I am looking to take a trip with a few other couples and this is our big debate... are the beaches in Puerto Vallarta as nice as the ones in the Cancun and Playa del Carmen areas? We love the clear water and the white sand.
Any thoughts would help!

I've visited Puerto Vallarta and Cancun and found Cancun beaches to be far more superior than those in PV. But this is my opinion only.

We have been looking at Dreams in PV? Has anyone been there?

Beaches are very inferior in PV

<font color="purple">Yeah... beaches in PV can't even begin to compare to Cancun, Playa or Cozumel.

They have beautiful beaches!</font>

I've been to all three places and like them all, but the beaches in PV are nowhere near as nice as those in Cancun or PDC. The beach in PV is more like the beaches in Southern California except with calmer, warmer water. There's a lot more to do in Cancun and Playa del Carmen too. But if you go to Puerto Vallarta, be sure to have dinner at Cafe des Artistes and ask to sit outside. It's VERY romantic, with candles lighting the pathways, and the food and service are amazing. Also, a boat trip to Yelapa is great. You can rent a horse and ride to a waterfall.

We have decided on PV anyway at the Dreams resort. The beach looks pretty nice there, the resort looks great and the price was amazing!
Thanks for all of your help.

I stayed at Dreams back when it was the Camino Real, so I can't really speak to the quality of the resort or the rooms, but I can tell you that the beach there is nice and expansive, but the wave action when I was there (April/May) was pretty strong and the red flags were out during our entire stay. I loved the hotel then but never got into the water because of the surf. The beaches in PV have their own assets, but they aren't the white sand you find in the Yucatan, and the water isn't warm, clear, and blue.