Away from the tourist scene near Puerto Vallarta?

My husband and I are going to Puerto Vallarta in April for a relative's wedding. Big resorts and touristy areas are not the way we usually travel. We are not into the bar scene and would rather experience culture and nature. We prefer the "off the beaten trail" traveling, eating where the locals eat, and we love outdoor activities both land and sea. So are they any cool day trips or special places (eateries, beaches, hikes, etc...) in the area that anyone can recommend?

Thanks

The best thing to do is to sign up for the bulletin board on "www.vallartainfo.com". It is the place to find out first-hand from locals, on places to go and things to do. Ask JR and the others, and look up what others have asked by using "search"
You will find the best places to stay. We stay in a house up on a hill in colonia Emiliano Zapata, walking distance to downtown and the the Romantic Zone, but with Mexican neighbors. There is a nice B&B. Casa Dixie, in a nearby neighborhood (very inexpensive) and beautiful B&B, up the hill from us, Casa Isabel. There are small hotels used mostly by Mexicans. There are many small towns and beaches for day trips. You can volunteer to help out at a charity like Children of the Dump, which helps feed and educate over 2,500 kids. There are good local museums, places to learn Spanish, and just going down to the Malecon (boardwalk), especially on Sunday night (or any night) will allow you to people watch and be a part of the native life. Try visiting a Huichol village, who still live the tradiltional life, as they have for thousands of years. Their yarn and bead art is all over town, but the best place to get the best art is at "Peyote People". Just google any of these places or ask on the message board. They also meet every Saturday, though it is at a bar, it still is great for finding out what is going on.
As a chef, I can guarantee that PV has one of the best and most vibrant restaurant scenes, for 4 table "hole-in-the-walls" that serve wonderful family-style food, to world class restaurants, serving nuevo, traditional, family, regional, ancient, and fusion styles of Mexican food. You must go to El Arrayan, where Carmen Porras strives to save all the traditonal foods, spices, and recipes from all over Mexico.
Local taco stands are safe to eat at, and often cost less than $1.00 each. You are lucky to be going to paradise. Enjoy.

I would recommend a little town near puerto vallarta called "bucer铆as", it's more typical and people is really nice. Other cool place you should visit is Punta de Mita it's about an hour but it's great if you like shipping. For outdoor activities i would recommend something in puerto vallarta since they are more organized and safe.

Good luck in your trip

I hope this helps.