Top 4
Mexican Riviera cruise ports

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Puerto Vallarta

It's the best overall Mexican Riviera cruise destination. Puerto Vallarta is celebrated for its nightlife, restaurants, boutiques, ritzy yachts, and beautiful bay.

Acapulco

World famous for its gorgeous bay and La Quebrada cliff divers.  Acapulco also boasts exciting clubbing and dining as well as good shopping and water sports.

Zihuatanejo

Was once laid back, but still holds on to some of its charm. Note: The nearby resort town Ixtapa lacks Zihuatanejo's appealing character.

Cabo San Lucas

The sea arch El Arcos is the iconic landmark.  The Cabo San Lucas area is noted for water sports, wintertime whale watching, game fishing, upscale resorts, and partying youths.

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Note on Mazatlan

Excellent for deep sea fishing (especially for marlin). Historic town cathedrals are a main draw.

Shortcomings: Mazatlan is too much of a commercial port for tourism. And visitor safety is now an issue, enough for some major cruise lines to drop it from their Mexican Riviera itineraries.

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Mexican Riviera cruise
port runner's up

The top runner-up is Manzanillo. The least exciting ports of call in the Mexican Riviera are Ensenada and Guaymas.

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Best time to go

More tips & insights

World's Top 100 Wonders

World's Top 1000 Wonders

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Mexico Tourism Board

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