Has anyone ever done any training in PV? If so, suggestions on where to swim, run, and bike (prob at a decent gym). I am going there for several days in March and plan to bring the wetsuit. Not sure how running is or if there are any good gyms. We are staying in old town area that is very close to the beach.
Most PV websites just discuss tourist type activity. Thanks in advance.
I see that no one ever responded to this thread. I’m bumping it up to the front page in the hopes that someone had information to offer on Puerto Vallarta mountain biking or running. I’m headed down in January, and if anyone has an inside track on a good outfitter or running course, I’d love to hear it. Hoover11, did you find what you were hoping for?
Well I ended up doing more beach lounging (i.e. drinking & eating) than anything. We were in the area called the “Romantic Zone” and the cobblestone roads looked terrible to run on (very uneven, lots of chaotic traffic, construction). A friend of mine swam along the shore but that looked a little dangerous to me with all the jet ski’s & para-sailing chaos.
Not sure about mountain biking and I didn’t look for any gyms.
Good luck!
Y’all have heard that the entire northern portion of Mexico is consumed with horrific drug wars…right??? I wouldn’t be stepping foot off that resort…maybe I’m just a big wuss
if you are not involved in the drug industry, or fighting the drug industry, then you’re pretty safe.
Y’all have heard that the entire northern portion of Mexico is consumed with horrific drug wars…right??? I wouldn’t be stepping foot off that resort…maybe I’m just a big wuss
Yes, you are a big wuss. Especially since you don’t know that PV is a thousand miles from any significant drug activity. PV is slammed full of US retirees and Europeans. If you drive a rental car you will likely get shaken down by the local PD for a speeding ticket, but there isn’t any more danger there than any US city.
This is the part where I’d make a joke about muling coke for a cartel…however, since I’m getting on a plane to go there in a week, and with the new “Crotch Bomber” (c) security measures - sigh - I’m loathe to think about the cavity search that’s coming.
I went to PV in March of 2006. I went running through the town; there are several San Fransisco-type steep hills that I did repeats on in the middle of the day. I was 23 years old at the time and I’m female and I felt completely safe. (However, in retrospect maybe that wasn’t too smart, who knows.)
The swimming near the Ports/beach is definitely not safe, with boaters, fisherman, etc. However, if you and your family take a boat trip/snorkeling trip out to some of the reefs/islands you could do some laps around the boat much more safely. There is also some beautiful waterfalls/hiking/burro riding/trail running far from town, but I cannot recall where! Sorry!
I was there in 2005 and would second most of what others have said. You can probably find a sidewalk to run along the main road (I did), but I’d stick to swimming in the hotel pool (too much boat traffic in the bay) and I didn’t see anywhere that was suitable/safe for road cycling. If you’re only going to be there for a few days, then bring your running shoes, find a treadmill in yor hotel and just roll with the limitations.
Do some treadmill runs and lift some weights. Enjoy your time in PV and have fun. There is no need to take training that seriously unless you are making a living from it.
I did some running on vacation there in Dec '07. It’s not that great. Lots of construction, occassional burning trash stench (when you depart from the immediate hotel zone), and surprising lack of scenery (again, when you leave the immediate hotel zone).
It’s ok for maybe 4 miles (out and back), but that’d be pushing it. In retrospect it might’ve been better just to run shorter distance along the coast in the sand, which would be tougher, safer, and perhaps a better workout.
Been there a bunch of times. You will not need a wetsuit, the water is nice just skinning it instead. Run the coastal road that heads south out of town. It is hilly but nice. Pretty safe down there. I suggest you run with about 400 pesos ($40 US or so) in your pocket in case you need to cab it back home. People are friendly there. Great town. If you are there for just a few days, just run everyday, you might find the rest from the bike to be beneficial. I know of no gyms there.
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