Puerto Vallarta or Oaxaca/Huatulco & WHY?
 

Thank you all for your great information! I truly appreciate it.

Upon reading and researching a bit more, I have a new question...or two ;).

My husband and I are in our 30s and this would be our 2nd Anniversary trip. We have traveled extensively in Europe, but have only been to the Riviera Maya in Mexico...Maroma and Playa del Carmen to be exact. We did NOT like Cancun at all (although only there for one night), LOVED Maroma, and liked PDC. We do want to experience romance :), culture AND a beach.

If you had to choose between a 7-10 day trip in the Puerto Vallarta/Costalegre area OR Oaxaca and Huatulco which would you choose and why?! Culture, costs, weather (mid-October to mid-November), beaches...? What do you think of Huatulco vs. Puerto Escondidio? Best places in and around PV?

I would LOVE any suggestions in regards to this trip.

THANKS SO MUCH!!!

I would opt for Oaxaca/Huatulco (just did it last year and would love to return). Spend 5 days in Oaxaca (take a cooking class!). You can hire a driver to take you to all the sights and nearby craft villages, then spend the evenings at the zocalo. Then fly (AeroTucan) to Huatulco for some beach time. We booked our tickets to fly into OAX and out of Huatulco--for about the same price as r/t Oaxaca. The flight to Huatulco was $118 one way (the ticket office is in downtown Oaxaca). Cooking class at Casa de los Sabores.

Forgot to add-the one time I was in PVR was on an Easter Sunday. It was typical "Spring Break" gone wild. One reason I prefer more remote areas of Mexico to the resorts--less stupid Americanos.

I love Puerto Vallarta and visit often. Because it is an easy and relaxing vacation spot for me (in the right parts of town you do not find the spring break mentality mentioned above).

That said, for a more culturally interesting and exploring kind of a trip, I would definitely pick Oaxaca & Huatulco or Puerto Escondito instead.

I haven't been to Huatulco, but I've been to Puerto Escondido a few times. It's a very low key destination, and we enjoy it a lot. However, it's not for everyone - it is very low key, as I said. (It's also much more inexpensive than the PDC area.) Oaxaca is wonderful, and I would highly recommend it.

I just realized that you might have been asking about the state of Oaxaca, not the city?

Thank you all for your suggestions!!

SusanInToronto, I was talking about the Oaxaca City. In regards, to Puerto Escondido, we don't mind low-key, but are the beaches nice?

TrvlMaven, Where/Whom did you book your flights into Oaxac and OUT of Huatulco?

THANKS AGAIN!!!

I second the above opinions to go to Huatulco and Oaxaca. We went last fall - 8 days Huatulco and 10 Oaxaca. We flew in to Huatulco (by way of Mexico City) connected to Oaxaca on Aerotucan, then home through Houston. We loved both places. Check out Agua Azul B&B in Huatulco - it is beautiful! (Tripadvisor has tons of reviews). You can go to several different beaches and taxis to town are very cheap. Oaxaca is wonderful. If you go around beginning of Nov you will enjoy the Day-of-the-Dead festivities. It may be booked already for that time, but we got there just a day or two after and all the decorations were still up in the shops/restaurants. You will love it!
By the way, I have been to PV twice - it's very nice, but more like Cancun - lots of gringos.

Puerto Escondido is well known for surfing, so the waves are really large on most of the beaches. So not ideal for swimming.

We flew Mexicana--but I understand Continental also has flights (we flew out of SFO).
Also--Agua Azul is THE most romantic place I've ever stayed.
Casa de los Sabores in Oaxaca--they hired Roberto our driver who was excellent (his wife gave us mole to bring home!).

How about both?

You can fly to Oaxaca, spend a few days there, and then fly via Mexico City to Puerto Vallarta.