los cabos or puerto vallarta
 

thinking of going to Los Cabos and staying at either Palmilla or las Ventanas or Puerto Vallarta and staying at FS Punta Mita. Undecided, which one should I chose? going in early october, couple in the early 30's.

For your title question I was going to reply PUERTO VALLARTA! because it is such a great town. But Punta Mita is 1 hour to the north, so doesn't really have much to do with PV itself and I am not familiar with the resorts.

I heard some people say they didn't like Puerto Vallarta, its too built up, polluted and junky. Is that true?

Los Cabos is beautiful. But I really enjoyed Muleje north of there. Its a small town with charm, hot springs in the ocean, and beautiful cliffs.

I am not familiar with Los Cabos but PV is just a most wonderful place to visit. There is quiet and there is not so quiet. The Four Seasons in Punta Mita is magnificent but has nothing to do with Puerto Vallarta. If you like fun, check out old town in Puerto Vallarta!!

so what would you choose if given the choice los cabos or punta mita in mexico.

We've been to both FS in Punta Mita and Cabo. My answer would be: if you have only three to four days, go to Cabo. If you have a week, go to Puerto Vallarta. Although Punta Mita is some distance from PV, try to see downtown. There was a company called "Vallarta Adventures" that we used for a couple of boating excursions...well worth it.

Been to both many times, styaed at the Palmilla and here's my suggestion: the Palmilla is a place to be pampered in understated elegance and offers the diversion of going into either Cabo's for nighttime fun or day trips. Don't expect either Cabo's to be all that interesing. I would return to the Palmilla in a heartbeat if I wanted a great vacation without the crowds or a typical tourist hotel scene.

PV is a quaint town on one hand and a tourist trap on another. But It's interesting ... far more than the dos Cabos. But you can DO PV in a day or two and don't need to return unless you seek nightime entertainment. The best beaches are outside of town.

That being said, if I were 30-ish, liked to party hearty I'd go to PV, but stay closer to town. Or if I wanted to feel rich and famous, go to the Palmilla.

Hope this helps. Bueno Suerte!

<some people say they didn't like Puerto Vallarta, its too built up, polluted and junky. Is that true>

I have vacationed in PV 15 times over the past 10 years and will return many more. One thing I like about PV is that the tourist development (yes it is built up in that it supports a large infrastructure for tourism) is mostly outside of town to the north, in The Hotel Zone, The Marina, and out in Nuevo Vallarta. PV is particularly ugly in the area the cruise ships dock and if that is all you saw might leave a bad impression.

The "Old Town" and "El Centro" remains a mostly normal Mexican town of 250,000 population. It is not polluted. As for junky, there are certainly a bunch of cheap t-shirt stands, and bad souvenier shops catering to tourists along the main drag. But it is easy enough to walk inland into any number of residential neighborhoods which I personally find very interesting.

<you can DO PV in a day or two and don't need to return unless you seek nightime entertainment>

As I said, I've probably spent 7 months total time vacationing here and I've yet to run out of things to do, and I'm not into the nightlife or entertainment.

I think why it is hard to sum up Puerto Vallarta is that it is both things... honky tonky tourist spot along side a slice of "old Mexico".

My observations don't help the original poster because the question for them really is between the two specific resorts, more than the two towns mentioned.