Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR) — Attraction in Jalisco

My recent experience at Puerto Vallarta Airport was a nightmare, and I feel it's crucial to warn other international travelers about the dangers lurking within the customs area and the immediate exit, known locally as "the shark tank." Immediately after exiting customs, we were approached by smooth-talking individuals who turned out to be "timeshare sharks." They lure unsuspecting tourists with incredibly enticing offers: deep discounts on tours, free tequila (the cheap stuff, of course), free breakfast, taxi rides, horseback riding – you name it, they've got a "deal" for it at massive discounts. The catch? You have to meet them to be escorted to another hotel for a "short, free breakfast and presentation." Do not fall for this! This "short presentation" turns into hours of relentless, high-pressure tactics designed to strong-arm you into buying a timeshare. You are practically held hostage until you either cave or manage to forcefully extract yourself from the situation. We were scammed out of 2000 pesos in this initial interaction. The fact that these crooks are allowed to operate so brazenly right after customs is appalling and reflects poorly on the airport and the local authorities. Adding to this horrific experience, we also had a terrifying encounter within the customs area itself. My spouse was targeted by suspicious customs agents and accused of traveling with "unauthorized medication" – medication that requires a prescription to use in Mexico. These agents then attempted to extort $500 American dollars cash only with the threat of immediate incarceration if we didn't pay. This was a blatant act of corruption and left us feeling incredibly vulnerable, targeted, and deeply shaken in what should have been a secure and official environment. My strongest advice to all international travelers arriving at Puerto Vallarta Airport is to be extremely vigilant from the moment you enter customs and especially in the area immediately after exiting, known as "the shark tank." Do not engage with anyone offering overly good deals or transportation in this area. Be meticulously aware of Mexican customs regulations regarding medications and have all necessary documentation readily available. The combination of predatory scammers operating openly and potentially corrupt officials within the airport makes this a particularly dangerous arrival point for tourists. This experience has left a very negative impression of Puerto Vallarta and the way tourists are treated upon arrival. Please learn from our ordeal and exercise extreme caution if you travel through this airport. Photo is of "the...

My traveling group and were at awe as we have never seen such huge amount of travelers coming to Puerto Vallarta this past week. Incoming or outgoing, there were people all over the place. Grand central

We already know this is the Canadian's months for their "holiday" stay in Vallarta (January and up til April/May).

Despite the unusually large amount of travelers, I felt the airport had staff posted where they're supposed to be. Staff were in high communication with one another. Crowd control, traffic control, food line control, they were all there.

This past Thursday, I wasn't a big fan of the VIP lounge. No bueno. Had nice lounge areas with cushioned chairs and televisions. It just seemed each section was filled with people (upstairs and downstairs). The bar was also packed. There were people standing on the walls hoping to jump on an empty chair somewhere. My traveling group and I got lucky with chairs to sit on but we had split up due to others hogging up the larger area space.

Food was nothing to rave about. Wheat bread, toast, spreads, cookies and a croissant sandwich on display. Nothing special . A lot of staff in the kitchen but they could not produce enough food for the amount of people that were at the lounge.

It was time for us to leave which was around 130 pm. As we walk out, we see salads and some chicken dish of some sort. Bummer. If you're looking for meal, even a small bite to eat meal, this is not the VIP lounge to go to. You're better off going outside of the lounge to eat, select the food you want and will come to you in no time. If you want to sit on cushioned chairs with TVs, then this is the lounge to go to. That is, if there's any room for chairs to sit on. Hoping on my next visit to the lounge, adequate food amount will be offered.

Also, you will find parts of the airport that does not get good signal. Often times, no signal at all. This happens in the center area of main food court (leads to the bottom floor gates and to the newer gates of the airport).

The bottom gates feel old and dungeon-like. When it's crowded, you may find yourself either standing around or on the floor, against a wall. Typical sight to see.

There's plenty of taxis, shuttles etc. You can also take Ubers but will not offer pick-ups at airport. Uber pick ups are usually outside of airport premises, over the cat walk bridge. It's about a 5-10 minute walk across.

Vallarta is one of our favorite Mexican cities to travel to. So, we just go on about our day, enjoy the flights and embrace the airport's amenities and...

Better organized than ever. A few things to take into consideration. Incoming you will get two forms on the plane to fill out a) A customs declaration b) An immigration form. The immigration form has a top part and a smaller bottom part both on the English side of the sheet. You must fill out both and when you clear immigration they will give you the bottom part which you should keep in your passport in the hotel safe, or some safe place. You will never need to carry around your passport, and right now consular services are limited and it will take quite some time to get a replacement. c) You must keep that bottom part of the immigration form they give back to you since it is required to exit. If you lose it there will be a fine. d) once past immigration you pick up your bags and get into the customs queue (aduana). There you will need your customs declaration and once at the station you will need to press a button that will show green or red. This is randomized. If red shows all your bags including carry on items will go through a scanner and inspected by hand. The will literally go through every bag, packing cube, everything. Curiosity and the pretense of working ( 'hueseando' it is called). Then there is the Time-Share Sales horde Gauntlet to pass. Once past there is an official taxi station inside just before the exit. That is where to buy the voucher whose price is fixed, depends on distance divided into zones. Then you'll get walked outside to a taxi. The people who help with your bags are volunteers and depend on tips for a living. Bring some 5$ US bills for tipping since you will get poorer rates inside for exchange. However since you will need some cash until you get to your destination change at most 100$ there. Finally it is a long walk from the jet to immigration and if you are not up for that ask at the ticket counter on departing to have a wheelchair waiting for you at the jet bridge on arrival. This will also speed the process; but please too well since these young folk are not paid and these are still lean, hungry times in PV. Finally having just flown inbound recently I was struck by how many tourists were wearing expensive jewelry or watches. Leave that stuff at home. A Rolex could feed a family of 8 for a...