Puerto Vallarta is set to get a bigger role on the cruise map. The Jalisco resort city has won the right to develop a cruise homeport, meaning ships will be able to start or finish their voyages there instead of just stopping by for a few hours. Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus announced the news in mid-September, saying the tender to build the terminal has already been published.
It beat out some serious rivals to get there. Mazatlán, Los Cabos and Nayarit all pitched for the project, but Puerto Vallarta's National Port System Administration (Asipona) came out on top and issued the international tender. Mexican and foreign companies with experience running cruise terminals can bid, though they'll need to show net worth or subscribed equity of at least 200 million pesos (around US$11.65 million) as of the end of 2025.
Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, with the terminal operational by 2029. Once running, it could effectively double the port's dock capacity. Lemus sketched out what the itineraries might look like: a ship starting in Puerto Vallarta, sailing on to Los Cabos, and ending in Los Angeles - the kind of route that's only possible if the port can handle embarkation and disembarkation.
For travellers, the change is more than technical. Right now, cruise visitors get a same-day taste of the Malecón, the shops and the restaurants before the ship sails on. As a homeport, Puerto Vallarta becomes a place you stay, not just visit. Lemus estimates passengers will add an average of two hotel nights either side of their cruise, plus spending on meals, tours and experiences. He also wants ship provisioning - the food and supplies loaded on board - sourced locally, which would funnel more money into the regional economy.
The timing isn't accidental. Puerto Vallarta has seen visitor numbers dip, hurt by a weaker dollar against the peso and the fallout from the capture and death of drug lord Nemesio 'El Mencho' Oseguera Cervantes in February. A homeport is being positioned as a long-term fix, turning the city into an origin point for Pacific coast cruising rather than a footnote on someone else's itinerary.
Why it matters: if you've ever skipped a Mexican Pacific cruise because of the long flight-plus-transfer to a Californian departure port, this flips the equation. From 2029, you could fly straight into Puerto Vallarta, spend a couple of days on the beach or in the Sierra Madre foothills, and board there. Cruise lines like Carnival and Royal Caribbean are the names being floated as potential operators. In the meantime, the city remains one of Mexico's most popular resort destinations on its own terms - the homeport just gives you a reason to book a few extra nights.