Puerto Vallarta is Mexico’s premier west coast beach resort. I read that it has more charm and culture than Cancun, which is more of a party destination, but I haven’t been myself. This was my second time in Vallarta and it felt a bit more developed than it was in 2006. Please see my next post on what to eat and where.
I stayed for three nights at Hotel Los Arcos at 380 Calle Olas Altas www.playalosarcos.com My room had some great views of the beach which was just a stone’s throw away. There’s also a big pool in the hotel. Here’s a video to give you more of an idea.
It was the Mexican holiday season when I went so there were lots of families. In the afternoons there was quite a party atmosphere with Mexican pop music blaring out poolside and two-for-one Margaritas during the happy hours. I had a great time! On the downside the breakfast buffet costs €180 which is a bit pricey when you only want some fruit, cereal and a coffee.
As you can see on my Google map, the walkway along the beachfront is called the Malecón.
It’s a great place for a stroll or a jog.
There are lots of quirky statues along the Malecón.
The most famous is ‘El Caballito’, or ‘The Boy on a Seahorse’, which is a symbol of the city.
I had a day off while I was here so I took the opportunity to get a bit of beach time. Passing vendors kept me well fed and watered. I started with some fresh oysters which were twice the price of what I paid in Coatzacoalcos but still really cheap by European standards, and really good.
The grilled prawns slathered in hot sauce were pretty decent too, especially with a frozen Margarita.
Many other tempting tidbits are available.
Click on this link to see some excellent beach entertainment.
Puerto Vallarta would be a nice place to come if you wanted to study Spanish. A good place to do it might be Proulex www.proulex.com, the language school of the University of Guadalajara which has a branch at 105 Calle Libertad in the Centro Colonia.