TXALI

My friends and I are taking a grip to Mexico over Labor Day weekend. We are considering Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Cozumel. We are all late 20s or 30, and want a combination of fun nightlife and a nice resort with a pretty beach, preferably all inclusive. Most everyone has been to Cancun, but would go back. Would love Cabo, but hear it's pricey. Any suggestions would be great.

Bain05

I have been to all 3. My vote is for Puerto Vallarta although I went to Cancun and Cozumel about 8 years ago. Cancun was a blast (I went 2 years in a row when I was 18). It was very springbreakish if that is what you are looking for. I personally was over it by 20. Cozumel is alot smaller and quieter- a great family vacation. Puerto Vallarta is sort of in the middle. There is definitely some fun nightlife without being quite so spring breakish. People tend to be a little older than in Cancun (when I was there I think the average age was 17 at most clubs). Good luck!

suze

Puerto Vallarta is a beautiful city and my personal favorite. It is an old normal working town along side tourist infrastructure. It is not at all glitzy. The beaches are not as "nice" as in Cancun, they are more rustic and rough. Also many people choose not to go all-inclusive because there are so many great restaurants and cafes in PV. PV is a perfect choice if wanting to participate in local culture and get a feel of 'real mexico' is important to you. It would not be my first pick for a resort experience.

Many of Cabo's beaches are rough and not swimmable. Also it is a desert peninsula (not lush like other spots). So I don't think it is quite what you are picturing.

Honestly for your ages, wanting pretty beach and all-inclusive nice resort I do think Cancun is probably your best choice.

jb1923

PVR is fun, the nightlife is pretty good. The beaches there are nice, but if you're looking for white sand and turquoise water, you will not find it there. Cozumel was alot of fun. There really isn't a whole lot of beach area except for the other side of the island. The nightlife is good. There was 10 of us, so even in the smaller places, we had a good time. Have you guys thought about Playa del carmen? The beaches are pretty, the nightlife is very mixed. PDC has great restaurants, and it's pretty well located. Cozumel is a ferry ride away, Cancun is about 40 minutes, Tulum is 40 minutes away and has wonderful beaches. There are tons of AI and tons of smaller hotels, and the shopping is great. Just an idea. Have fun wherever you go.

butsey

Puerto Vallarta is my favorite! My daughter went when she was around your ages with her friends and loved it she went back a few times after that and before that had been to Cancun and Acapulco. I have been going for 16yrs now and always am looking forward to going again and we have a 5 1/2 hr flight to get there. Wherever you decide try trip advisor.com they have great reviews on hotels both in Cancun and P.Vallarta. Good Luck and Have fun

PAGirl

You might want to try Playa del Carmen - it is about 45 minutes south of Cancun. Very reasonable accomodations - wonderful restaurants and bars on (and off) fifth avenue and a nice beach. I wouldn't recommend AI there though - too many great places to eat and drink and the prices are very reasonable so it doesn't cost a lot! Check out www.playadelcarmeninfo.com for a "wealth of information" on Playa. Have fun wherever you decide to go!

summer04

My vote would go for Playa del Carmen also. It's fun, safe, and not as glitzy as Cancun. Locogringo.com also gives a lot of info on PDC.

nfahey

Hi TXALI,

I just did a girls trip to Mexico in April. We satyed at the Grand Xcaret all-inclusive which is about 45 minutes south of the Cancun Airport. The food was very good at the resort and passes were included to Xcaret Park which is located directly next door. They have about 6 pools on the property and one of them is adults only (great when you just want to relax!) We stayed in Royal Club so the rooms were beautiful (My hubby and I are Occidental timeshare owners so I got a great deal for my friends and I) and Royal Club has it's own private pool and restaurant with pool side beverage service.

You can also take a short (I think it was $8) cab ride to town for shopping or more night life.

If you have any questions about the resort feel free to post back or email me at [email protected].

Nancy

amy1019

We went to PV last October and had a wonderful time! We stayed at Royal Decameron Costa Flamingos All Inclusive which was nice and clean. The staff was courteous. The restaurants were average to better than average. The one drawback for us was that it is so far from town, I think about 30 min. When we did go into town (twice) we took a cab and I think it was around $12. The town was nice but FULL of time-share/hawkers (although this is my first experience in Mexico, so I don’t know if it is worse than other destinations in this regard). The city had some great nightlife (ate at Fajita Republic and danced at the Zoo) and overall we felt safe. The beaches were pretty, but not as nice as on the Gulf. I would describe the sand as “sand box sand” not the sugary soft pretty sand on the other side of Mexico. It did sparkle in the water like gold glitter. The view of the ocean and mountains was incredible. I am going to try Playa del Carmen this November but loved PV.

Little_Man

amy,
I think the time share hawkers are worse in PV than in Cancun or Playa.

Since you've been to Cancun, and if you liked it, I'd suggest Playa del Carmen...
PV would be my 2nd choice, and Cabo way down the list...

mikeinfwtx

My vote. -- Playa del Carmen. From there you can go to Tulum, Xcaret, Xel-ha, ferry to Cozumel. 5th street is great all day and night. Mamitas beach club/Playa Tucan north of the center of downtown is great. Mambo cafe for Salsa dancing at night.

Yennif29

We just got back from a girls trip to Cozumel. We felt very safe and most people speak enough english that we didn't need out english/spanish translation book. The water was very clear and beautiful. We booked an excursion on the ZORRO 1 and had a blast. (Beware of the tequilla, it's stronger than you think!)I recomend it if you go! Also Chankanaab Bay was a cheep way to spend a whole day! We snorkeled and drank Pina Colada's from a pinapple! Nice! They have Statues and cannons to see under water while you snorkle. Cozumel is a great place where you can chill out during the day and play at night if you want.

ksunshine91

I would definitely consider Playa del Carmen. I was there last November with family and I'm going back this November with a group of girls. Our ages range from 25-31. We are staying at the Iberostar. It is a beautiful resort that has some activities during the day, disco at night, and downtown is only about a $5 cab ride. The bars/clubs in Playa are a lot of fun and I felt quite safe there.