Puerto Vallarta

Our Lady of Guadalope

     Puerto Vallarta was just a sleepy fishing village before John Huston decided to film "The Night of the Iguanas".  He a very famous star named Richard Burton who brought his mistress, Elizabeth Taylor, to accompany him during filming. The rest they say is history.

    Puerto Vallarta is located on the Bahia de Banderas (one of the largest bays in the world). It contains old world charm with modern conveniences. Cruise ships pull into the terminal that is approximately  3 miles from the famous downtown Malecon. A $3 taxi ride will have you there in about 10 minutes.

Puerto Vallarta Malecon

     Along the Malecon there are plenty of shops and restuarants. As you stroll along the Malecon you will view the spectacular Bahia de Banderas. Along the shoreline there are sand sculptures. As you conitnue south you will come to the central plaza and gazebo. Here you will find artisans selling their paintings and crafts. This is also where the iconic church comes into view.

Sand Scultures

     As you stroll south along the water you will come to a bridge that overlooks the Rio Cuale. This is my favorite part of downtown Puerto Vallarta. Take the steps down and walk along the shaded river. Here there are fine restuarants and local vendors. The prices for souvenirs are lower here. If you look carefully into the trees you will notice that you are surrounded by iguanas. Once you are able to spot one you will be amazed.

Rio Cuale

          There are some amazing excursion that are available. Puerto Vallarta has some of the finest oceanside golf courses. Outside the city you will find tequila factories giving tours and samples. If you venture further into the jungle hills you can go ziplining. I must say this was probably the coolest shore excursion I have ever done. My wife and I thouroughly enjoyed the experience. From the ride out of town to sailing through the canopy 70ft in the air the experience was breathtaking.

Ziplining

         Here is a little trivia about the Mexican Riviera. The ports of Cabo, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta were the destinations cruised to by Captain Stubing and "The Love Boat" crew. That television series introduced cruising to the masses and made the Mexican Riviera a must see tourist destination. I am looking forward to my next cruise to Mexico. The people are warm and welcoming and the scenery is stunning. Well until my next post Bon Voyage.

Cabo San Lucas

Los Arcos

     The iconic Los Arcos greets cruisers when they arrive at Cabo San Lucas. If it is the last port of call then it is directly across from the bow of the ship with the beautiful morning light playing on the rock face. If it is the first stop then climb on deck and view the Baja coast as the ship cruises around Land's End before droping anchor. Either way it is an extrordinary site.

     The first time I visited Cabo was in 1997. Then it was still a sleepy resort community. The timeshare boom had not begun and the first shopping consisted of a dusty flea market before you arrived at downtown. Now it has a modern cruise port where ship's tenders drop off passengers and then the shopping begins.

     A stroll through the shopping and restuarants along the harbor will bring you to the downtown area and from there you can keep walking to Medano Beach or just hang out aroung the harbor. There will be plenty of vendors trying to vie for yor business. The most prominent are the water taxis that will take you to Medano Beach or out to Lovers Beach. The round trip is about $7 per person.

Lovers Beach

      Lovers Beach is definetyl worth the the taxi fare. There are no facilities at the beach so bring your own water (or other beverage of choice) and a towel and be prepared to enjoy a few hours in the sun at this natural wonder.  Lovers Beach is located on the Sea of Cortez side of the Baja Penisula. Through the gap in the rocks you can walk over to Divorce Beach which faces the Pacific Ocean. Why the different names you might ask? At Lovers Beach it is possible to swim and snorkle in the relative calm of the Sea of Cortez waters. Divorce Beach is another matter. Here the water of the Pacific crash against a beach that has a steep drop off. The rip tides that are created are extremely dangerous and swimming is out of the question. Hence if you are looking to "dump" a significan other just push them into the Pacific.

     The weather in Cabo is wonderful in January with high temperature usually in the low to mid 80's and the lows in the mid to high 60's. In the morning the Sea of Cortez is typically smooth as glass and the sport fishing boats are headed out to open ocean. In Cabo fishing for marlin is a way of life. Also, from November to April the humpback whales are present in these warm waters feeding and calving. From the cruise ship you can watch for whale spouts.

Frigate Bird

      Overhead you will find Frigate Birds circling. There are the everpresent sea gulls and some of the most beautiful Pelicans. Seals line the rocks heading out to Los Arcos and they have been known to follow the water taxis. You will also spot dolphins.

downtown Cabo

      So what do you do with your time. Cabo has plenty of duty free shops were you can buy anything from t-shirts to fine jewelry. Here you can find some wonderful Mexican Vanilla but I would suggest waiting to purchase tequila until you visit Puerto Vallarta.



shopping plaza



      If you get thirsty there are plenty of places to purchase reasonably priced libations. You can usually find a Pacifico for $1.50 a bottle. Typically meals are also vary affordable. The people in Cabo are friendly and willing to help point you in the right direction. I am looking forward to spending 2 days in this port. My wife and high have a snorkle excursion planned to Chileno Bay and Santa Maria Bay. Next up Pueto Vallarta.            

Cabo Restuarant