If you’re going to Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco in Mexico, you might wonder what to expect when you land. So, here is a rundown of the airport. I’ll also tell you what to avoid and how to get into the city. To make it easier, there’s a handy map below.

If you’re landing from an international flight, you’ll land in the international terminal of PVR. This means you’ll have to walk through the border and customs to immigrate into Mexico. 

Sidenote: Some airlines call this the Nayarit Airport because it straddles the Jalisco/Nayarit border. As long as you see the airport code: PVR, you know it’s the correct airport.

When there aren’t a lot of people traveling, you get through in a few minutes. However, on a busy day, it could be a 20 to 30 minutes or more.

During the pandemic, you didnt need a covid test to get into Mexico.

Heads Up, You No Longer Need an Immigration Form

Earlier this year, they got rid of the Immigration form. But you still have to fill out a customs form and declare anything you wish to declare.

This is the declaration form you need:

Don’t worry, usually they give you this form on your flight.

When you leave Mexico, they somehow process your arrival and departure online.

Update: Some airlines no longer provide custom and declaration forms (like the one above). But it’s okay. They will still let you through if you don’t get one, but you will get a mandatory secondary bag check.

Getting Back to Navigating PVR

After getting stamped into the country, you’ll walk to customs to declare any items you might need to declare. Make sure to grab any luggage you checked in beforehand. You won’t be able to return to the baggage claim area once you go through.

You’ll hand them your declaration form, and they’ll make you press a button to see if you are randomly selected for further inspection.

I’ve gotten it before. It truly is random (at least, I believe so.)

If you’re landing from another Mexican city, you’ll land in the domestic terminal, but everyone gets funneled to the same exit area.

Leaving Customs and Immigration

Once you hit the button and go through, you’ll walk to your right and through an automatic sliding glass door. This is where I first experienced extreme hustler behavior.

You’ll walk through a bunch of vendors trying to grab your attention. Ignore them all. Most, if not all, are trying to get you to purchase a timeshare. This area is called “The Shark Tank.”

They’ll bait you with a taxi. “Need a taxi, buddy?” Or they’ll call out your hotel name. “Sheraton? Headed to Sheraton?” Sometimes, they’ll say something frightening like, “Excuse me, sir, you dropped your passport.” It’s all bait. Ignore it all and keep walking. Don’t even say “No, thank you,” just keep moving.

You’ll wind through a few hallways until you get to another automatic sliding glass door. However, you’re not completely out of the park yet. There are crowds of people. Some are people hustling. Some are waiting for family, etc.

Here, you’ll find three different taxi companies trying to get your attention. Each one is legit.

But, I recommend walking closer to the airport exit to the proper taxi booths. They’re on the wall to your right (inside the airport), you’ll see three booths. Each booth is a different taxi company, and they’ll all wave at you. However, they’re all the same price so feel free to choose any.

Depending on where in town you want to go, the price will vary. For example, heading to the romantic zone will cost around $450 MX pesos. That’s roughly $20 USD.

They’ll then give you a paid slip and tell you to go to any person wearing their shirt (it’s usually a white shirt) upon exiting the airport. Don’t worry, raise the paid slip and someone will usher you to the taxi line. 

Sometimes someone is waiting to escort you to the taxis. Other times you’ll have to find the taxi stand yourself. It’s a little chaotic but its totally doable. 

The first time I did this, I felt overwhelmed and seriously thought I had sold my soul to the Mexican mafia. The tip is not included in your fare.

Want a Better Option?

Uber is a great option in Puerto Vallarta at half the price of a taxi or less. 

Ubers are not allowed to pick up passengers at PVR. They will drop you off, but they can’t pick anyone up. Weird right?

In this case, you’ll want to do something similar but equally simple. Head directly to the exit. Ignore all the hustlers. 

Once outside, you’ll want to walk left. Go past the taxi stands. Walk past all the people. You’ll see others doing the same thing. 

By this point, you’re walking past the airport loop where all the cars come in.

At the end of the airport, you’ll see a large highway and a pedestrian overpass. You’ll need to take the overpass to the other end of the highway.

Once you’re back on the street, you can order an Uber to your destination. Don’t worry, though. Many uber divers wait nearby because they know people do this. So you won’t wait too long.

An Alternative Uber Pick-Up Spot

Recently, I’ve walked to a hotel that’s about five minutes from the airport. It’s at the opposite end of the uber pickup spot located on the downloadable map below.

Either works, but just in case, I thought I would mention it.

Check out this Google Map for the second option in case you’re interested.

Map for Your Convenience

I made this map just in case. Follow the red dotted line for the Uber stand. Feel free to download it and save it on your phone.

If any questions arise, please feel free to leave a comment and I will try my best to answer them.

Enjoy Puerto Vallarta!