Destinations

Aaaahh, Puerto Vallarta, images of palm trees, beaches, tropical drinks and mountain scenes conjure up in my mind. Its Logan, “The Sea, The Town, The Mountain”, pretty much sums it up. No other popular touristy beach town in Mexico offers the backdrops that Puerto Vallarta does. The town faces Bahia de Banderas (Banderas Bay) and behind it are the beautiful Sierra Madre Mountains. For those who enjoy romance, seclusion, yet close enough to population, and places to party at night, Puerto Vallarta is one great place to visit. It’s not for nothing that Richard Burton’s, The Night of the Iguana, chose such a beautiful location to be filmed in. PV (Puerto Vallarta) still maintains that small town atmosphere with its cobblestone streets, the main plaza in the center of town and the church, Templo Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe.

Puerto Vallarta started becoming a resort town in the 1960’s and since then it has grown into a town of nearly 350,000 people. Most are locals but many are retirees and anyone who decided to visit it often enough to purchase a condominium there. This growth has prompted the development of many hotels and condominiums. The area of newer development is called Nuevo Vallarta, which is mainly a hotel zone. So if you like to be in the middle of all the action, day and night, than staying in a hotel in Nuevo Vallarta is the place for you; many touristy shops and restaurants are located here. However, there are other locations such as Zona Hotelera and Zona Marina that offer beautiful hotel accommodations as well.

In Puerto Vallarta the tourist can enjoy everything under the sun including golfing, whale watching, sport fishing and ecotourism. Surfers from all over the world have even found a place to surf in the northern town of Sayulita, about 25 miles north of PV. However, for off the beaten path beaches you may want to take a water taxi ride to the small fishing town of either Quimixto or Yelapa. To get to these towns you will need to get to the suburb called Boca de Tomatlan, reached by taking the Barra de Navidad road or carretera, traveling south of Puerto Vallarta; getting to the fishing towns could be on either taxi or public bus. Once there, you will find a few small water taxis (basically small fishing boats) that will transport you to one of the three small fishing villages. The first stop is Las Animas, next is Quimixto, and the final one is Yelapa. If agreed, the water taxi will drop you off where you wish in the morning and will come back for you at a predetermined hour in the afternoon. Quimixto is the most recommendable of the three to visit; but going early is the best bet to avoid crowds. In Quimixto you will find a hiking trail leading to a beautiful water fall; this area is wonderful for hiking.

A few hotels, especially those located in the southern parts of Vallarta such as in Conchas Chinas and Mismaloya offer their own private beach, such as Dreams Resort and Spa. However, there are many alternate hotel options, for an array of budgets, with a short distance to the beaches in that area. This area is surrounded by more tropical greenery and you will also find eco adventures such as canopy tours.

On the opposite end, the Northern side is what many refer to as the Riviera Nayarit (Nayarit is the state bordering north of Jalisco, which is the state Puerto Vallarta is in), but the official name is Punta Mita. Punta Mita is also a beautiful location, without the closeness of the mountains as found in the south, but a beautiful area with newer developments. One of these new developments is the exclusive and luxurious Four Seasons Hotel; located about 42 km from Puerto Vallarta airport.

Puerto Vallarta has everything a beach town can offer; beach, nightlife, small town ambiance, archeological site (Ixtapa) and it has been transformed into a creative and artistic Mecca. Many talented retirees and professional artists have made this town their home. This makes Puerto Vallarta a great place to view art displays as well theatrical events. It’s a good idea to always check with your hotel concierge or front desk for information on performances during your stay.   In the evenings one can enjoy anything from a loud, fun atmosphere of the restaurant bars found on the Malecon, to a quieter seafood dinner , to a possible art exhibition, whether it be performed or displayed.

Puerto Vallarta is a very unique destination in Mexico. Many tourists are repeat tourists for many reasons and the best part is that the place maintains its beauty and charm. So whether you travel alone, with your loved one or your whole family I am certain that Puerto Vallarta will not disappoint.

See you in PV and Happy Travels!

The very best way to end a busy year is to take stock while stopping over in various Caribbean ports of call.  This year I chose to spend the time on a five-day fabulous SeaDream II sailing.  She is one of two small yacht-cruise vessels holding a maximum of 98 pampered guests .  We coupled this with stopovers in St Thomas prior to boarding the ship and in San Juan Puerto Rico at the end making a balanced relaxing holiday.To say that service, food, water- and land-based activities abounded is to be severely understating the quality of this fine cruise.

This is The Cruise for the person who wishes low profile albeit attentive service.  By the time you have returned from breakfast topside cabins were remade, fresh Bulgari amenities replacing used ones, fresh ice in the ice bucket, and specially requested juices and sodas replenished in the mini-fridge.  Our cabin was completely ready and renewed for the day.  The ship has 3 cabin decks with ample outdoor space for walking or lounging, a small casino bar area downstairs and ample bar services topside, poolside and inside, a watersports deck in back and ample area to be either quiet or busier with others on board.  Up top are the famed lounging sunbeds.  These fabulously comfortable deep-cushioned deck beds can be made up at night for sleeping under the limitless star-filled skies!!!  Dining is just that — taken either in the lovely dining salon or up top on the varied deck dining areas with tables for two, four or more depending on your personal choice.  You can just enjoy the company of your traveling companion or with new-found shipboard friends.  There are no set dining start times so you dine as you wish and times you desire.  Everything on board SeaDream is meant to let you enjoy your time in your own fashion.  The wonderful Thai spa services are simply fabulous.  And if you must work out, there is a gym and even golf simulator room for your use.  This could not have been a more perfect five days of total enjoyment.

Ports-of-call:  Gustavia, St Barts was amazing with a long Swedish history and city design and a harbor full of some of the largest private yachts I have ever seen.  Our 4,333 ton SeaDream II seemed almost part of the family of private yacht cruisers anchored in the larger outer harbor area.  Dockside in town various private yachts were lined up side by side.  I had always heard that the air landing on the island was an heart-thumping arrival experience.  I climbed the saddle of the two hills behind town to find a small prop plane arriving just over my head and diving down to land expertly on the small strip.  French and Swedish traditions live side by side.  The liquor outlet advertised itself in both French & Swedish.  French is the language of St Barts today.   We also cruised over to spend time in the British Virgin Islands — lovely and unspoiled Virgin Gorda, Norman Island with its amazing cove and water, and finished our short cruise with the famed “beach lunch and champagne/caviar splash” on impeccable Joost van Dyke.  Yes, the Dutch were here, too!!!  Bathing suits on, we waded into the water where a surfboard manned by our ship’s chef and maitre d’hôtel and several of our waiters attired in slightly wet clothes served glasses of champagne along with caviar and all its accompaniments to applause and the clicking of camera lens as we waded in.  Great fun!

St Thomas proved once again that history trumps modernity.  The roots of this busy island keep cropping up in street names (Toldboldgade which is Danish), in left-side driving (England left her imprint here), in the variety of religious houses of worship (Lutheran founded by the Danes; Jewish in the 2nd oldest synagogue in the Western Hemisphere, as well as Catholic, Protestant and other declarative Christian houses of worship).  As a former free port as well as long time European entrepôt and former slave trading community, today’s population reflects the diversity of peoples who came here to live.  Island living means graciousness and hospitality to others.  Once outside the most densely visited sites of the busy cruise port restaurant-shops-souvenir warehouse district (itself fun and historical) you can feel the inherent grace of the island.  Waters are azure, aqua and green blue; palms and bougainvilleas sway and rustle in the tropical breezes, and fabulous iguanas are found along warmed walls and rocks, some green in their new lives - some more rusty/gray as they age.  Ah, island life.

Many of us when we think of Mexico beach towns we usually think of Cancun, Los Cabos, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, maybe even Acapulco. But, just as there is much more to Mexico than beaches, there is another beach location that is mostly unexplored by the American tourist. In fact, most of the tourists found in that area are national tourists and only a small percent are international tourists, mostly Europeans, but not so many yet. So let me tell you a little more about Huatulco (pronounced, wah-toolco), on the Pacific coast, in the southern state of Oaxaca (pronounced, wah-haca).

The official name is Bahias de Huatulco (or Bays of Huatulco). The area is made up of 9 bays with about 36 beaches, from the most rustic virgin beach to the most popular swimmable beach.  The more popular bays are Bahia de Santa Cruz, Bahia Chahue and Bahia Tangolunda. Most of the bays are not resort developed yet and may not be so easily seen from the road or have easy access to get to. If renting a car, which I would recommend for at least a couple of days, you are able to explore the different beaches in the different bays at your own leisure.
Huatulco has four main parts, all within a mile or two of each other, these are, Tangolunda, Santa Cruz, La Crucecita, and Chahue.

Huatulco is a fairly new tourist destination since it only started being developed in the 1980’s. The area is protected by FONATUR, a government agency dedicated to the development of tourism in Mexico. The result is an ecologically friendly area that is protected against future development. And for those nature-concerned travelers, you will like this piece of fact, Huatulco has been awarded the Green Globe certification and it is the only resort in Mexico to have received this award. Cancun and Puerto Vallarta…eat your heart out!

So, you ask, what can I do there beside beach swimming and sunbathing? Well, my fellow travelers, despite the under developed conditions and lack of a huge international tourism crowd, Huatulco has many services to offer, such as restaurants, hotels and tourism operators. The traveler can enjoy activities such as golfing, hiking, biking, kayaking, snorkeling, diving, boat touring, motor touring, horseback riding, and coffee plantation tours. Hotels vary depending on your budget; you can get something as exclusive as Dreams Resort Huatulco or Las Brisas Huatulco, to more affordable type accommodations. I’m sure one of the expert Casto Travel leisure agents will set you up in a fantastic hotel. Oh and as far as security for tourist, it is quite safe; all its parts have a small town atmosphere.

One beach I recommend that is not too far out of the way, but it can get a bit crowded is Playa La Entrega. This beach is great for snorkeling. One way to find secluded beaches that are not very visible from the road is to do as I did. While driving around on the main road that runs parallel to the beach beware of parked vehicles on the side of the road. If you come across a few with nothing in sight of where the car owners could be, then you’ll likely find an entrance to a small trail leading to a beautiful secluded beach. Just remember to test the waters first as there are no lifeguards on duty. Some of these beaches may have quite a drop in your initial steps into the ocean.

I hope you make it to Huatulco one day, but I also hope you keep it a secret because we would not want to make this beautiful place too crowded.

The airport is 20 minutes from the resorts in Tangolunda and the major carrier is Mexicana.

Happy Travels!