Puerto Vallarta is the only one of Mexico’s five main cruise ports showing negative numbers this year. Sectur’s January–May 2025 report lists 86 arrivals and 265,098 passengers, slight drops of 1.1% and 0.7%. That puts the city in fifth place, and the gap with Yucatán’s Puerto Progreso is almost gone. If current trends continue through July, Progreso’s surge could push Vallarta down another notch.
The contrast with its Pacific rivals is sharp. Ensenada handled 138 arrivals and 481,453 passengers, up 16% and 28.4%. Cabo San Lucas registered 118 arrivals and 410,648 passengers, jumps of 21.6% in ship calls and 34.2% in passengers. Both ports are widening the distance from Puerto Vallarta after several seasons of steady growth.
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Progreso’s surge threatens Vallarta’s rank
Puerto Progreso sits just behind Vallarta with 80 arrivals and 220,200 passengers. The year-over-year leap—116.2% in arrivals and 93.9% in passengers—is the biggest among the top ports. Sectur’s data through May already hinted at an overtake; figures through July are expected to confirm it. For Vallarta, staying in the top five now depends on reversing that mild but stubborn slide in traffic.
Caribbean ports dominate the market
The Gulf-Caribbean trio—Cozumel, Majahual, and Progreso—accounts for almost 70% of all cruise passengers entering Mexico. Cozumel remains untouchable at the top with 618 arrivals and 2,159,540 passengers, edging up 3.5% and 1.2%. Majahual continues its rapid climb, recording 271 arrivals and 1,092,336 passengers, up 15.3% and 11.9%. Their scale and momentum leave Pacific ports competing for the remaining third of the market.
Pacific reshuffle leaves Mazatlán further back
Mazatlán, once a consistent player, has slipped harder than Vallarta. It logged 55 arrivals and 162,526 passengers, declines of 3.5% and a steep 24.6%. Together, the two Pacific “losers” underscore how uneven the recovery has been since cruising resumed at full speed. Investment patterns, itinerary design by major lines, and on-shore spending opportunities appear to be steering ships elsewhere—factors Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlán will have to confront with data-driven strategies rather than optimism alone.
What Vallarta must watch next
The next two reporting periods will tell whether Puerto Vallarta’s dip is a blip or a new baseline. Sectur’s full July numbers should confirm if Progreso has already passed it. For now, the Puerto Vallarta cruise tourism decline is measurable, not catastrophic, but it signals a need to refine the port’s value proposition in a market that is clearly rewarding rapid growth and diversified shore experiences on both coasts.
Puerto Vallarta, Cruise tourism, Sectur, Cozumel, Majahual, Ensenada, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Progreso, Yucatán, Mazatlán, Mexican ports, Cruise passengers 2025, Tourism statistics, Mexican Caribbean, Pacific coast, Mexico tourism
