Mestizo

Greetings! We are considering heading to Puerto Vallarta for our honeymoon (May '04). We've been looking at rental Villas, specifically in Bucerias, and have found some great little properties. The more posts I read, the more I feel like there would be better spots in Mexico to stay! Just wanted some input from the learned travelers on this board. We are looking for a non-touristy place to stay. Away from major hotels, and all inclusive packages. We just want a beautiful beach, with beautiful water to relax on. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

beachgirl

Mestizo,
Try Majahuitas just south of Puerto Vallarta. My husband and I went there last Christmas and found it to be fabulous. Most of the people staying there were Mexican and the very last word I would use to describe it is "touristy." It has a big beautiful beach and beautiful water and the staff is incredibly nice and personable. We were the only ones there the first night that we stayed there and it was like having a fully staffed island to ourselves. It was one of the best vacations, if not the best, that we have ever had. Check it out on differentworld.com. I'd be happy to answer any specific questions.

Ally

The above poster has an excellent idea. You may also want to consider Isla-Mujeres, the small island off the coast of Cancun, but worlds away from what Cancun is like. Outstanding clear blue water...like a bathtub.
Two excellent properties for a honeymoon...Hotel Secreto (only 9 rooms!) and Villa Rolandi, a larger but still small property with private beach, jacuzzi's on the patios, showers for 2.....
Isla only has one AI resort on the entire island and it's not very big.
Check out Hotel Secreto and Villa Rolandi. For other info in Isla see www.isla-mujeres.net

mafego

We love the Yucatan Peninsula, the "Riviera Maya", but avoid the touristy areas like Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Akumal, about an hour south of Cancun, is gorgeous. Not far from the Mayan ruins at Tulum, friendly people, good food, incredible diving and snorkeling. We rented a beautiful, but inexpensive condo on the beach at Las Casitas Akumal (one- and two-story fully equipped with a kitchen and maid service). There's also a resort/spa by the name of Maroma, just a 20 minutes south of Cancun, that would be worth looking into: maromahotel.com. We're headed there in the fall for our anniversary.

suze

First I have to say I am a fan of Puerto Vallarta big-time & vacation there 1-2 times every year, staying in "Old Town".

Bucerias is a fine little town about 1/2 hr. north of PV. But if you aren't interested in visiting Puerto Vallarta also, there's LOTS of better beaches to be had.

I always go to the west coast, so can't make a specific suggestion, but the water and beaches on the Caribbean side are way more beautiful.

Mestizo

Thanks for all the info! I am starting to take a hard look at Akumal. It looks AMAZING! Sounds pretty isolated too. Are we within reasonable driving distance to bars and restaurants? I've never been, so pardon the silly question! It'd be nice to enjoy a night out on the town.

SusanInToronto

I like both coasts of Mexico - they are different, but both enjoyable.

We haven't stayed in Akumal, but we've stayed in the area (Playa del Carmen, Tulum, etc.) a few times. Akumal isn't that far from Playa - we've rented a car a couple of times and gone there for a day trip to snorkel. I don't think there's a lot to do there, but it seems like a nice area.

This past February, we stayed in Sayulita, north of Bucerias for a week. It was really nice for a week and we enjoyed it a lot. There are also some really nice places to stay there. We made a day trip to Bucerias (just took the bus) and the beach there was very nice - much longer than Sayulita, but I didn't like the town as much (it's much bigger).

Another possibility is Zihuatanejo - nicer than Puerto Vallarta, I think.

There are too many choices!

One good site for rentals is www.vrbo.com.

mafego

Hi, Mestizo - There are some restaurants right on the beach at Akumal and a few that are a short drive from town. One, Que Onda, is owned by a woman from Italy, and serves very good Northern Italian cuisine. Kind of cozy and romantic, too. There's also a cool bar nearby that's on the beach where the bar stools are swings. For other restaurants, etc. in and around the surrounding area go to: mindspring.com/~gringolingo/rest or just type in "Akumal" on any serach engine.

I can't say enough about the snorkling at Yal Kul, about a three minute drive from Akumal. It's a cenote (sink hole), the water is crystal clear and the fish are amazing. And, you don't have to be a seasoned snorkler to enjoy it.

Good luck!

gaurei

Hi. You probably have never heard of Huatulco on the Southern Pacific coast of the state of Oaxaca. It is considered "the best kept secret in Mexico". Paved, palm-lined streets, 9 bays, 37 pristine beaches (many of which can only be reached by boat) safe, georgeous and few tourists. I think it is exactly what you are looking for. Check out www.tomzap.com or www.huatulco.com.mx/aguaazul/
best of luck.

Ally

If you (or anyone out there) is interested in staying in the PV area, I just found a fantastic, small, beautiful place in a Sept. 2000 issue of Architectoral Digest.
Look at www.verana.com/

WOW. I want to go here!

jlh370

Have you checked out El Tamarindo? It is about a 3.5 hour drive south of Puerto Vallarta. We are going there in 2 months for our honeymoon. It looks absolutely wonderful. I have gotten tons of info on here. Very small resort. 28 villas i believe. You can get more info on the www.differentworld.com page. Good luck!