Cabo or Puerto Vallarta??
 

We are planning a vacation to Mexico and are debating between Cabo and Puerto Vallarta?? I'd love to hear from people who have been to both and which they liked better and why. Thanks for the help!!

If you are thinking of going in December or January, you might want to look at average temperatures for each. I think you will find PV is much warmer at these times.

We are actually thinking of going at the end of May. It seems like the weather is fairly warm in either place at that time but I'd love to hear from people who've been.

I personally prefer Cabo over PV because the snorkeling is much better and it's a shorter/cheaper flight from home. Hotels are about the same - plenty of economy, moderate & upscale properties at both places. Would probably give the edge to PV with respect to shopping, restaurants & sightseeing.

I have only been to PV (15 times so far!). Puerto Vallarta is a beautiful "normal Mexican town" pop. ~250,000 besides being a tourist destination. Great shopping, galleries, restaurants, activities, friendly local people. Cabo was created for tourism (but has better deep sea fishing and golf, I hear).

another vote for PV!
the town of Cabo to me doesn't have a good feeling about it, and Puerto Vallarta has some history and charm.

The only thing Cabo has over PV is more luxury resorts. Most Puerto Vallarta hotels are not truly luxury, except Punta Mita.

Although the scenery in Cabo is stunning, the town itself is less than scenic, the hotels among the most expensive in Mexico, and the whole feeling is sort of more Texican than Mexican. Puerta Vallarta has much more appeal as a town, and also in terms of restaurants and shopping. My vote would go for Puerta Vallarta, though it would be too warm for me in May.

May weather in PV would be expected to be low to mid 80F degrees, about the same as during the rest of the tourist season (Dec thru April).

Another big difference between the two (which you may know already). Cabo is situated at the tip of the Baja peninsula which is a desert region. Dry, arid, cactus. Puerto Vallarta sits on the Bay of Banderas and is tropical, with lush jungles and mountains surrounding the town in the distance.

We lived in PV for almost 2 years and could only stand Cabo for 3 months - that would give you an idea of what my choice would be...

However, both are super for a holiday:
Cabo vs. PV
Desert vs. Jungle
Very Expensive Golf vs. Expensive Golf
Superb Diving vs. Good Diving
Excellent Fishing vs. Good Fishing
US Spring Break Mentality vs. Mexican Atmosphere
Could be Anywhere vs. Definitely in Mexico
Good Restaurants vs. World Class Restaurants
Limited Shopping vs. Excellent Shopping
Timeshare Touts Everywhere vs. Not as Agressive Timeshare Touts

You would have a great time in either but if you want to see "Mexico" then PV wins hands down...
If you just want to lie in the sun etc, then either place would do.

Cheers,
Andrew

Hehehe, I *loved* Andrew's generally spot-on comparison. The only point I might argue on is the timeshare lout issue. I sometimes get the feeling in PVR that half the population works full-time selling timeshares, and the other half do so on only a part-time basis.

Buen viaje, amigo!
Mark
www.tiogringo.com

I disagree about the spring break mentality in Cabo. Maybe it depends on what time of year you go, but we were there this October/November and it was far from that. Spring Break is in Cancun. Cabo had a lot of couples on their honeymoons and families. maybe it's changed since Andrew was there?!

Good comparisons Andrew.
Temps in PV in May will be more Mid to Upper 80s.
FYI: Cabo was NOT built just for tourists, it was a small town for many years before the first big hotel came.
PV is less expensive, safer and cleaner than Cabo.

I would agree that PV has more of an authenic Mexican flair to it.
While the snorkeling is far better in Cabo it is not great. You have to be well into the Sea of Cortez for good snorkeling. Diving though is quite good off Cabo and excellent in the Sea of Cortez. I will defer to others who eat often in PV-we only had lunch and it was good and resonably priced. The food in Cabo was very good if you like lobster, shrimp and fish but it was $30 for a 2lb. lobster dinner.They did a lot of hawking to attend timeshare presentations. But, 1 presentation and sales pitch for a total of 90 minutes gained us $50 and was an activity in our 7 night/day stay.

A few decades back, when the Mexican government sank money into developing tourism (i.e., Cancun and Ixtapa) I thought Cabo was another of these destinations. Is that incorrect, bburpi?

Plain and simple...NO CABO!!!
EVER!!! Totally agree with above.

taztaz, thanks for taking the time to post after returning from Cabo. it's good to hear yet another person confirm a negative experience there (sorry that's kind of backwards for you, but helpful for the rest of us!).

Suze,
The government funded development was actually up in Laredo but it fizzled for quite a while - it was a shell when we were up there about 8 years ago but I think there was some movement recently... Cabo was a private enterprise development - someone built a golf course, someone else built a resort and another guy built some houses type of thing and then it exploded...

Cheers,
Andrew

Thanks Andrew. That's interesting. Am I incorrect about the government having something to do with the development in Cancun, as well?

Tough choice, I love both destinations. PV has a more Mexican feel to it and more reasonable prices. Cabo has a more Americanized resort feel and higher prices, but better snorkeling and beaches. However, there are also some great beaches south of PV proper. It really depends on what you are looking for.

I to am trying to decide between Cabo and PV. So far, I am leaning toward Cabo because their resorts seem so much more luxurious. Some of the resorts I have looked at had the most gorgeous Mexican architecture. The ones I have looked at online in PV look 3 star at best. Also some have mentioned that PV has a more Mexican feel. When I go on vacation, I go to stay in a 4 or 5 star resort and be pampered. I know there is an issue with swimming in Cabo but with all the magnificent pools, who cares. My only question is about the violence in the last few years in both places. Is it safe to go? I would be staying on the resort in either place and not venturing into town. I would prefer unbiased answers unlike TazTaz who can't give one, lol. Thank you.

Both places have high-end resorts.

There was no "violence in the last few years in both places". Neither Cabo nor Vallarta have had violence against tourists. Simply not true.

most sincerely, suze

Oh and since this post started back in 2005 I have actually been to Cabo once (lol) plus PV another 10 times or so.

I knew this was an old thread when I saw you had been to PV 15 times, suze........

To answer your question, garnetfire, both Cabo and PV are great destinations. Both are as safe as any resort city in the US as long as you use common sense.

The advantages of Cabo: the water is clearer and better for snorkeling. Swimming is not an issue on many of the beaches on the Sea of Cortez side, but it is NOT recommended on the Pacific side due to the powerful surf. Cabo is a newer town than PV and has more of an Americanized feel to it. Cabo is desert and has a more stark beauty to it.

The advantages of PV: PV is an older town and has a more authentic Mexican feel to it. Because it is farther south, the water is typically warmer in the winter months. The Malecon is a great place to take in live music and street performers and one of the best ever for people watching. The airport is closer to "town" and grabbing a taxi is a little easier than it is in Cabo (the major airport in Cabo is in San Jose, about 30-45 minutes from Cabo San Lucas). PV is jungle and has a more lush beauty.

I've been to both several times and can't really make up my mind which one I prefer. Last trip, I went to PV. This year, I'm going to Cabo. I probably won't make up my mind on this trip, either. :)

I'm bookmarking because I'm interested too. Even though this is an old thread!