How to Spend a Day in Green Valley, Arizona

Green Valley, Arizona is perfectly located just 20 miles south of Tucson and 40 miles north of the border, along the western edge of the Santa Cruz River. 

Its small town comforts are mere minutes away from large city convenience. Green Valley has plenty to offer: from superb dining and museum experiences to outdoor adventures, relaxing nightcaps, and more.

This is how to spend a day in Green Valley, Arizona.

About Green Valley, Arizona

Green Valley is one of the largest retirement communities in the world. 77% of its 21,000 residents is made up of retirees! This town is also known for its outdoor accessibility and beauty of the surrounding desert vistas.

Surrounded by the Santa Rita Mountains and old copper mines, Green Valley, Arizona, was founded in 1964. It’s a part of the San Ignacio de las Canoa Land Grant given to New Spain in the 16th century. 

While the semi-arid hot desert climate offers over 90 degree summer days, its mild winter is what really draws people in. From October through March it is generally 70 degrees with lows in the mid 30’s.  If you like the heat, the summer season from April to June and monsoon season of July through September have temps in the 90’s and hotter with lows in the 60’s.

Regardless of whether you’re visiting, living or just passing through Green Valley, you’ll find quite the history here. Also wonderful people, desert beauty, and a gateway to the beauty of the Southwest.

Morning

Breakfast at JerryBobs

Address: 1325 Duval Mine Rd., Green Valley, AZ

Menu options: JerryBobs serves all day breakfast and lunch. It’s the perfect place to go to start your day in Green Valley! With skillet breakfasts such as chicken fried steak and fiesta skillets, you’ve got your home fries, eggs and more all piled high together in one masterpiece.  Rather have an omelet or even a simpler breakfast? Try their BYO omelets or a plate of ham and eggs, chorizo and eggs, and more.  Got a sweet tooth?  Pancakes, French toast and waffles are another breakfast option.  

Reasons to love it: JerryBobs is a good ole’ American diner. With quick service, good food and a down-home feeling, you’ll feel as though you’ve walked into your favorite diner.

Explore the Green Valley Farmers Market

After breakfast, head on over to the Green Valley Farmers Market.  This market is open year-round on Wednesday mornings. At the farmers market, you’ll find a colorful array of assorted foods and goods.

Strolling past the local coffee shops and food vendors, you might need a snack or two! Enjoy the flavors as you peruse the beautiful Southwestern art and jewelry.

Afternoon

Eat lunch at Marti’s Bistro

Address: 101 S. La Canada Dr., #68, Green Valley, AZ

Menu Options: Marti’s Bistro offers a variety of lunch options, all with a Southwestern flair. If you’re in the mood for salads, they’ve got unique ones to choose from such as the sunflower salad to the spicy chicken pepper salad, to the traditional taco salad.

Want more of a true Southwestern dish? Try their Swiss enchiladas, Santa Fe burger or tostada and taco plates. 

Reasons to love it: Only open for lunch, Marti’s Bistro in Green Valley, Arizona, can focus on one thing and one thing only, terrific food geared towards your lunchtime needs.

Not only will you get a great meal, but the presentation is quite artistic with its colorful arrays of veggies and fruit plates. The ambiance here matches the food – both wonderful!

Visit the Titan Missile Museum

Looking for a unique experience for your day in Green Valley, Arizona?  Then you need to visit the Titan Missile Museum, a one-of-a-kind museum that focuses on the last of the 54 Titan II missile sites on alert in the U.S. from 1963 to 1987.

You’ll experience time as though you were standing on the front lines of the Cold War. This site was once one of America’s top secrets where technology was used to deter a nuclear war.

On your tour you’ll experience a simulated launch, view the launch control center and view the Titan II missile up close.  Tickets are $13.50 for adults with discounted tickets available for children and seniors.  

Explore Colossal Cave

Located in Vail, Arizona, a mere 24 miles east of Green Valley, Colossal Cave Mountain Park offers caving for most ability levels.  Want to bring your entire family on a caving adventure? Then check out the Classic Cave Tour.  Tickets are $18 for adults with discounts for children and seniors and takes about 40 minutes. 

You’ll descend six stories to view stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, box work, and helictites that were sculpted by millions of years of geological activity.

Feeling a bit more adventurous? Try the ladder tour. Tickets are $35 and are available for people 12 and older. This 90 minute tour will challenge and excite you as you climb ladders, squeeze through passages and make your way across rock bridges. You might even meet a bat along the way. Bring your adventurous soul and physically fit bodies; this tour is not for the faint of heart.

Want to get down and dirty? The Wild Cave Tour is available with reservations only and starts at $85 person. You’ll be touring, climbing, maneuvering, squeezing and more through rugged dark unmarked passageways into the deepest parts of the caves for 3.5 hours.

This tour is available to those 16 and older, and you must be prepared for some rigorous work-outs while embarking upon this caving adventure.

Evening

Dinner at Coyote Grill at San Ignacio Golf Club

Address: 4201 S. Camino Del Sol, Green Valley, AZ

Menu Options: After an adventurous day of exploring Green Valley, Arizona, it is time for dinner, and not just dinner, a dining experience. Specializing in a contemporary dining experience, you’ll want to start your evening meal with a scrumptious appetizer.

Choose from a charcuterie board or bruschetta or chicken wings, to name a few.  For your main dish, choose from several beautiful main dish salads, a variety of handcrafted sandwiches and burgers or an exquisite entree such as salmon, chicken marsala, the catch of the day and many more.

Other reasons to love it: This Green Valley, Arizona restaurant isn’t just any restaurant, it is manned by top chef, Michael Veres, a 4 Spoon Silver Award winner. He cooks with the best locally sourced top-quality ingredients and the freshest seafood.

While weekday breakfast, weekend brunch and lunch are all served here in addition to dinner, it is the evening time that is most sought after due to the scenic views at sunset. Reservations are recommended.

Drinks at Javelina Run Winery

Address: 180 W. Continental Rd. #178, Green Valley, AZ

Drink Options: Wind your Green Valley, Arizona evening down with drinks at Javelina Run Winery. Try a quick bite of their brie and jam plate, raw oysters, caprese skewers, olive bowl and more. Enjoy a good wine selection, options of bottled beer and other drink choices. 

Reasons to love it: With a quaint indoor and outdoor space, you’ll love enjoying a glass of wine here while listening to live music and enjoying the warmth of the Arizona evening. Whether you’re here on vacation, passing through, or you live here, Javelina Run will be your evening home away from home.

Star Gaze at Catalina State Park

Dark skies are hard to come by with all the light pollution we have in the world. But at Catalina State Park, less than an hour’s drive north of Green Valley, Arizona, you’ll find dark skies for stargazing and tranquility in the peace and quiet of Arizona’s wilderness.

Catalina State Park is located at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains and offers not only stunning night sky views, but also 5,000 saguaros, hiking and biking trails and a haven for desert plants and wildlife.

Where to stay?

Green Valley RV Resort

Address: 19001 S. Richfield Ave., Green Valley, AZ

About the Park: This Green Valley, Arizona, RV park is an active 55+ community offering a beautiful place to stay for a night, a week a month or longer.

With all the amenities you would expect from an RV park such as bathhouses, laundry facilities, a clubhouse and more, you’ll have everything you need.

And you’ll find everything you want, including a billiards room, a heated pool, a jacuzzi, four shuffleboard courts, a craft room, a library, a card room, a fitness room and so much more. Welcome home!

Why you’ll love staying here: Located just outside of Tucson and 40 miles north of Nogales, Green Valley RV Resort is the perfect place to call home while enjoying all that the Southwest has to offer. 

You’ll find shopping, dining, fiestas, outdoor activities and more right outside your backyard. And when your days are complete and full, your nights spent here are comfortable and safe, knowing that you’re in a community of like-minded people, a community of friends.

A Day in Green Valley, Arizona

From starting your day with some classic American dining to wandering the colors of the farmer’s market, fresh ground coffee in hand, you’ll be sure to soak in the warmth of the Arizona sun.

Green Valley has history and secrets in its missile museum and caves waiting to be explored, but it also has tranquility in its upscale dining, wine bars and stargazing.

From morning to night, we hope you found exactly what you were looking for during your day spent in Green Valley, Arizona.

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