Traveling in Puerto Vallarta with Teens - Taco and Street Food Tour
Let's be honest... teens love to eat, (and sleep). During two separate trips to Puerto Vallarta, food took center-stage with our ravenous teens. We set out on a food adventure with the goal to try new culinary options, and I'd say, we met that goal!
Vallarta Eats Food Tours - As a family, we highly recommend the Vallarta Eats Food Tour's Signature Taco and Street Food Tour! This may have been a highlight of our escape to Puerto Vallarta as we were treated to five hours of exploring "the best of Puerto Vallarta". The foodies who design this tour have taken their job to heart and have truly fleshed out food that goes on my Top 10 Favorites List! All four of our teens gave this extensive tour the thumbs-up.
We did say food "adventures" didn't we?
With our lovely and well-informed guide, Estrella, we visited more than 14 tasting locations to include family-run restaurants and taco stands.
Take this tour at the beginning of your trip to find out where the best food can be found. We ended up returning to our "favorites" throughout our week-long visit. Book in advance, and go hungry.
Our morning started with Tacos de Birria (meat stew marinated in chiles), fresh pastries, ceviche (seafood cooked in lime juice) tostada, a butchers for fresh chicharrones (pork rind), Seafood Chile Relleno, Shrimp Brochette, fresh tortillas from the conveyer belt after watching the tortilla-making process, Tuba (coconut drink), Tacos de Carne Asada (Grilled beef), Mole sauces, Mexican candies and artisanal chocolate and liqueurs at Azteca, La Michoacana for sorbets and paletas.
Stop number two - fresh-baked pastries and local specialties. We loved the "elephant ear" like treats, the pineapple turnovers and really everything we tried.
Our third stop was an actual open-air "restaurant" with delicious quesadillas.
The Vallarta Eats Food Tour group is ranked as number one tour in Puerto Vallarta on Trip Advisor and we agree hands-down that it is not something to miss!
Our fourth stop turned out to be the boys' favorite - the Carnitas Pork Taco and the authentic Mexican Coca-Cola (yes, it really does taste different than what you would buy in the U.S.).
Although we don't have "proof" of our tasting (and honestly, really loving) the Chicarrones, fresh and hot pork rinds (okay, get rid of your preconceived notions about what these would taste like as they proved to be addicting), we took samples home in our bags and had them as snacks all week.
The Shrimp Brochettes from Cisnero's were Todd's favorite stop. This family-owned taco stand was right outside their restaurant (with a restroom!) and they had an extensive menu with more complicated creations.
We loved sitting around the food stand watching the cooking and preparation.
The best Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos of my life were unearthed at Marisma's fish taco stand! We went back for more a few days later. The Mahi Mahi was incredibly fresh, lightly battered, perfectly seasoned and
We loved visiting the municipal market area to include the Tortillera where we experienced fresh tortillas hot off the press. We also learned how to roll and salt our tortilla for a quick snack, just like the Jalisco locals.
Our guide took us to her favorite place to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables. We learned about chiles of the region, sniffed teas, sampled vegetables, and learned how to select the region's finest produce.
We were getting so full by the time we made it to the El Colera restaurant for Ceviche Tostadas.
You can tell that the Vallarta Eats Food Tour group are true foodies and have done their research and curated an interesting selection of tastes. They teach you about the culinary culture of Mexico and favorites of the locals. We were taught what to look for, in terms of food safety eating at food carts, for venturing out on our own.
We loved the variety of Agua Fresca sampled at each location. Each restaurant or food cart made their own Agua Fresca with a variety of fruits and that became another experience in itself as we'd compare and contrast the fruit blends at each stop.
Vallarta Eats Food Tours take photographs throughout the day and then e-mail each guest with a link to the photos and a list of all the foods along the tour in addition to the location of where to return.
The boys loved the Birria Taco Dorado and the Carnitas Pork Taco near Insurgentes.
The quesadillas with adobada pork and tacos from El Moreno near Constitution were the girls' favorites.
We all adored the fresh fruit chunk-laden Paletas and sorbet from La Michoacana (on the corner of Francisco Madero and Constitucion). We returned later in the week for these creations.
Just when we thought we were finishing our tour with these amazing paletas, we were whisked to yet another shop, the Azteca Candy Shop! Not only did we sample sweets unique to Mexico, but our guide taught us about the process of how foods were made.
I appreciated the care that was shown in being aware of my daughter's food allergies to nuts. Not only did the company e-mail me prior to our tour inquiring about the allergy, but great care was demonstrated throughout the tour.
We all agreed that we would do another Vallarta Eats Food Tour in a heartbeat as this was a highlight of our trip. This was a great value in price for as much food as we received, while exposing us to the best street food with a delightful guide! With our trusted guide Estrella, our teens tasted every single food sample offered to them, which was impressive in itself. I wish more cities offered food tours such as this as it provides tourists with a beneficial service, an insider's vantage point, and a curated experience of a city.
*This was a completely unbiased review as I was NOT compensated for anything to write this. I want to share with anyone (regardless if you travel with teens or not) who visits Puerto Vallarta that this tour is a MUST! Kudos to Vallarta Eats Food Tours! We can't wait to return and try another tour.
Next up we will review another favorite Puerto Vallarta excursion - The Vallarta Adventures Sea Safari, Hidden Beaches, and Snorkel full-day excursion, an outstanding adventure perfect for traveling in Puerto Vallarta with teens (and adults)!
