, the nearest pharmacy is four, and there are coffee shops with Wi-Fi from a block away.

El Cerro is a real neighborhood, not a resort zone. Longtime Mexican families have lived on our street for generations, neighbors know each other and look out for one another, and it feels genuinely lived-in and safe. It is quieter than most areas downtown, though you may hear children playing or a dog barking now and then.

Mostly on foot. The Romantic Zone, Centro, and 5 de Diciembre are all within walking distance, most places 5 to 25 minutes. The walk back up the hill is moderate. If you would rather ride, Uber and taxis are plentiful and inexpensive, and local buses run along the main roads below for about 10 pesos.