julies

I just saw some really cheap tickets for the 1st week of January. As far as Mexico, we've only been to the Yucatan and didn't spend a second in Cancun because it has no appeal whatsoever to us. There we rented a car and visited some remote areas that are not heavily touristed. We like nature and the outdoors, authentic culture, authentic food, history, interesting towns, active travel, hiking and are fine with off the beaten path places etc. We are not interested in mass tourism, big fancy places that cater to Americans who want everything like home, doing a lot of shopping or sitting in bars drinking. We're pretty adventuresome, and have done a lot of travelling on our own in both eastern and western Europe, can speak a little bit of Spanish, would rent a car to explore the area and do not want just a warm weather sit on the beach vacation. If you know the vicinity at all, can you make some recommendations for what might interest us. We are willing to drive say four or six hours away from Puerto Vallerta if we could find the right combo of interesting things to do. Also, knowing what we like, how much time would you suggest we devote to Puerto Vallerta and which locale would best suit our needs? We are modest budget travellers who do not like big chain hotels and tend to choose mom and pop type operations with some true local flavor. Thanks so much for your input.

slofan

Me and the wife have done quite a bit of Mexico travel and also seek out the more authentic experiences. I would reccomend getting out of PV as soon as the plane hits the ground. It is just a typical crowded noisy tourest town. Good for supplies, banking, ect. A great place to stay that is nearby would be Yelapa. This town requires a 45 minute boat ride to reach but is as close to the real Mexico as can be easily found. There are quite a variety of accomodations there that can be rented for the day or week and you still find enough hiking and other day trips to fill the week. If you have any other questions please give me an E-mail.

Cole

suze

Within Puerto Vallarta I recommend the "southside" sometimes called Old Town. If you look at a map it is south of where the Rio Cuale cuts thru El Centro. Other neighborhoods of interest are Remance or Pitillal, that are regular residential areas.

I disagree with Cole's generalization, it sounds from a person who has not spent much time sratching the surface. It helps to know what parts of town to go to that will get you away from tourist areas.

You can get hotel rooms for 250 peso price range for a very simple room (try street named Madero). Or ~50USD for a nice 3-stars locally owned and operated, independent hotels with small pool, gardens, restaurant (Posada de Roger, Hotel Rio are two). If you want an apartment you might check with Mission San Francisco homes.

For touring you could head south down towards Barra de Navidad/Melanque or north thru San Pancho, Sayulita, Ricon de Guayabitos. San Blas and Tepic might be of interest. Guadalahara is approx 4 hours inland.

Moon Handbooks "Puerto Vallarta including 300 miles of coastal coverage and side trips to Guadalajara and Lake Chapala" by Bruce Whipperman is an excellent resource for this area.

TioGringo

Suze has some good suggestions. There are several very upscale spa and golf resorts along the coast south of PVR towards Manzanillo.

Sayulita and points northwards (I kinda like Rincon de Guayabitos) are more "earthy".

If you decide to do the Guadalajara jaunt, you may want to stop off in the town of Tequila. I think you can guess what their claim to fame is and what kind of manufacturing tours and tastings might be open to you there

Have fun!
Mark
www.tiogringo.com

mikemo

I too would travel South to the Costalegre www.costalegre.ca www.tomzap.com
We're headed to Barra de Navidad for Christmas.
M

SusanInToronto

I'd go to Guadalajara. It's a big city, and we easily spent a few days there. We took a bus from PV, and I think it was about 5 hours. Lots to see and do there.

julies

Okay, if we follow through on this and the tickets are still there, I'm getting mixed messages on where to go. Would people who've spent lots of time in European cities enjoy Puerto Vallerta for a couple days, or would we really be better off seeking out something else. We really enjoy walking the streets and just observing what is going on in places that have true local flavor. But, if we're just talking about touristy cities that are full of souvenir shops, bars and restaurants then we're not so interested. If we would go to Yelapa, and we can only get there by boat, are there lots of places that would be accessible by foot or local bus once we get there? Or, is it a matter of just settling in there on the beach? Would you recommend Guadalahara? If we do this, by car or bus? We already know not to drive at night, but how is the driving there otherwise? I'm suspecting if Puerto Vallerta is like most other big cities we wouldn't want a car while in the city itself.

suze

PV isn't really a big city to my eye but you will find tons of crazy traffic and parking is a problem, so I wouldn't want a car for the time you are in town itself.

I consider it a large town more than a big city, and it is incredibly diverse with tourist infrastructure at all levels (funky to 5-star), peacefully coexisting side by side with normal Mexican families going about their lives.

I enjoy Puerto Vallarta as I enjoy European cities, sitting in cafes, people-watching, hanging around local shops (fabrics, tiende de plastico, supermercado, etc.). And things particular to PV vacations, lazing by the pool, hanging out on the local beach.

PV has both of what you describe... local "authentic" Mexican residential neighborhoods and tacky tourist shops and bars. As I said above, it depends on what part of town you are in.

I have never been to Yelapa but my understanding is there is nothing there except Yelapa, a beach town. That there aren't other places to go and things to do once you get there. I'm not sure about busses, because while you must take a boat to arrive, it is not an island, but rather on the mainland not accessible by road.

That is why I suggested the towns I did in my post above. They much more closely fit what you describe you are seeking.

Guadalajara *is* a big city, so I'm not sure if that's of interest to you or not. If yes, I would suggest going by bus. There are very nice ones that cover that route. I believe it is about 4 hours each way.