"A lovely town on the beach...." Puerto Vallarta by Laura_Mexico

I visited Puerto Vallarta for the first time several years ago already, and although I spent very few hours there I totally fell in love with this place and swore I had to go back one day........... well, the day finally came and it's been two visits ever since that "love at first sight" visit!!

I'm just back after 4 wonderful days which I spent lying on the beach and enjoying a few days off in this wonderful place that I love so much with my hubby. It had been 4+ years since my last trip (October 2006) and we definitely must go back soon...!!

On my 2nd trip I stayed at a centric hotel with nice amenities so I didn't spend a lot of time out of the hotel and thus I didn't post a lot of "things to do" tips... However this time I did go out a bit more and got to know some "new" things about Vallarta so I'm eager to share them on this page! That includes a review about a new hotel so I guess it was a productive trip (VT-wise LOL).

Aerial view of Puerto Vallarta

Vallarta is located on the west coast of Mexico, on the Pacific Ocean side.

It's a town full of a "Mexican feeling" and style, with narrow cobblestone streets, a nice cathedral, lots of shops, markets, restaurants, etc. It's located just between the ocean and the Sierra Madre Occidental, an impressive chain of mountains which separates the town from the rest of the continent. Vallarta is located at a bay, so you can swim and kayak in the ocean more or less safely.

Puerto Vallarta is a great place where you can perform both beach and mountain activities, eat delicious food, enjoy a great nightlife and make different kinds of tours both within and outside the town. A perfect vacation destination! This last time though I was a bit disappointed to see that it's becoming more and more touristy, so there are now a lot of places fully dedicated to foreigners which don't really offer you "the real Mexican thing"..... even springbreakers are coming here now (it wasn't a typical springbreak destination many years ago) and I honestly don't like that. But I still think it's a very nice place and would go back again and again.

Sunset at Puerto Vallarta

Almost from any point in Vallarta (facing the ocean) you will be able to see some really wonderful and romantic sunsets........

I must say that I don't love the sunset pictures I made with my digital camera..... I prefer those made with the OLD FASHIONED film cameras, but I didn't have one with me this time so here's one of the best shots I could get (after 10000 attempts). The colors aren't exactly what they looked like in real life, but hey, you will have to go there and see & judge for yourself hehehehehe.....

• Pros:Great weather (almost) all year long, charming, with colonial features and many things to do, not only beach activities!
• Cons:Hurricane season (during which the weather sucks), quite cool during the winter, beach not too nice (too many rocks almost everywhere)
• In a nutshell:A perfect vacation destination for all ages and tastes!