3 mountains · within 60 km
There are 3 mountains within 60 km of Puerto Vallarta in a straight line, an hour or a little more by road. The closest is Cerro del Mono, 32 km away; the farthest, Cerro El Molcajete, is 48 km. They are listed under the Pueblos Mágicos of Mascota and San Sebastián del Oeste, which make good bases.
Start early: summits are usually clearest in the morning, and rainy-season afternoons bring clouds and storms. Nights get cold at altitude.
Best months, when most of these towns are dry with comfortable afternoons: Mar, Apr, May, Nov.
The Mountains 3
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Cerro del Mono · Mountain · 32 km from Puerto Vallarta · Nayarit
Monkey Mountain: a rocky 320 m summit above Higuera Blanca, between Punta de Mita and Sayulita, with a 360-degree view of the Pacific coast. -
Cerro de la Bufa · Mountain · 42 km from Puerto Vallarta · Near San Sebastián del Oeste
The peak above San Sebastián, over 2,400 m high: on clear days you look down on the clouds and out to Banderas Bay. -
Cerro El Molcajete · Mountain · 48 km from Puerto Vallarta · Near Mascota
An extinct volcanic cone just north of Mascota; a steep, forested climb rewarded with a view over the whole valley and town.
On the map
Distances are in a straight line; roads add about a third.
Where to stay
The Pueblos Mágicos these places are closest to, each with hotels, food and getting-there notes.
More places like these
More around Puerto Vallarta
Mountains elsewhere
Names and locations from OpenStreetMap; notes and write-ups are our own.