What's a good 3-day itinerary for Puerto Vallarta?

Start Day 1 at the north end of the Malecón by 8 AM, before the pavement heats up. The boardwalk runs south from Hotel Rosita toward Zona Romántica, lined with bronze sculptures by local and international artists. Stop at Alejandro Colunga's La Rotonda del Mar for the surreal half-human bench seats. Detour two blocks inland to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, where the bell-tower crown is said to be modelled after Empress Carlota's. The Cathedral interior smells of copal incense and melted candle wax. Continue south into Zona Romántica for breakfast at Memo's Pancake House on Basilio Badillo, where banana pancakes run about 130 MXN (roughly 8 USD at current rates). Spend the afternoon at Los Muertos Beach. The sand is coarse and golden brown, not the powder-white you might expect, and the water hovers around 29°C through September. Dinner at La Palapa, right on the sand, where the grilled huachinango a la talla costs about 350 MXN. You eat with your feet in the sand while waves from Banderas Bay land close enough to hear between conversations. About 7 kilometres of walking on Day 1.

Day 2 crosses the Río Cuale into Centro. Isla Río Cuale sits mid-river between two footbridges, with a small Huichol art museum and vendors selling beaded jaguar figures for 200-500 MXN. The fig-tree canopy keeps the island 3-4 degrees cooler than Morelos street above. Walk through the Mercado Municipal for fresh mangos and bags of dried chile de árbol that smell sweet and smoky at the same time. Lunch at El Arrayán on Allende 344, where the mole negro takes two days to prepare and a plate costs about 280 MXN. After lunch, take a city bus 15 minutes north to Marina Vallarta. The Marina Vallarta boardwalk carries a salt-and-diesel scent from the charter fishing boats. A sunset cruise from the marina runs 800-1,200 MXN per person depending on the operator, and September's humidity tends to produce deep orange light over the water. About 5 kilometres of walking on Day 2, plus the bus ride north.

Day 3 leaves town. Take the orange-and-white bus marked El Tuito from the corner of Carranza and Aguacate in Zona Romántica. The ride south on Highway 200 takes about 40 minutes and costs 30 MXN. Get off at the Vallarta Botanical Gardens, opened in 2004 on 80 acres of coastal Sierra Madre jungle above the Horcones River. Entry is 300 MXN. The orchid conservatory holds over 300 species, and the lower trails smell of damp earth and wild vanilla. Swim in the Horcones River pool at the bottom of the property, where the water feels 5-6 degrees cooler than the sea. Catch the bus back north to Boca de Tomatlán by 2 PM and take a water taxi, 100 MXN each way, to Playa Las Ánimas, a cove beach reachable only by boat. Cold Pacífico beers from the beachside palapa cost 50 MXN. The last return taxi typically leaves at 5 PM. About 6 kilometres of walking on Day 3, mostly on garden trails.

September falls in Puerto Vallarta's rainy season. Expect afternoon downpours that last 30-45 minutes, then clear to steam and birdsong. Mornings before 1 PM tend to stay dry. The air sits at 25.7°C with 82% humidity right now, and it feels closer to 30°C. Hotel rates drop roughly 40% from the January peak, which makes September a reasonable trade if you handle heat well. Puerto Vallarta scores 6.8 out of 10 on solo-traveler safety (see the TTDI Solo-Safety Index), and Zona Romántica and the Malecón feel safe on foot past midnight. Taxis within town run 50-80 MXN, and Uber operates in the city. A working daily budget for meals, transport, and one paid activity sits around 1,500-2,000 MXN (90-120 USD).