The Neighborhood

Villa Amistad sits along a small cobblestone alleyway(Callejon), nestled in the hillside, overlooking the Banderas Bay. This vantage point on the hillside provides incredible views and lots of refreshing ocean breezes for this premier Villa located in one of Puerto Vallarta's original neighborhoods(colonias), El Cerro. A walk from the Malecon is moderate and about 4 blocks uphill. Taxis and Ubers are numerous and inexpensive in case walking the hill isn't for you. We love living in this neighborhood because we feel safe and there is a great mix of friendly Mexican families that have lived here for generations, tourists, expats, and snowbirds. There is a definite Mexican vibe to the neighborhood. Most of our neighbors on our street are single, middle/senior aged women, a few families, and gay men.  Villa Amistad's location is perfect for people wanting to be able to easily access the best of Puerto Vallarta's fun nightlife, restaurants and beaches of the Romantic Zone only a short walk away, yet come back from the "scene" to a relaxing environment at the Villa. Most places in the Romantic Zone can be reached by walking between 5 and 25 minutes depending on location. The El Cerro/Centro neighborhood is the site of the original fishing village of Puerto Vallarta.  Today it is filled with plenty of cultural sites, outdoor art, shopping, restaurants, and nightclubs. Most of Puerto Vallarta's top art galleries and four of the top restaurants in the city are within 5 minutes walk of Villa Amistad.

See our list of distances below for some of the highlights of the area.

Our unique central location makes getting to popular locations easy and usually within walking distance. Taxis and rideshares are abundant.  Uber, DiDi, and Indriver are the three rideshare services.  Uber is the most popular and we find more reliable and less expensive than taxis.

From Villa Amistad by foot.

El Cerro/Centro:

• Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe 450 meters(m)/6 mins. Within a block or two of the church are: Starbucks, City Hall, Main Tourist Office, the Plaza de Armas, the famous arch amphitheater overlooking the ocean on the Malecon, and Naval Museum. Several banks with ATMs including Scotiabank & Banamex.
• Malecon 4 blocks/5 mins
• Four top restaurants in PV are all within 5 mins (Iguana Restaurant @ Casa Kimberly, Restaurant @ Hacienda San Angel, La Cappella, Cafe des Artistes)
• Mirador de la cruz - 280m/5 min to the base. An incredible climb to the lookout tower for breathtaking views of the Bay Area
• L'Angolo di Napoli restaurant. (Many consider the best woodfire pizza in PV) - 800m/10 min
• Rosita Beach - 500m/7 min
• Isla Cuale (Cuale Island) - 600 m/ 5 min (wonderful restaurants, beautiful plants, Iguanas!, street market stalls with wonderful items for sale)

Romantic Zone:

• The Gay Strip with the most popular bars and clubs - 1km/13 min
• Reinas Bar - 900m/10 min
• Los Muertos Beach - 2km/25 min (walk to Los Muertos Beach along the beautiful Malecon or take a quick and inexpensive Uber)
• Emiliano Zapata Market authentic historical Mexican food market - 1km/14 min (A great place to buy fruit and vegetables at fantastic prices)
• No Way Jose Restaurant - 850km/10 min
• Incanto Theater - 700 m/10 min

5 de Deciembre Neighborhood just north:

• Barcelona Tapas - 550m/8 min
• Many Many restaurants and shops with prices lower than usually found in the Romantic Zone.
• El Barracuda Restaurant - .9 miles/18 min. A very popular seafood restaurant and bar on the beach. Bar has beach seating.

By car/Uber/taxi

Airport - 8.8km/25 min

Costco & La Comer grocery store - 4.2km/15 min