Heading down south after Thanksgiving with the family. Yelapa, Mismaloya, and Punta Mita are on the radar.
Any other places to hit that are away from the crowds and worth the extra effort to visit?
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Heading down south after Thanksgiving with the family. Yelapa, Mismaloya, and Punta Mita are on the radar.
Any other places to hit that are away from the crowds and worth the extra effort to visit?
San Pancho is pretty cool and laid back. Be sure to hit the malecon in PV on Saturday night...very entertaining!
I loved Bucerias last time we went to Puerta Vallarta. Spent the whole time there. Its North of Puerto, near Nuevo Vallarta, and is in between Punta Mita(south of) and Mismaloya(north of) if Im not mistaken.
The people we cool and theres a neat market area. The best part was waking up in the morning and buying a beautiful fresh caught fish for $5, only to have them also perfectly cook/roast it for us and then enjoy some refreshments to go with it.
Bumping this old ass thread. We are headed down in a few weeks and will be based in PV, but looking to get up north to check out some surf spots and beaches that way.
Any new recommendations for stuff to do? I'm not very good at beach vacations. I usually just end up drinking poolside the whole time, but would like to get out and do some more active stuff before the margs start flowing.
Eat at the fish taco place across the bridge/walkway at the airport once you land. You will thank me afterwards.
I went to Sayulita last january which they tell me has got a lot more popular in the last 5 yrs but its still funky/ friendly , from the airport walk over the highway and hop a bus an easy 1hr bus ride north from the airport.
I noticed all the people with tensor bandages (from surfing?) I had a torn MCL so I just walked on the beach and got loaded and closed the bars at night
I booked an air BNB which was reallly cheap, buddy was a bering sea fisherman/drummer in a reggae band so it was interesting
Yeah, we are staying at some fancy resort in PV, inherited a timeshare from the inlaws. Strangely, we have it for a week, but my wife leaves early to go back to work and I'm staying three more nights solo. That's when I might head up to Sayulita or Punta Mita. Definitely looking to do a little surfing or SUP.
The fish taco place will be our first stop Yonder!
also enjoyed salyulita when I was in PV last year. other notes:
-Pancho's Takos kills it
-the zoo in PV is fucking Jurassic Park
-taking a boat to Yelapa was a pretty cool way to get away
The lady and I are going down there in a few weeks too. Dec 3rd I believe, for 4 nights. Staying at some americana place, I forget the name. I don't surf, but we'll certainly be looking for some activities to get in to. Shoot me a PM if you're gonna be down there then.
I stayed in Sayulita for six days with my wife a few years ago. It's a fantastic, mainly sleepy little surf and fishing town. We stayed at a resort (Playa Escondita) and really didn't do much other than eat, wander, and hang out.
Signed up for a tour the first day so we can get a lay of the land. Trying to get excited about this, but when the snow is so good at home right now, it's hard to get stoked about the beach. Where's that First world Problems thread?
There's no surf down there in the winter. All the swells coming from the north pretty much get blocked by baja.
Quote:
Originally Posted by splitinbend
I heard the opposite but makes sense, it is a puerto. I would love to get a few days surfing in, but if it does't happen, I'll be fine with some tequila and whatever happens next.
You may get some tapering effect from a big north out past punta mita (who knows what El Nino could provide too) if you take a boat ride out to the island, but don't waste your time thinking your going to get waves in Sayulita. I've been to Sayulita a bunch and there's actually some fun snorkeling and paddle boarding zones to the south just past the Villa Amor around the rocks.Quote:
Originally Posted by shredgnar
Yeah, I don't have my heart set on surf anyway. I wouldn't mind paddle boarding around some cool shoreline rock features and doing some snorkeling. Catching some small waves on a paddle board would be something different too.Quote:
Originally Posted by splitinbend
On your way back down from Sayulita swing by Sonora al Sur in Nuevo Vallarta. Random place kind of in an industrial-ish feeling area. Pick your cut at the butcher and they grill it right there. Add some sides, beers and it's pretty awesome and not at tourist prices. Good fish tacos at the far end of the pedestrian art/walking area past the trinket peddling market in PV. Can't remember the place. We did the sailboat tour over to Yelapa and that was a pretty good way to go. Couple people got seasick but otherwise a fun time.
I was suprised at how fast you could be on a totally deserted beach at sayulita, just walk north along the beach after the last house get up on the road which will take you in land enough to more easily get around the rocky point and on the other side is a totally deserted beach with shady trees right on the sand a good place to hang out with a bum knee a book and a left hand cigarette
nite action was the rodeo bar for some reggae followed by the don patico bar followed by a big beach party on friday nites at a beach bar
Awesome zip line!
http://www.vallarta-adventures.com/t...nopy-adventure
Car rental question. I am going down with my 2 kids and wife on Sunday.
With our HSBC premier mastercard it says that we have "Car Rental Insurance2 – Rent your car with the HSBC Premier MasterCard and receive automatic Collision Damage Waiver Insurance, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance and Personal Effects Insurance"
Anyone have any past experience with this? Rental rates go from about $100 for the week up to $500ish once you add the companies insurance. Don't want to get in a accident and get raped down there because I cheaped out on insurance.
Doesn't sound like its a good idea to try and save a couple hundred $$$
http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Travel-g15...In.Mexico.html
Can anyone suggest a way to get up to Bucerias and Sayulita from PV besides renting a car and driving myself? Headed down in a few weeks and want to check these areas out, maybe do some surfing, and spend a day out of the PV scene.
Last time I was there, there was a public bus but it sounded like it'd take all day to get there.
I took the bus to Sayulita and I seem to remember < 2 hrs and pretty cheap
edit: it looks like 4 years ago I wrote above that it was a easy 1hr bus ride north of the airport, after clearing immigration/customs get a couple hits of complimentary Mescal from the timeshare salesmen, take the bridge over the highway and the stop is right there .
You can take a bus, taxi or uber. Re: surfing, the rest of the coast ain't like the gringo jong scene in Sayulita with the exception of the in town Puta Mita if it is working. In other words, if you are a beginner surfer and you just want to get a day in, Sayulita will be your best bet most likely. There are other options, best to ask for some up to date info in the surf fourm. FWIW, I dislike PV and Sayulita but really enjoy Buscerias and Punta Mita.
What do you dislike about it? I’m not a world traveler by any means but of all the places I’ve been, Puerto Vallarta is one of my favorites. I want to retire thereQuote:
Originally Posted by Foggy_Goggles
Americans on vacation, fake Mexico & its a cityQuote:
What do you dislike about it?
If you plan to head to Sayulita via taxi directly from the PV airport (or anywhere directly from the PV airport) you can save yourself some pesos by walking the bridge from the airport over the highway and grabbing a taxi there. IIRC, it's about $35 to Sayulita; about an hour?
FWIW, I get the complaints about PV being a city/American turons, but Sunday evening paseos along the Malecon are a blast and pretty authentically "Mexican." PV=lots of fun in small doses.
Great thing about PV for us is, there's no time difference, 3.5 hr direct flights that cost about >$400. We stay on a nice resort with a pool, swim up bar, and lots of shit to do so don't really need to leave much if we don't want to. The marina is a short walk, and downtown a 30 min taxi. Downtown doesn't do much for me but last time I was there, they were having the Virgin of Guadalupe parades and festivities so that was kinda cool. We also paddle boarded out to Los Arcos and went snorkeling one day and that was totally worth the effort.
Shit I hate about PV: "Excusions" and "Activities" like paragliding and other dumb fat white people things to do. Constantly saying "No Gracias" when sitting on the beach just trying to chill but people keep trying to sell me trinkets. Senor Frogs and everything like it.
"Parasailing" bro! Sounds like you are staying in Nuevo Vallerta. You can catch buses at the big supermarket. Enjoy.
Yeah, I did it once in FL when I was like 10 yo and even then it was boring AF.Quote:
Originally Posted by Foggy_Goggles
It is just something you have to do naked to really enjoy
Heading to Puerto Vallarta this Saturday for a week. Wife and 9yr old daughter with me.
Other than spending time in town, the zoo, and eating my body weight in fish tacos, any tips on things to avoid or things that must be done not mentioned up thread?
Thanks
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Its about an hr and 15 min by municipal bus which might be 3$ or something, nowdays they even got AC and no chickensQuote:
Originally Posted by PassTheDutchie
Fixed it for youQuote:
Originally Posted by XXX-er
Boat trip to Yelapa is cool if you're not the type to get seasick. My mom had some artist friends we used to visit out there.
My parents spent 20 years traveling to every corner of "real" Mexico and never lost their love for PV. They brought us down there at least ten times over the years. I've been thinking of taking my kids there this Christmas. Seems as safe as any place in Mexico these days.
About an hour by cab to the north of PV, or an hour beach walk north from Sayulita is San Fransisco or San Pancho, depending on who you talk with. A founder of Cirque du Soleil retired to this town and founded a circus school for kids. This has lead to the best street performers that I have seen outside of Barcelona. The beach front cafes are fancy and menus are in English, but the show is magnificent! We were lucky enough to see the school performance in 2022 and it was world class. It looks like they have a show on Sunday night.
https://circodelosninosdesanpancho.m...pcoming-events
If you want to take an inland excursion, there is a really cool old town called San Sebastián Del Oeste, which dates back more than 400 years. It has basically been preserved as such. On the way there is a famous place that makes Raicilla, near a deep gorge. This is a relative of tequila, and becoming more renowned.
Great getaway from the gringo craziness. Also visit a classic old town called Mascota. Insanely great DH trails in that area. (But you would need to bring a bike, and hire a guide).
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Its been 8 yrs since I was last there and I would say in those 8 yrs its changed noticeably, 8 yrs ago the bus had no AC and the bus station in Sayulita was some plastic chairs under under a tree in a dirt field,Quote:
Originally Posted by halliday
now there is a real bus station, with washrooms
more bank M/C in town spitting out more cash so the gringo can spend more money
And I think the prices have gone up
Definitely hit up Sayulita if you feel like taking a risk with norovirus. Otherwise, hard pass.
I was going to say that when buying coke at the xoxo make sure the 12 year old gets you the purple bag… insist on it.
But… since you’re there with a kid, the taco walking tour was AWESOME, long afternoon for the little but totally worth it.
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Have you chatted with Brice about Sayulita? He and Whitney have lived there for years now in the winters. AFAIK, they have had no troubles. I certainly didn’t, but I don’t surf or whatever.Quote:
Originally Posted by zion zig zag