Sweat, Sand, and Sunset Runs: Finding Fitness and Flow in Puerto Vallarta
You don’t really plan to work out in Puerto Vallarta.
You tell yourself you’ll take it easy—walk a bit, maybe swim. But something about the way the sun hits the bay, the breeze moves through the malecón, and the Sierra Madre rises in the distance makes your body want to move. Not for aesthetics. For rhythm. For joy.
Puerto Vallarta doesn’t push you to stay fit. It pulls you into it.
07:00 – Running Where the City Wakes Up
Start early. The humidity hasn’t taken over yet, and the city is just beginning to stretch. Jog along the Malecón, that beachfront boardwalk where statues lean into the ocean and vendors are still setting up their tables.
Locals walk dogs, retirees sip black coffee from paper cups, and kids in uniforms chase after each other. You’ll dodge a few pigeons, pass an old guy doing tai chi, and feel like part of something living and shared.
There’s no better pre-breakfast dopamine hit.
08:30 – A Dip That Feels Like a Reset
Don’t shower yet. Just walk straight into Playa Los Muertos. The water is warm, salty, and alive. No goggles, no strokes—just float.
There’s a chance you’ll catch a local already finishing their morning swim. They’ll nod at you like you’re in the club now. And you are.
10:00 – Fuel That Doesn’t Lie
Puerto Vallarta is full of smoothies and fruit bowls pretending to be breakfast. But if you really just ran two miles and swam half a bay, go to Fredy’s Tucan or El Campanario. Order chilaquiles. Get the eggs on top. Don’t skip the café de olla.
Let your body thank you.
13:00 – Hiking the Jungle (Yes, Jungle)
There’s a trail starting near Boca de Tomatlán that doesn’t care how many squats you’ve done this year. It winds along the coast, through tropical brush and up muddy steps, until it drops you off at Playa Colomitos—a tiny beach with water so clear it hurts.
It’s sweaty, slippery, and a little wild. Bring shoes with grip, bug spray, and zero expectations.
You’ll finish salty, scraped, and fully awake.
17:00 – Gym with a View (Optional, but Worth It)
If you’re still standing, hit The Fit Club PV or Hammer Gym. One has jungle views, the other overlooks the ocean. Both are places where expats and locals share space without judgment.
It’s not about mirror selfies. It’s about showing up—even after tacos.
19:00 – Sunset Yoga on a Rooftop
Find a drop-in class. There’s always one. Maybe at Davanna Yoga, maybe on someone’s rooftop Airbnb. You’ll stretch, breathe, and fight the urge to look out at the pink-orange horizon too often. You’ll fail. That’s fine.
You’re not here to find balance. You’re here to feel it.
21:00 – The Good Kind of Tired
By now, your body’s humming. Not exhausted. Satisfied.
You walk home through cobbled streets still warm from the sun. Maybe you grab a mango popsicle or sit on the steps by the Parroquia de Guadalupe, watching the city do its nighttime thing.
People talk a lot about “wellness travel.” But Puerto Vallarta doesn’t market it. It lives it.
Between the tacos and the trailheads, the swims and the slow sips of mezcal, you realize something:
You didn’t work out today.
You just moved through paradise like it was meant for it.
Have you tried Oaxaca’s goodies?