Andy Campbell

My wife and I are thinking about going to the Costa Azul Adventure Resort located north of Puerto Vallarta the week before Easter week and would appreciate any comments / advice from anyone that may have been there.<BR>

mexicodan

Been there several times. A great location, facility, and staff.<BR><BR>adios!<BR>[email protected]<BR>www.mexicomexico.info

peggy

Last October we spent a week in Sayulita, a small fishing villiage 45 minutes north of PV. I had also looked at Cosata Azul so we spent an afternoon driving the coast & checking out beaches & places of interest. I can only give you my reaction <BR>based on my experiences & tastes. I was glad we did not stay there. The resort looked unattended & a bit worn out. No one was at the bar or restaurant & the smell of stale beer was overpowering at the bar. When we did get someone to serve us, they didn't have any bottled beer only what they made on tap. Since it is included in the price if you are staying there I guess that figures. It just didn't look clean & there were few people there. Cannot comment on the food. No other places that I saw close enough to walk to for a change. The rooms are in a motel block except for the hillside rooms but quite a walk to the beach. Nice big wide stretch of beach though. The pool looked nice. Now if you are a young couple going for the adventure package maybe it is worth it. Though for the surfing they actually brought everyone down to Sayulita where the waves are. From our terrace we saw the surfers out there from sunrise to sunset. Anyway just my 2 cents, you may get some other viewpoints, we were just there for an hour or so. Good luck.

Andy

Thanks for the info Peggy. Where did you stay in Sayulito? Any recommendations for there? We're not exactly young anymore but I like to surf and we both like kayaking.

Peggy

Andy,<BR>Check out http://www.vrbo.com/vrbo/5108.htm. We stayed in Casita #4 at Casa Carolina. It was great, very private, very reasonable rates. The picture at the bottom with the blue bedroom is Casita #4. Rent #1 or #4 for the best terraces/views. It is 122 stair steps to the beach though, which I did get used to...& I'm not that young! Full kitchen, some openings in the shower wall in bathroom to see the outdoors, great tropical effect. Sparklets size bottles of purified water provided. Could have used a good dusting before we got there but it was basically clean. Never got sick anywhere. Owners house on property but we only saw them once. Perfect weather, last week of October. Sayulita is a small fishing village & as is typical, the roads are dirt & the kids & dogs roam the streets & play. That freaks some people out but I think it is part of the charm. Several beachfront restaurants/bars & small groceries for the essentials. We would make breakfasts & snacks & enjoy walking down to dinners on the beach, a day spent in PV was enough, though we have been there before. Surfing & kayaking are popular & rentals are right on the beach. Tranquil place with activities if wanted. Saturday nights though they do turn up the disco/techno music & the hillsides rock!<BR>Anyway I could e-mail you some pictures if you want. I would recommend the place if I better knew your expectations or your prior experiences. I have been happy in very upscale places (not 4 Seaons type though, too uptight) & very basic places. We look for atmosphere, small resorts, privacy & new experiences, hopefully interacting with the locals, so what we like may be too quiet for some people. If you're looking for a big resorts with activities galore & constant entertainment this isn't the place! But for a lowkey, off the beaten path, different kind of place, we enjoyed it!

Jennifer

We were at Costa Azul Nov 2000. We had a great time. They had sea kayaking groups out every morning. We had had a really hectic year and mostly hung by the pool. The staff was wonderful and the beach was gorgeous.<BR>I agree that there isn't really a place within walking distance for a change of pace, but the food was always good and they never ran out of bottle beer while I was there!!!<BR>overall my fiance and I had a great time. We relaxed and hiked on the beach, and had we wanted to do more "adventure" stuff we could have any time.<BR>Yes, the resort looks a little "lived in" but it was immaculately clean and that is why I go to Mexico!!! If I want shiny, glittery vacation I can go to Vegas!!!<BR>anyway, we had a great time and good food and drink!!!

Andy

Thanks Dan, Peggy, & Jennifer! I appreciate you taking the time to respond to my message. I talked to a travel agent today that specializes in surfing trips and he was very positive about Costa Azul so I'm going to book the trip and check the place out.<BR><BR>Thanks again,<BR>Andy