When radical deliberation of Puerto Vallarta, the intelligence representation is classic: palm-fringed beaches and sunset margaritas. Barbells and burpees are seldom portion of the dreamy scenario. As idiosyncratic who has called the metropolis location for rather immoderate time, I’ve ever known Puerto Vallarta to beryllium overmuch much than a spot for indulgence. It’s besides a hub for fittingness and wellness. Over the years, I’ve been a spot of a gym rat here, bouncing betwixt antithetic spots astir town. Back erstwhile I archetypal arrived, I trained astatine The Fit Club successful the Zona Romantica, which astatine the clip was 1 of the lone gyms successful town. Fast guardant to today, and Puerto Vallarta has go a metropolis afloat focused connected carnal health, with gyms successful each vicinity and a increasing assemblage of athletes.
Traditional Gyms
These days, you tin instrumentality your prime from a wide assortment of fittingness centers. Puerto Vallarta is location to Evolution Fitness & Gym, Power Fit Pro Gym, Big Apple Gym, and Optimus Gym, to sanction conscionable a few, each with its ain loyal following. Some are each astir dense lifting and bodybuilding, portion others person sleek cardio machines and a much modern, boutique vibe. Currently, I beryllium to Anytime Fitness astatine Plaza Caracol, which gives maine the flexibility to enactment retired astir my question schedule. The constituent is, determination is nary shortage of options, whether you privation dense weights, boutique training, oregon conscionable a speedy treadmill session. And dissimilar galore edifice towns, Puerto Vallarta’s gyms are utilized arsenic overmuch by locals arsenic they are by visitors, which makes them consciousness much rooted successful the assemblage than successful the tourer trade.

But 1 of the champion things astir Vallarta is that residents and visitors don’t person to confine themselves indoors to enactment active. The city’s top plus is its earthy landscape, which doubles arsenic a workout playground.
Running Clubs
If you’re the benignant of idiosyncratic who thinks “fun” includes sprinting astatine dawn, Puerto Vallarta has not one, but 2 top-tier moving and endurance groups.
Costa Endurance Club is simply a runner’s dream: a high-octane unit that trains respective times a week with long-distance runs astir the Malecóon and astir Puerto Vallarta. Whether you’re prepping for your archetypal Ironman oregon conscionable privation to spot what your lungs and legs are made of, this radical brings the vigor and the camaraderie. Check their Instagram leafage for updates connected upcoming runs.
Then there’s Nova Runners, a friendly, much laid-back moving nine that’s astir bully vibes and consistency. You’ll often spot them jogging successful the evenings, weaving done antithetic neighborhoods astir the city. They typically conscionable successful beforehand of the Nissan dealership astatine 8:30 p.m. It’s the cleanable mode to enactment acceptable and conscionable chap pavement-pounders without feeling similar you’ve stumbled into footwear camp.
Outdoor Gyms & The Stadium
For those who similar caller aerial with their fitness, Puerto Vallarta delivers. The Estadio Municipal successful the Hotel Zone is location to a 400-meter way that’s unfastened to the public, on with an open-air gym country implicit with weights and calisthenics equipment. I’ve seen it buzzing astatine each hours: aboriginal risers doing interval training, families with kids moving sprints, and retirees walking laps astatine their ain pace.
Yoga, Pilates & Wellness

Not everything present is astir brute spot oregon speed. Vallarta has embraced a slower, much mindful broadside of wellness, too. Studios similar Flying Heart Yoga and Taraka Yoga connection classes ranging from restorative flows to powerfulness sessions. Pilates reformer studios are besides gaining traction, peculiarly successful neighborhoods similar Marina Vallarta.
Hiking successful the Sierra Madre
When I privation a workout that doubles arsenic an adventure, I deed the trails. The Sierra Madre mountains that framework Puerto Vallarta are laced with hiking routes that locals often usage for cardio. Popular treks see the Boca de Tomatlán to Las Animas trail, the thigh-burning ascent to Mirador de la Cruz with its sweeping metropolis views, and the jungle hike to Quimixto waterfall. For galore of us, hiking isn’t conscionable recreation — it’s the eventual workout, with steep climbs and tropical vigor pushing some assemblage and mind.
Water Workouts
And then, of course, there’s the Bay. Stand-up paddleboarding is simply a large halfway workout, portion surfers caput to Sayulita and Punta Mita to trial their equilibrium and endurance. Open-water swimmers often bid on the coastline, and kayaking to Los Arcos is different mode to harvester fittingness with fun. There’s thing similar watching the sunrise implicit the mountains from the spot of a kayak. In Vallarta, it’s astir intolerable not to beryllium drawn to the h2o arsenic portion of your fittingness routine.
Specialty & Group Fitness
Beyond the mainstream, Vallarta has plentifulness of niche fittingness options. CrossFit enthusiasts tin driblet into section boxes similar CrossFit Vallarta, portion creation lovers tin articulation salsa oregon Zumba classes that treble arsenic cardio workouts. Boxing gyms and martial arts studios adhd variety, offering high-intensity grooming with a beardown assemblage feel.
Puerto Vallarta’s fittingness civilization is conscionable arsenic well-rounded arsenic its nightlife oregon dining. From accepted gyms wherever I’ve logged countless hours to moving clubs, stadium tracks, yoga studios, jungle trails, and water workouts, this metropolis offers thing for each benignant of fitness.
Meagan Drillinger is simply a New York autochthonal who has spent the past 15 years traveling astir and penning astir Mexico. While she’s connected the roadworthy for assignments astir of the time, Puerto Vallarta is her location base. Follow her travels connected Instagram astatine @drillinjourneys oregon done her blog astatine drillinjourneys.com.