JeanH writes: "I've never been to Puerto Vallarta, I would like to visit, the city sounds awesome. But, I don't think the beach can compare, and you certainly won't have that wonderful, blue Caribbean water."

And I have never been to Playa del Carmen; my daughter sings Praises of that Beach Resort.

Like beanweb24, we stayed at the Marriot Resort in PV. It was nice: Peacocks (PavoReales) wandering the grounds, even inside the Hotel, and a concession offers parasailing.

One thing concerned me: it looked like (at certain times of day) the municipality discharged wastewater into the ocean a mile or so from the Hotel/Resort. It made me swim only in the swimming pool to avoid any harmful pollution. I wouldn't go back.

That trip we stopped in Guadalajara (Jalisco) for a weekend: high point of our visit was a Bailé Folkloric performance Sunday AM at Teatro Degollado (buy tix early, like Saturday). Another was a Saturday PM stop at Plazuela Mariachi. It was my birthday so I got treated to a performance of las Mañanitas

"municipality discharged wastewater"
That's absolute rubbish, the sewage plant in Vallarta returns water into the Rio Ameca, that is cleaner than the tap water in Mexico City.

JYK If you're leaning towards P.V. I would highly recommend the Sheraton it is a huge resort and the pools there are right on the beach. The beach there is really not that nice. However at your ages you can all walk into town from there. It's a really nice hotel I go twice a year. Food is expensive at the hotel but you ar so close to everything you can eat anywhere. Everything is close by. Good Luck

Thanks, I think I really have narrowed down to Playa Los Arcos, BV and the sheraton.

Frankie, cruise ships have for years dropped of cruisers at either Cozumel or Calica. Normally the Coz folks stay over there but the Calica port is just south of Playa and PDC gets HEAVY traffic from them.

I should add, PDC is still my favorite vacation destination location although it gets busier every year! Either PV or PDC is great, I've been to both but the beaches are many times over better in Playa. Nothing compares to the Caribbean. Which ever one you choose, I'd recommend NOT going the AI route. There are so many better options in either locale.

thank you, jette. I was wondering if cruise ships had started to dock in PDC!

We've been to Playa twice and PV once. We did stay at the Playa Los Arcos on PV when we went. It's a nice small budget minded hotel. If you chose it, make sure you get a suite otherwise the room is very small and the bathroom is tiny. We did the AI plan for $150 total for the both us for 4 nights. Totally worth it in drinks and the breakfast buffet alone.

Between the two, I prefer Playa over PV. 5th Street in Playa is the atmosphere you are probably looking for. We went to PV in Decemeber and it was practically dead. We found the atmosphere more geared to the elderly. Might not be that way all the time, but that is what we experienced. The time share people and vendors were the worst we have ever experienced in any destination we've been to. The beaches are very subpar to Playa. We couldn't even use the beach in PV when we went.

Personally, I wouldn't chose Playa or any of the surroundings areas in August. We've been 3 times in an August/September and it was so hot and humid, and we had to grit our teeth every trip to see if we could actually go because of the hurricanes. We lost out in 2005 to Cozumel and ended up somewhere else. We will not plan trips there anymore during that time frame.

Also be careful of the a hotel you pick for Playa if you are interested. Many are around 30 minutes outside of the acutal town, which is why there are so many all inclusives. I highly recommend the Royal Playa del Carmen in Playa. Though it is an AI, 5th Street is 5 minute walk. You'll get the best of both.

I felt that Playa had more things to see and do off the resort than PV. We just returned from a second trip to Cancun and we've been to Cozumel 3 times. For a party atmosphere we prefer Cancun. For a relax get away, we prefer Cozumel. If you interested e-mail me and I can provide you with our trip reports and pictures.

JYK,

Do yourself a favor and check out www.playa.info. Someone on this site recommended it, and we found so much great information! We are going in 4 days. Check out the Forum there, and you will see Trip reports posted with MANY pictures, so you can get a really good feel for the place.
~Chilepepper

I don't doubt PDC has better beaches, etc. I am very worried about the hurricane season however. This is my first real vacation in 3 years!! I'm also possibly going to Cancun in Feb/09 for wedding, so I think I'll stick with PV for this trip. Thanks everyone again for your inputs.

Hi, does anyone know anything about the Hola Resort in Puerto Vallarta? I have heard mixed reviews. I am going down in October to get married. Also, does anybody know of any affordable and reliabe wedding services? Thanks

Mexico Guru ofers a free, helpful quiz at <http://www.mexicoguru.com/asktheguru.php> where you can plug in what you want to do and check off your favorite interests, activities, environment, lifestyle, and etc..

The web site covers over 50 distinations, and the quiz is quick and easy. It's great for zeroing in on exactly the right place and for helping to answer the age ol' question: Location A or location B?

PV has the edge because of hurricane risk. Also, PV has some really, really great restaurants with tremendous views. PV also feels less touristy, if you stay closer to town or south of it. Stay south of town for better beaches with mountains as backdrop. Many resorts are now in Nuevo Vallarta or Nayarit, which is quite a drive/bus ride north of town. The old town feel of PV is great...walk along the river with lovely cafes and shops in town. Great excursion to remote beaches south of town (can't remember the beach name, but serious fun boat ride there and Gilligan's island feel once there, with hike to waterfall that you can do on your own, not with an obnoxious "guide.")

If other things are equal in your mind between the two, you may want to consider the airfare. If you are coming from the east coast of the US, the fare to PV is usually more expensive.

I used frequent flier miles to book to PV. It was about $650 to PV (b4 fees/taxes) and $550 to cancun or cozumel. really not much difference. My group has shrunk a bit but we are excited about PV. still deciding on a hotel.

Feel free to post your short-list of PV hotel/resorts you're considering, if you want some opinions on them.

One of the biggest things to take into consideration is location. The resorts in Nuevo Vallarta are newer and larger, but are a 30-45 mins. drive from central PV. There's nice hotels in The Marina district (Marriott, Westin) which is about 15 mins. from town. Then the Hotel Zone, El Centro/downtown, and the south-side (aka "Zona Romantica"). Further south Dreams and a few other resorts sit along the coast in that direction.

Have you ever considered Isla Mujeres??? (island off of Cancun - but WAY different than Cancun). More traditional feel to the island - quaint, friendly. Lots of great exploring - small island. Rent a golf cart and explore the whole island. Here's a great way to get a "feel" for the island (lots of great info). www.myislamujeres.com

Great local restaurants, FRESHEST seafood around (the island is a fishing village) and fun beachbars and nightlife! You will not run out of things to do in a week even though the island is small!