E-bike Tour in Puerto Vallarta

A fun way to see some of the sights in Puerto Vallarta is to take an e-bike tour. There are multiple tour companies that offer this activity. We chose one offered by Puerto Vallarta Electric Bike Company, located just North of the Malecon. (If you make it to Pepe’s Tacos, you’ve gone too far.) PV Electric Bike Company also offers e-bike rentals without a tour, which is perfect for those who know the area.

About the Bike Tour

Our 4-hour tour started at 10:00 am, which is when we arrived. In hindsight, we should have arrived about 20 minutes early to choose the best bikes for us.

Our bilingual tour guide’s name was Daniel. He was accommodating and enthusiastic about his job. He also offered to use our phones and take photos for everyone.

From the bike shop, we rode down the bike lane on the Malecon down to the pier at Los Muertos Beach. The guide stopped to give us time to take photos, but our group opted out since we all knew the area.

Our guide then led us out of town and into the Sierra Madres. Riding through the countryside was a highlight, as most people are never exposed to these authentic neighborhoods.

After about 2 miles, the cobblestones turned into packed gravel or dirt. All of this was easily managed by the fat tires on the bikes. Nonetheless, the bikes do not have suspensions. They aren’t the lazyboy of bicycles, but you can handle it!

The guide took us through some easily managed hills until we made it to our destination, a restaurant alongside the Rio Cuale. The restaurant has a full bar and a decent size menu. The prices are reasonable. 

The return trip was a breeze since it was mostly downhill.

About the Bikes

The bikes are fat tire e-mountain bikes. They have a throttle for full-time electrical power with pedal assist. This basically means that the bikes are electric “motorcycles” that require you to pedal when going uphill. 

The Tour company has both rear and front hub-driven bikes. Rear-driven bikes are our preference, as they are much more efficient and handle uphill climbs easier. It also prevents issues of spinning out that can happen with a front-wheel, hub-driven bike. 

The bikes have a saddlebag over the rear wheel to store personal items like water, extra clothing, and a phone. This is a nice feature so the rider doesn’t have to bring a backpack or a fanny pack. The tour company also provides helmets.

Practical Matters

Address – Avenida Mexico, Unit 1237, Av México, 5 de Diciembre, 48350 Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco

Tickets – $70 USD, credit cards accepted

What to Wear – Wear typical exercise attire, including comfortable sneakers. You might also want to wear sunscreen and bug repellent.

Extras – Bring extra cash for lunch and a tip for your guide

Would we do it again? – Yes