beanweb24

I recently returned from a Christmas cruise to the Carribbean and loved the beaches so much that I was thinking of taking a 4 night trip somewhere warm in March. From Seattle, what are your favorite most cost effective destinations for sunshine and beaches?

I'm considering Puerto Vallarta, Playa del Carmen (though I'll probably be there for Christmas this year...I could always go explore ahead of time), Cozumel. In Puerto Vallarta, the Marriott Casa Magna has grabbed my attention.

Airfare for each destination is around $400. I'd like to spend no more than $200/night (less is better) for lodging. Would also prefer not to have a car, but could reconsider for the right destination.

I'd also considered Oahu, but think that the traffic will be too much for me to handle. Have already been to the other 3 islands.

I love anything water related - snorkeling, boating, etc. I do love to sit by a nice beach, but not all day...so having somewhere to walk around with restaurants and such would be nice too.

This will be my very first trip travelling completely alone...so safety will also be a factor.

happytrailstoyou

>I'd also considered Oahu, but think that the traffic will be too much for me to handle. Have already been to the other 3 islands.<

I think Oahu is a great choice--you can get everywhere on the island by bus.

suze

I live in Seattle and travel somewhere warm every winter.

I have been to Puerto Vallarta (18x), La Paz on the Baja (1x), Honolulu/Waikiki (3x), Lahaina/Maui (1x).

I love Waikiki and PV the most & equally! I don't rent a car in either location, so traffic does not effect me. I have been to both places both solo or with a friend.

Typically my hotel in Hawaii is a bit more (~$100) but plane fare less (~$325) and in Mexico hotel is cheaper (~$50) but plane fare more (~$550). Oahu I can get a nonstop, PV usually has one transfer. Flight times, and time change to both places are also similar.

Casa Magna Marriott is a lovely hotel in the Marina district of PV. But I stay in less expensive places in the Old Town. I have always found Vallarta to be extremely safe, the people friendly, and have never had any problems of any sort.

suze

beamweb~ May I ask where you're finding airfare to PV from Seattle for $400? I haven't found anything near that cheap for this winter.
~Suze

beanweb24

I went ahead and booked my trip on Monday...I couldn't wait. The airfare to PV had been $300 over the weekend, then went to $400 on Monday so I jumped on it. I found the airfare (Mar 5 - Mar 9) on kayak.com then booked directly with Delta....connecting through LAX there and SLC on the way home!

I had gone so far as getting a car and hotel in Oahu...then the more I thought about traffic, crowds, etc. decided PV would be a better fit for me this trip. I still would like to go to Oahu, and definitely will at some point. But the airfare to PV and a good rate at Casa Magna sold me.

I can't wait!

suze

The only downside to your plan I see is with only 4 days... you'll be wanting to stay longer!
;-)

suze

btw, for future reference, I think the traffic and crowds are about the same in myt experience, comparing PV and Waikiki.

Orcas

Sounds like a great trip! We have been to Puerto Vallarta and loved it. It is definitely a busy place, but has a lot of character. It's a fun small town and has an authentic feel (far more than a tourist destination). The beaches are nice, but crowded. It is Mexico, so expect to be approached by people offering to braid your hair and sell you things while you sit on the beach. For quiet, people use their hotel pools, which are not open to the public.

There are lots of good restaurants, shops and activities, so be sure to do your research before you go. When you get there, you will find lots of people hocking all kinds of excursions, and you will need a feel for which things you want to do. Four day is not long!

We did fine without a car. We used the bus and taxis to get around (mostly the bus).

Other places on the west coast of Mexico we haven't been but hear about are Mazatlan and Cabo. My sister has been to Mazatlan and prefers PV. She thought Mazatlan was more of a big, dirty city and lacked the charm of PV. I understand Cabo is more of a touristy destination - less Mexican feeling, and is very upscale. I guess you could say PV is in the middle. Definitely Mexican, but small enough that you can enjoy the character.

On a different topic, did you manage to get your heat problem addressed? I heard from an architect recently about hydroponic heat. It's apparently all the rage, keeping your feet warm and being energy efficient, but the architect said it has to be turned way down or it gets too hot.

beanweb24

Thanks all for your tips and comments!

I know my vacation is short...my new job offers less vacation time, and I have 3 more vacations I'm planning this year so I am stretched thin. I think it will be just the right length for my very first solo trip.

I'll really only have 3 full days there. One day I'd like to do a whale watch cruise (with snorkeling if the weather is nice). Otherwise, my plan is to meander, relax, and read a book out by the pool...maybe get a massage or something. Beyond eating and drinking, I don't have much planned in terms of activities.

Orcas, my heat did get fixed...consider it user error (or stupidity). I had one of the zones on, even though it wasn't blowing out heat. The heater guy said that when any zone is on, hot water circulates through all the pipes in the house...and they give off a ton of heat. He turned my hot water heater down from 140 to 120 (though I think I need to turn it back up...shower isn't as warm anymore), and I turned off ALL my zones. It even got down to 67 in my living room the other night...a big welcome over the 80 degree temps I was unhappily enduring.

suze

beanweb24~ There's quite a bit of Vallarta information on old posts over on the Latin America forum here.

Even for relaxing you might want to read up on some tips about going thru the airport (avoiding time share sales people), taxis, getting peso, etc.

beanweb24

Thanks Suze...I've been lurking on Latin American board for a while but was focusing on restaurants, activities, and places to stay. didn't realize there were other things I should read up on too. I appreciate it!

suze

I wouldn't say "should" but possibly some little tips that would make for a smoother 1st trip, to Mexico, especially solo.

www.allvallarta.com
www.vallarta-info.com
are excellent websites run by locals

Trip Advisor also has an active PV forum.

TahitiTams

When I'm in Cabo it seems that during the winter the place is packed with people from the Seattle and Alaska area..
Great package deals on alaskaair or on Expedia..

Orcas

You'll find a lot of Canadians in PV, too. They need to get into the sunshine as much as we do. This is a particularly dark winter, I think. Oldtimers say this is the way winter used to be all the time, and that it has been sunnier in recent years.

artlover

Hi beanweb,

We just got back from 8 days in PV and haven't even had time to post a trip report. It was a good sun break, which is what we wanted.

Two restaurants we really liked were Barcelona Tapas (suggest reservations for this one) and Epoca. Also, Robertos for gelato (luckily didn't discover this one until we were about to leave).