Last year my wife and I went to Ixtapa and loved it. This year we would like to return to Mexico. Since we live in California the pacific coast is our best choice. We are looking at Puerta Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo but leanibg towards PV. So, my question is: which destination would you recommend? Also, if we choose PV which area is the best? We don't mind taking a bus to town.

I've been to all three and I think if you loved Ixtapa you'll probably like Vallarta more than Cabo.

Ditto. Puerto Vallarta (especially downtown/towards Playa de los Muertos) is great... when I visited Cabo, I just felt like it lacked personality. (Cabo wasn't bad - It's beautiful there, but it just doesn't feel as much like mexico.) PV, on the other hand, is great... they have this fun "malecon" to stroll down in the evening, the food is great, and if you want a getaway, Guadalajara is 4 hours by bus or the marshes of San Blas (you can see lots of birds, crocodiles, and turtles there) is about 3 hours away. PV has really fun restaraunts, and you can do the downtown area on foot. I have always preferred the southern part of PV to the northern, but that's just a matter of opinion.

I love Puerto Vallarta. I've been there ~19 times over the past 15 years. I believe it would be the most similar to Zijuat/Ixtapa (although quite a bit larger).

I MUCH prefer the south-side, sometimes dubbed "Zona Romantica" recently. It is very laid back and fun. Cobblestone streets, red tile roofs, great cafes, restaurants, bars, shops, galleries. With tourist ammenities but you still can tell you're in Mexico!

If you want a more upscale place to stay then look to the Hotel Zone, the Marina, or even out in Nuevo Vallarta (30-45 mins. to the north for the newer mega resorts).

www.bookit.com

good PV sale packages

like the Dreams properties...