Villa Amistad
Location & area

El Cerro, where Vallarta began.

Villa Amistad sits on a quaint cobblestone alley in El Cerro, one of Puerto Vallarta's original hillside neighborhoods in Centro. This is the historic heart of the city, where the first village grew up the hillside from the bay.

The cobblestone street at the foot of the hill in El Cerro, Villa Amistad just past the curveThe cobblestone street at the foot of our hill

A real neighborhood, not a resort zone.

Longtime Mexican families have lived on this 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 in the street or a dog barking now and then. Those are the sounds of a real neighborhood.

That is the reason guests tell us they picked the villa: it feels like Mexico. Terracotta walls, tile and Parota wood, string lights over the alley, and nothing like a white box that could be anywhere in the world.

Everything on foot.

From the front gate, downhill puts you in the middle of everything:

  • The Malecón and the Rio Cuale5 min walk
  • Five of PV's most highly rated restaurantswithin 5 min
  • Nearest pharmacy4 min walk
  • Coffee shops with Wi-Fi1 block – 10 min
  • Camarones Beach9 min walk
  • Los Muertos Beach & the Romantic Zoneabout 17 min
The painted Puerto Vallarta letters and the seahorse statue on the Malecón, the bay behind
The Malecón arches on the Puerto Vallarta seafront, dressed with marigolds for Día de Muertos
A giant illuminated Catrina in a red dress on the pier at night for Día de Muertos

The Malecón: the letters by day, the arches, and a Catrina lit for Día de Muertos

A blue hand-blown Mexican glass being filled straight from the kitchen tap over a hammered copper sink at Villa AmistadStraight from the kitchen tap

Can I drink the water? Yes.

Safe to drink · Agua potable · Eau potable

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.

No jugs to order, no garrafón to lift onto a dispenser, no cases of plastic bottles carried up the cobblestones. Most guests only find this out at check-in, and it is one of the nicest surprises we get to hand over.

Getting around

The Romantic Zone, Centro, and 5 de Diciembre are all within walking distance, most places 5 to 25 minutes on foot. The walk up the hill to the villa is moderate, with shady spots to stop and take in the view. 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. The airport is about a 25-minute drive.

See the apartments →
Fishing boats on Banderas Bay under an orange sunset, from the MalecónBanderas Bay at sunset, from the Malecón