How to Plan the Best Mexico Family Vacations

The best Mexico family vacations include tours from Vallarta Adventures. Find exciting Puerto Vallarta activities for kids and enjoy an unforgettable trip.

The best Mexico family vacations include activities to keep both kids and their parents entertained, as well as provide a chance for parents to relax. With Vallarta Adventures, all the planning and preparation are done for you. Just choose your favorite excursions and we’ll provide the equipment, food, and fun! Check out some of our best Puerto Vallarta activities for kids in the tours described below.

While preparing for all the fun things to do in Puerto Vallarta with kids, don’t forget to pick up some reef-safe sunscreen. Many of our tours include time in the water with or near marine life and coral reefs, which can be harmed by some chemicals found in common sunscreens. If you’re not sure whether yours is safe, feel free to check out our article on biodegradable sunscreen brands posted on our Cancun Adventures blog or ask us at Vallarta Adventures when you book your tours.

Las Caletas Beach Hideaway

Father and daughters snorkeling in Las Caletas Mexico

If you only choose one tour during your Mexico family vacation, Las Caletas is the one you won’t want to miss. There are no age restrictions, just fun for everyone with special activities for kids and teens, and access to one of the top four private beaches in the world. This secluded tropical sanctuary is nestled at the foot of the Sierra Madre and is accessible only by boat. In addition to breakfast and lunch, your day will feature a customizable assortment of cultural experiences and adventures.

You will have the opportunity to try snorkeling, paddleboarding, kayaking, mezcal tasting, cooking classes, or just relax on the beach. Kids ages 4 to 11 can explore the Kids Adventure Park, with fun activities like ziplining, a climbing wall, a crazy net, animal encounters with macaws and monkeys, donkey rides, face painting, clay modeling, and more.
 

There is also the Multi-activity Adventure Park with tons of things to do that are not only fun but also full of excitement. They include The Blob, a Zip Line to the ocean, the “Rattlesnake” waterslide, a Banana, and a series of ascending columns called “The Step Up”.

Isla Marietas Eco-Discovery

Family snorkeling on the Isla Marietas Eco-Discovery tour

Do your kids enjoy snorkeling? Then you won’t want to miss out on our full-day Isla Marietas Eco-Discovery adventure!

On this tour, you and your family will hop on a boat at Puerto Vallarta’s Maritime Terminal that will take you to the Marietas Islands - a natural sanctuary for a wide variety of sea life including humpback whales (during the winter months) and dolphins. Along the way, our friendly tour guides will share their knowledge about our local marine life as well as Mexico’s conservation efforts, making this tour the perfect mix of education and fun.

Once we’ve arrived at Isla Marietas, we’ll get you and your family geared up for an interactive (and safe) snorkeling expedition of the area where you may come across giant manta rays, sea turtles, and an abundance of tropical fish. When your kids have had their fill of adventure, we’ll travel to Majahuitas, our exclusive beach club located on one of the most secluded and beautiful beaches in Mexico. At Majahuitas, you will be able to partake in activities like paddleboarding, kayaking and snorkeling. We will then conclude the tour with a delicious lunch.

Although this tour doesn’t have an age limit, we recommend it for kids over the age of 5, particularly those who know how to swim.

 

Sea Lion Encounter

Parents kissing while kids and sea lion cover their eyes

The Sea Lion Encounter is for travelers age 5 and older and is one of the few places you can get in the water and get up close and personal with these amazing creatures. The tour begins with our Marine Mammal Specialists sharing interesting information about the sea lions’ behavior, eating habits, and physiology. Then you’ll have the opportunity to hop into a specially designed shallow pool where you can play with the sea lions, shake their flippers, give them hugs, and maybe even get a nice wet kiss. Our playful and intelligent sea lions love interacting with people and showing off their tricks, along with barks and trumpeting noises.

Dolphin Kids

Little girl taking a dolphin ride

We want to make sure everyone has a chance to experience the thrill of interacting with dolphins in the water, which is why we created Dolphin Kids. Children between the ages of 4 and 9 can join in this activity with our Marine Mammal Specialists while parents and older siblings watch and take pictures from an observation deck. Kids will get to touch and swim with our Pacific Bottlenose dolphins, plus learn about dolphin anatomy and health. We’ll also teach them why marine research and conservation programs are so important, and leave them excited about keeping our oceans clean and our animals safe.

We also offer several other dolphin and sea lion encounters for various ages, including special needs programs and a chance to be a dolphin trainer for a day.

PADI Bubblemaker

Young boy scuba diving

Kids 8 and up can join our PADI-certified instructors for an introductory course in scuba diving. If your kids are interested in diving or marine wildlife, this is a great way for them to learn. Children should be comfortable in the water, but they don’t need to be strong swimmers. The pool is only six feet deep and our instructors are always nearby. After completing this course, your kids will be familiar enough with the scuba process and equipment used to participate in many of the incredible scuba tours offered by Vallarta Adventures. This course also provides a great foundation for continued scuba training in the future.

Extreme Zip Line Adventure

Child sky diving in a sky diving simulation in Mexico

This tour is also for kids 8 and older and is the perfect adventure for thrill-seekers young and old. Your itinerary includes a zip line ride on “the Superman,” one of the longest and fastest zip lines in Mexico with a breathtaking view of the jungle canopy. It also includes a pendulum jump, high-drop water slide, rappelling, and an ATV ride across rocky river beds, steep hills, and hanging bridges. You and your kids will also get to try out the Wind Tunnel, a skydiving simulator that will make you feel weightless and will give your children the chance to fly over the air like a real Super Hero! There will also be hiking, high-wire walking, and rope mesh climbing. Because we know every participant is different, each experience is optional for personalizing your perfect extreme adventure.

How to Fit It All In

Las Caletas and the Extreme Zip Line Adventure can be physically demanding and take up most of a day, but the other tours mentioned can be done in a few hours. We also recommend spreading out the longer tours so you don’t get worn out too quickly. Try an itinerary that looks something like this:

Day #1 - PADI Bubblemaker and/or other scuba certification classes, hotel pool, explore Puerto Vallarta

Day #2 - A beach day at Las Caletas

Day #3 - Sea Lion Encounter and a relaxing afternoon at your hotel

Day #4 - A day packed with adrenaline at Extreme Zip Line Adventure

Day #5 - Dolphin Kids or other Dolphin Encounters, explore Puerto Vallarta, souvenir shopping

Book Your Puerto Vallarta Activities for Kids

Contact Vallarta Adventures today to book your tours and start planning the best Mexico family vacation!

Welcome to Vallarta Adventures

Create unforgettable memories in Puerto Vallarta by embarking on the adventure of a lifetime with our wide selection of world-class tours! Learn more about us, Subscribe to our newsletter below, or contact us for more infomation!

Browse our Tours:

Subscribe to our newsletter:

Contact Us: