I have spent enough time working from Puerto Vallarta condos to know that the first hour matters. If you are arriving in Amapas with your partner and plan to work during your stay, a quick arrival routine helps you settle in without wasting your first afternoon searching for Wi-Fi, water, groceries, or keys.
Amapas is my favorite place to rent for a workcation because it feels quiet and residential while keeping you close to Old Town and Zona Romantica. The hills are real, though, so we always arrive with a simple plan.
Use this checklist before you open your laptop for the first workday.
1. Confirm your transport before leaving the airport
The first item on our checklist is getting from the airport to the condo without confusion.
If you use an app-based car service, check the current airport pickup instructions before ordering. Airport pickups may require walking outside the terminal area and using the pedestrian bridge to meet your driver at the approved location.
If you take a taxi, confirm the fare before getting into the vehicle. It is also useful to carry some Mexican pesos because smaller shops, buses, and some taxis may prefer cash.
Save these details in your phone before you leave the airport:
- The condo address
- Your host’s phone number
- The building name
- Your check-in instructions
- A screenshot of the entrance location
- A backup meeting point nearby
Amapas has winding streets and hillside entrances. Having the exact building information ready makes arrival much easier, especially if one person is handling luggage while the other is checking messages.
2. Find the keys and test every entrance
Do not assume that the first key you receive opens every door.
As soon as we arrive, we test the building entrance, gate, unit door, and any additional lock. If the condo uses a keypad or smart lock, we confirm the code and ask what to do if the batteries stop working.
Make sure you know:
- Where the lockbox is located
- Which key opens the main entrance
- How to lock the condo from inside
- Whether there is a spare key
- How to contact the host after regular hours
- Where building staff can be found, if applicable
I also take a quick look at the door and window locks before unpacking. It takes less than two minutes and gives us peace of mind for the rest of the stay.
If you are arriving after dark or after a long travel day, ask your host for clear instructions about stairs and entrances. Some Amapas buildings sit above the street, and the final walk can include steps.
3. Test Wi-Fi before unpacking fully
For a digital nomad couple, Wi-Fi comes before the suitcase.
Find the router and write down the network name and password. Then connect both laptops, phones, and any tablet or work device you plan to use. Run a speed test from the main workspace, not just beside the router.
Check these points:
- Download speed
- Upload speed
- Video-call stability
- Signal strength at the desk
- Signal strength in the bedroom
- Available Ethernet connection, if provided
- Router location and power connection
We always make a short test call before settling in. A two-minute video call quickly shows whether the audio, camera, and connection are working properly.
If your work depends on large file uploads or long meetings, prepare a backup connection before you need it. A local SIM, mobile hotspot, or nearby café can save the day if the building network has an interruption.
4. Create two workable spaces
Two people do not always need two offices, but we do need a clear plan.
Choose the strongest Wi-Fi location first. Then decide who will use the table, who will use a second surface, and where each person will take calls. Even a small condo feels easier when the work zones are agreed on before Monday morning.
Our basic setup looks like this:
- One person uses the main table
- The second person works from a counter or separate chair
- Headphones stay charged and within reach
- Chargers remain in one place
- Calls are scheduled so both people are not speaking at once
- Breaks happen outside the work area
Look for comfortable seating, useful outlets, natural daytime light, and a background that works for video meetings. If the chair is not comfortable, use a folded towel or cushion rather than waiting until your back hurts.
The goal is not to make the condo feel like an office. It is to create enough order that work does not take over the whole stay.
5. Check water and basic utilities
Water is the next priority.
Ask whether the condo has filtered drinking water, a large purified-water jug, or another safe refill system. The Casa Hummingbird and Casa Vizcarra 1 listings both highlight filtered drinking water, but we still confirm the exact setup when we arrive.
Before the first grocery trip, check:
- Where drinking water is stored
- How the filter works
- How to request a refill
- Whether the hot water works
- Whether the air conditioner or fans work
- Where the circuit breaker is located
- Whether every outlet you need is working
We use purified or bottled water for drinking and usually for brushing our teeth as well. Keeping one refillable bottle beside each workspace also helps us stay hydrated during calls.
If you bring equipment from another country, check your chargers and adapters before plugging in everything at once. A compact surge protector is helpful for a work setup with several devices.
6. Make one smart grocery run
Do not wait until the middle of your first meeting day to discover there is no coffee or breakfast.
Our first grocery list is simple:
- Purified drinking water
- Coffee or tea
- Milk or a preferred alternative
- Eggs
- Bread or tortillas
- Yogurt
- Fruit
- Nuts or easy snacks
- Sandwich or salad ingredients
- Cooking oil, salt, and basic spices
- Toiletries and any regular medication
We prefer to buy enough for the first two mornings and a few easy lunches. That gives us time to learn the neighborhood instead of making several rushed trips.
Bring a reusable bag and keep small notes about where you found water, coffee, pharmacy items, and quick snacks. A neighborhood shop may be perfect for small daily needs, while a larger supermarket works better for a full workweek.
If you want to cook, check the kitchen before shopping. Look for a refrigerator, coffee maker, pans, knives, plates, and basic utensils. This prevents us from buying ingredients that we cannot easily prepare.
7. Walk the neighborhood before the workweek
Once the bags are inside, spend 30 to 60 minutes learning the immediate area.
We locate:
- The nearest convenience shop
- A pharmacy
- An ATM
- A grocery option
- The easiest route downhill
- A backup route home
- A café suitable for a work emergency
- A reliable pickup point for cars
Amapas is hilly, with steps and uneven streets in places. We usually walk down toward the beach and the restaurants, then use a car for the return when we are carrying groceries or feeling tired.
Wear shoes with a good grip and take water with you. The neighborhood orientation is not a race. It is simply a way to understand how long each trip takes before a meeting starts.
If one of you needs to arrive alone first, share your live location and keep the building address saved offline. That small step makes the first entry much less stressful.
8. Finish with a workcation safety check
Before the first workday, we do one final review:
- Both phones are charged
- The Wi-Fi password is saved
- The backup data plan works
- The keys are in one known place
- Drinking water is available
- Breakfast is ready
- The workspace is comfortable
- The host’s number is saved
- A backup work location is identified
- The next day’s transport is understood
I also set a shared note with the building address, emergency contacts, grocery stops, and check-in information. It is much easier than searching through messages while carrying bags or joining a meeting.
Related resources
For a stay built around working comfortably in Amapas, Casa Hummingbird and Casa Vizcarra 1 are two options we keep in our rotation. Property details can change, so review the full pages before booking.
- zona romantica puerto vallarta rentals : Gold Standard property resource for Casa Hummingbird.
- condos for rent in puerto vallarta : Gold Standard property resource for Casa Vizcarra 1.
- Our packing guide for remote workers : Gold Standard internal resource for work gear and hillside walking essentials.
- Our Amapas neighborhood orientation guide : Gold Standard internal resource for local work routines and nearby options.
- See our latest updates on Facebook : Gold Standard official social resource.
Amapas is highly recommended for couples and digital nomads who want a calm, connected base near the best of Puerto Vallarta. Arrive prepared, test the essentials first, and your workcation can feel smooth from the very first afternoon.
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