Escape Puerto Vallarta Crowds At A Secret Scenic Town Hidden In The Sierra Madre Mountains
If thumping reggaeton and slick, stylized streets don't fit your expectations of an authentic Mexican getaway, leave Puerto Vallarta and head to the highlands. Climbing from palms to pines as the altitude increases, the small, secluded towns of the Sierra Madres start to come into view. Named "the place of God" in the native Nahuatl, the structures that shape the colorful streets today were largely built by Spanish colonizers between the 16th and 18th centuries. Yet its bucolic surroundings, mountainous vantage, and views over the sharp, jutting agave plants that line the fields long pre-date its European-style laneways.
El Tuito is easily accessible from the coastal hotel hub of Puerto Vallarta, less than an hour's journey on the scenic ascending roads will take you to the small town. While there is never really a winter in sunny Jalisco state, there is a rainy season. Travel between October and May to bypass the showers and enjoy consistent sunshine.
Take a guided tour of El Tuito, high in the Jalisco mountains
Book an El Tuito Town Tour with Viator to traverse the historic pueblo with a knowledgeable guide, taking you through the storied streets that surround the central plaza and church. The tour travels through the agave-spotted knolls to the hilltop cemetery, standing sentinel above the scenic pueblo. It'll also offer you the chance to taste authentic, tried, and tested Mexican cuisine, and to taste sips or purchase a bottle of locally-distilled tequila for your next creative tequila cocktail endeavor. Take your time to stroll around the traditional serrano streets, tinted ochre by their base of Jalisco clay.
Travel on a Sunday for the chance to experience the street markets ubiquitous across Mexico's pueblos magicos. Peruse the stalls that line cobbled lanes from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday. The gathering of artisanal vendors, dubbed El Mercadito for its relative size, includes everything from hand-embroidered traditional clothing to sauce-laden tacos de guisado. Shop for handcrafted décor to take home or simply gorge on the local goods sold by cheesemongers, bakers, and street food chefs across the market.