Puerto Vallarta vs. Cancun
 

We are deciding between Cancun and Puerto Vallarta for a week vacation in either August or October. We are looking for relaxation, beaches, good food, snorkeling and not too expensive. Any suggestions on which city to visit?? Thanks!

Well, here I am again, pushing Cozumel.<BR>Cancun will not make for a relaxing vacation unless you want to just lie by the pool. (Not that there's anything wrong with that! :)<BR>Cozumel has some of the best snorkeling in the Caribbean, beautiful beaches, and - imho - better restaurants than Cancun. (Though Cancun does have a few really great ones.) It is also very reasonably priced.

Puerto Vallarta is a normal vibrant Mexican town alongside its tourist industry. Cancun was built as a resort destination. August will be hot, humid, with some rain in PV (don't know about Cancun weather). Puerto Vallarta offers the fancy resorts like Cancun (in The Marina, Nuevo Vallarta, Hotel Zone), but also a wide selection of authentic Mexican style family run hotels in an active El Centro (downtown) and Old Town (south of the river) neighborhoods.<BR><BR>If you want an All-Inclusive or highend resort hotel, I'd say Cancun because they probably do it better (more practice!). If you have interest in seeing more things truly Mexican, then I'd say PV.<BR><BR>Oh yes, and the beaches/snorkeling are MUCH better in Cancun because its the Caribbean not the Pacific coast. PV is generally less expensive and has great food.

Been to Cancun twice, PV too many times to count. Cancun has incredibly beautiful beaches and water, but the town has absolutely no Mexican feel to it at all, very Americanized. Although PV lacks the crystal blue waters and white sand that Cancun offers, I prefer the town of PV over Cancun hands down. We stayed at the Fiesta Americana Condessa in Cancun and it was very nice, and the all inclusive would help your "not too expensive" requirement, and there are lots of day excursions for snorkeling in Cancun, plus the great beaches. If you want to explore a wonderful charming town that still has some of it's original character left (especially the south end) go to PV. PV also has some of the best restaurants in the world. So, I am biased towards PV, but your description of what you want sounds more like Cancun to me.

Try the Mayan Riviera Area south of Cancun for beautiful beaches, great resorts, Mayan Ruins, Snorkeling and Diving.<BR>Playa del Carmen is more Mexican, Cancun is very Americanized.<BR>Tulum, Puerto Adventuras, Playa Del Carmen, and Puerto Moralas all all great areas.<BR>Moroma Beach (you go there on a tour) has been voted "the most beautiful beach in the world by the Travel Chanel.

pv is more of a mexican experience.<BR>i didn't like cancun becuase it was so americanized. i go to mexico to experience their country not to go to burger king & pizza hut. however, if you venture into the downtown area, there are some good mexican restaurants there. public transportation is good, beaches and water are wonderful. it is VERY expensive there. august is very hot & humid, october is still hurricane season.

Why don't you try Playa Del Carmen or the Akumal/Tulum area just south of Cancun ... the water's still amazing and it's a lot less commercialized than Cancun (especially the Akumal/Tulum area). You will still be in the center of everthing to see ruins, eco-parks, trip to Coz, etc.<BR>

We just returned from a week in Cancun (our 4th trip). If water is important to you, Cancun is the place with turquoise waters and white sand beaches.

If you mainly want a romantic, beautiful setting with lots of swimming and snorkeling, I think you may like the Tankah/Tulum area of the Mayan Riviera. Below are sites for beach front villa, snorkeling, places of interest & weather.<BR><BR>http://CasaTropical.com<BR>Casa Tropical Tankah... Romantic, Mayan Riviera, beachfront villa, located on privately owned, 1/2 acre lot. Located in Tankah, Mexico, a 1 hour drive south of Cancun airport, 3 miles north of the Tulum ruins, with other major archaeological sites within driving distance. Great views with barrier reef just offshore, and Manatee Cenote up the beach for diving, snorkeling or swimming, jungle style. Two guests quarters with kitchenettes, private patios, maid, gardener, manager. Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve is just south of Tankah and Tulum.<BR><BR>Hidden Worlds snorkel & dive tours of cenotes<BR>http://hiddenworlds.com.mx/<BR><BR>Aktun Chen <BR>www.aktunchen.com<BR><BR> Check out this web site for tours lead by the Friends of Sian Ka'an group. It is a non-profit organization and tour guides are usually biologists. Very informative tours lead by a very worthwhile organization. <BR>Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve<BR>http://www.cancun.com/siankaan/<BR><BR>photo of tankah's cenote'<BR>http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian/issues98/apr98/diver_jpg.html<BR><BR>

We've been to both places. Cancun is more for just tourists. Puerto Vallarta is more laid back . I think Puerto Vallarta is less expensive and more interesting. There are some great snorkeling trips you con go on, too. Either way though, you can't go wrong. We are planning trips back to both places.

I have never been to Cancun, but I have been to P.V. I was very disappointed. The water is dirty. The beaches are rocky. The city was a great disappointment.

cancun gets my vote. way too many tight fisted canadians in pvr. they pretty much are hated by the locals as they fly in on a charter with two changes of clothes and $20 cnd. at the end of two weeks nothing is changed.