PUERTO VALLARTA PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: BUSES

BUS ROUTES AND BUS FARES

Puerto Vallarta does not provide printed bus routes and bus fares information for tourists. But we will show you how to ride the bus all over town like a local. We will also tell you how much  it will cost you to get to your destination. We have also compiled detailed maps of each bus route, including route name, hours of operation, schedule, price and more.

HOW TO GET AROUND PUERTO VALLARTA

Bus routes and bus fares in Puerto Vallarta
PARADA (Bus Stop)

A few tips to remember:

  • Each bus fare is one-time use only.
  • There are no transfers available.
  • There are no round-trips available.
  • Before the bus arrives have the correct change ready for the driver.
  • The two seats directly behind the driver (sometimes marked in yellow) are reserved for pregnant women, the elderly, and the physically challenged.
  • When boarding as a female/male couple, it’s customary for the female to board first and when the male boards he pays for both fares.
  • When traveling with a group of family and friends it’s customary for everyone in your group to quickly board, and when the last male from your group boards the bus he pays for everyone in the group. This method shows courtesy to the other passengers and to the driver by speeding up the boarding and payment process.
  • Hold onto your ticket. Inspectors hop on and off buses to check that passengers have tickets.

ROUTE: From Nuevo Vallarta to downtown Puerto Vallarta (Centro/Malecon)

  • Total bus fare for this one-way trip: $35 pesos
  • Take an ATM bus to Puerto Vallarta. Bus fare is $25 pesos.
  • ATM buses arrive at bus stops in Nuevo Vallarta every 20-30 minutes.
  • Get off the ATM bus in Puerto Vallarta once you reach the Maritime Terminal across the street from Walmart and Sam’s Club.
  • On that same side of the street (opposite Walmart) wait close to the intersection for a bus with Centro written on the windshield.
  • Buses which indicate Centro head towards the malecón through downtown. Buses that say Túnel bypass downtown by taking the tunnel route and arriving directly at the Romantic Zone and ending the route at Parque Lázaro Cárdenas.
  • Bus fare from the Maritime Terminal to downtown Puerto Vallarta is $10 pesos regardless of the route.

ROUTE: From Marina Vallarta to downtown Puerto Vallarta (Centro/Malecon)

  • Bus fare is $10 pesos
  • Take Bus Route C27 – La Marina or a bus that has Centro written on the windshield.
  • Buses which indicate Centro head towards the malecón through downtown. Buses that say Túnel bypass downtown by taking the tunnel route and arriving directly at the Romantic Zone and ending the route at Parque Lázaro Cárdenas.
  • When returning to Marina Vallarta you have a variety of options. Look for a bus that has “Marina Vallarta” or “Marriott” or “Westin” or “Velas Vallarta” written on the windshield.

ROUTE: From Hotel Zone to downtown Puerto Vallarta (Centro/Malecon)

  • Bus fare is $10 pesos
  • Take a bus that has Centro written on the windshield.
  • Buses which indicate Centro head towards the malecón through downtown. Buses that say Túnel bypass downtown by taking the tunnel route and arriving directly at the Romantic Zone and ending the route at Parque Lázaro Cárdenas.

ROUTE: From downtown Puerto Vallarta (Romantic Zone) to Mismaloya, Vallarta Zoo & Boca de Tomatlan

  • Bus fare is $10 pesos
  • Take Bus Route C01 – Mismaloya, an ORANGE & WHITE bus at the corner of Basilio Badillo & Constitution (by the OXXO convenience store)
  • These orange & white buses only go as far as Boca de Tomatlan
  • These buses stop at: Conchas Chinas, Dreams Resort, Presidente Intercontinental, Garza Blanca, Mismaloya, Boca de Tomatlán
Picture of orange bus to Mismaloya and Boca de Tomatlan
Orange and white bus from downtown PV (Romantic Zone) to Mismaloya, Vallarta Zoo, and Boca de Tomatlan.

ROUTE: From downtown Puerto Vallarta (Romantic Zone) to the Botanical Gardens and El Tuito

  • Bus fare is $25 pesos
  • Take a BLUE bus at the corner of V. Carranza & Aguacate
  • The windshield of the bus should state: El Tuito / Botanical Gardens
  • Buses come by every 20-30 minutes
  • It will take approximately 50 minutes to get to El Tuito.
Picture of blue bus from downtown Puerto Vallarta
Blue bus from downtown Puerto Vallarta (Romantic Zone) to the Botanical Gardens and El Tuito.

ROUTE: From downtown Puerto Vallarta to Nuevo Vallarta

  • Total bus fare for this one-way trip: $35 pesos
  • From the Malecon head east, walking a couple blocks up until you see a series of public buses zooming by.
  • Look for a blue sign indicating a bus stop.
  • Take any bus heading north that has Walmart written on the windshield. The bus fare is $10 pesos.
  • Get off at Walmart. You’ll notice two bus waiting areas. Facing Walmart and Sam’s Club, walk to the larger bus waiting area on the left.
  • There is usually a man with a clipboard stationed there to direct passengers to the correct bus for their desired destination.
  • Board an ATM bus that says Nuevo Vallarta (for southern NV) OR Riu for locations in Flamingos (northern NV). The Flamingos section of NV includes Villa la Estancia on the northern end down to the Peninsula condo complex at the southern end of the neighborhood. For a good visual refer to the map of Nuevo Vallarta.
  • If you’re heading to the Flamingos area, it’s important to know that the bus indicating “Nuevo Vallarta” does NOT service the “Flamingos” section of the neighborhood. To get to resorts and condos in Flamingos you MUST take a bus indicating “Riu” on its front windshield.
  • The bus fare is $25 pesos.
  • The last buses available to Nuevo Vallarta / Flamingos leave by 9 p.m.

ROUTE: From downtown Puerto Vallarta to Bucerias

  • Total bus fare for this one-way trip: $35 pesos or $24 pesos (depending on which bus you take from Walmart to Bucerias)
  • From the Malecon head east, walking a couple blocks up until you see a series of public buses zooming by.
  • Look for a blue sign indicating a bus stop.
  • Take any bus heading north that has Walmart written on the windshield. The bus fare is $10 pesos.
  • Get off at Walmart. You’ll notice two bus waiting areas. Facing Walmart and Sam’s Club, walk to the larger waiting area on the left.
  • There is usually a man with a clipboard stationed there to direct passengers to the correct bus for their desired destination.
  • You can board an ATM bus that says Punta Mita (this bus will stop in Bucerias on its way to Punta Mita), the cost is $25 pesos. Or you can choose to take a green-and-white Compostela bus to Bucerias for $14 pesos.

ROUTE: From downtown Puerto Vallarta to Sayulita

  • Total bus fare for this one-way trip: $45 pesos
  • From the Malecon head east, walking a couple blocks up until you see a series of public buses zooming by.
  • Look for a blue sign indicating a bus stop.
  • Take any bus heading north that has Walmart written on the windshield. The bus fare is $10 pesos.
  • Get off at Walmart. You’ll notice two bus waiting areas. Facing Walmart and Sam’s Club, walk to the larger bus waiting area on the left.
  • There is usually a man with a clipboard stationed there to direct passengers to the correct bus for their desired destination.
  • Board a green-and-white Compostela bus with the word Sayulita written on the windshield. The bus fare is $35 pesos.
Picture of bus stops next to Sam's Club and Walmart
PICS ABOVE ARE THE TWO BUS STOP WAITING AREAS IN FRONT OF THE WALMART / SAM’S CLUB COMPLEX, ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE PV MARITIME TERMINAL. TOP ROW: Photos show bus stop in front of Walmart where buses depart for areas outside of Puerto Vallarta such as Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerias, La Cruz, Punta Mita, etc. BOTTOM ROW: These photos show the much smaller bus stop in front of Sams Club where buses that arrive service routes within the general Puerto Vallarta area.

HELPFUL SPANISH WORDS –  BUS TRAVEL

  • Bus: Autobus
  • Driver: Chofer
  • Passenger: Passajero
  • Schedule: Horario
  • Route: Ruta
  • Fare: Tarifa
  • Seat: Asiento
  • Destination: Destino
  • How long does it take to get to______? Cuanto se demora en llegar a ________?

MORE TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION:

For more information on city buses, taxis, airport transfers, transportation services and more, please visit: Transportation Essentials

2 thoughts on “PUERTO VALLARTA PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: BUSES”

  1. Thank you very much for this web site and the information. One of my summer jobs while going to college was to drive a CTA bus in Chicago. I make every effort to use and master public transportation systems where ever I go. I search many a Google referenced page on ATM but none offered English versions and none provided routing information. Having visited PV 4 times so far and recently buying a timeshare in Nayarit, I knew it was time to figure out how to use the PV buses and bus system. While route maps and location of bus stops would round out my education, I am a lot closer to being able to navigate Nayarit and Jalisco on my upcoming visit in October.

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