Town Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit Municipality of Bahía de Banderas Banderas Bay Riviera Nayarit
A working town of about 6,000 people in the farming valley of Bahía de Banderas, between San Vicente and San José del Valle.
From Puerto Vallarta: 25 min by car (22 km by road) How to get there ↓
Near here
Plan your visit to El Porvenir
Where to stay near El Porvenir
Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in El Porvenir.
Tours to El Porvenir
Day trips around Sayulita sometimes stop in El Porvenir; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
Tours from Bucerias
City tour express, Butterfly, tequila, river and beach (free kids)
★ 4.6 (238) · From US$22
How to get to El Porvenir
- From Puerto Vallarta: about 25 min by road (~22 km)
- Nearest airport: Puerto Vallarta (PVR), 41 min by car to Sayulita
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Tours from Bucerias, near El Porvenir
Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.
About El Porvenir
El Porvenir is a town in the inland valley of Bahía de Banderas, the Nayarit municipality that wraps around the north side of the bay from Nuevo Vallarta to Punta de Mita. It sits on the flat land behind the coast, about 20 meters above sea level, and has practically grown together with its neighbors: San Vicente is about a kilometer away and San José del Valle, the most populous town in the municipality, a little farther.
It has grown fast along with the tourist coast. The census counted about 4,300 people in 2005, just over 6,000 in 2010 and 6,166 in 2020, living in some 1,700 homes. More than 60 percent of residents were born outside Nayarit, a sign of how many families have moved here from other states. Nearly every home has electricity and piped water, and most residents are Catholic.
This is not a tourist town but an everyday one, with several schools, small shops, taquerías and a lienzo charro, a ring for Mexican-style rodeo. Its appeal for a visitor is to see the valley side of the bay, away from the resorts, with green hills rising to the north and east: Cerro Las Canoas reaches about 719 meters and Cerro Quelitán about 558. The beaches of Nuevo Vallarta and Bucerías are a short drive away, and there are a couple of small hotels in town.
How to get to El Porvenir
Drive from Puerto Vallarta: 25 min, 22 km
El Porvenir lies inland from Nuevo Vallarta and Bucerías, on the valley roads between San José del Valle and San Vicente; by car or taxi it is roughly half an hour from Puerto Vallarta. Regional buses of Autotransportes Medina (ATM) leave Puerto Vallarta (Las Glorias, the Walmart near the marina and the airport pedestrian bridge) for the towns of the Bahía de Banderas valley, such as Valle de Banderas.
Directions to El Porvenir on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to El Porvenir
- Puerto Vallarta · 22 km by road, 25 min
- Tepic · 155 km by road, 2 h 10 min
- Autlán · about 185 km by road, ~2 h 45 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Map of El Porvenir
Neighbourhoods and villages of El Porvenir
Part of El Porvenir or just outside it, closest first.
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San Vicente · Town · 1 km from the centre
The most populous town of Bahía de Banderas, a valley town named for Saint Vincent Ferrer, with a church, a kiosk plaza and lively food streets. -
San José del Valle · Town · 2 km from the centre
One of the biggest towns of Bahía de Banderas, a fast-growing valley town near the Ameca River whose fiesta of Saint Joseph fills the streets each March. -
San Clemente de Lima · Town · 4 km from the centre
Young valley town next to Mezcales that grew from a hamlet of under 200 people to nearly 10,000 in fifteen years; named for Saint Clement. -
Santa Rosa Tapachula · Village · 4 km from the centre
Small farming village of the Bahía de Banderas valley, just south-east of the municipal seat, Valle de Banderas, far from the resort coast.
Day trips and tours from El Porvenir
The closest Pueblos Mágicos and places to visit, with the drive from El Porvenir and tours that leave from it.
Times marked ~ are estimated from the distance. Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Before you go: getting to and around El Porvenir
- The nearest airport is Puerto Vallarta (PVR).
- The best months to go are March, April, May, and November.
- 2 of the places on this page are more than 3 km from the centre: take a taxi, a ride-hailing app or a local bus.
- For day trips a rental car gives the most freedom; the tours above leave from El Porvenir.
Visiting El Porvenir: what to see and do
Walk the streets of an everyday valley town, away from the resorts.
Catch a charreada or local event at the lienzo charro when one is on.
Eat at the taquerías and cenadurías of El Porvenir and neighboring San Vicente.
Look up at Cerro Las Canoas and Cerro Quelitán, the green hills that close the valley.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in El Porvenir
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around El Porvenir.
Tours & activities
Day trips around Sayulita sometimes stop in El Porvenir; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at PVR (Puerto Vallarta): about 41 min by road to Sayulita, then 24 km more to El Porvenir, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Puerto Vallarta (PVR), about 41 min by road from Sayulita, the base for El Porvenir.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Sayulita: download a map of the way to El Porvenir before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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When to go to El Porvenir warm
El Porvenir shares the climate of Sayulita, 24 km away. The best months to visit are March, April, May, and November.
See the month-by-month climate of Sayulita
Weather in El Porvenir now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
The closest Pueblo Mágico: Sayulita
Sayulita is the Pueblo Mágico closest to El Porvenir, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Mascota · Jalisco · 54 km away
- Talpa de Allende · Jalisco · 60 km away
- Compostela · Nayarit · 64 km away
- San Sebastián del Oeste · Jalisco · 70 km away
Near El Porvenir
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.