It’s Friday, so I’m linking up with Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five. You may have seen in this month’s Coffee Date that I was headed to Puerto Vallarta for a girl’s weekend with my friend Sapna. As I mentioned, I’d never been there before and I wasn’t sure what to expect. We had an awesome trip! I highly recommend it and I’ll tell you why.
5 Reasons to Visit Puerto Vallarta
1. It’s beautiful, clean and safe. I’m not going to lie, Mexico has a bad rap and I was expecting PV to be gritty and to feel edgy. Boy, was I wrong. Our hotel (Marriott Puerto Vallarta – highly recommend) was recently renovated and was clean and beautiful. It also has a beautiful infinity pool (with a swim up bar), beach access and a nice gym and spa. We spent much of our time walking around the Malecon (boardwalk) and the Old Town. Everything was clean and felt very safe. There are beautiful bronze statues and colorful murals and mosaics everywhere.
2. There’s so much to do (and so many great places to relax if you don’t want to do anything). We only had 3 days and it was not enough! Aside from checking out the Malecon and Old Town, there were tons of cool tours, bike rides and day trips that were recommended. We booked a Food Tour with Vallarta Food Tours and a boat trip with Vallarta Adventures. Both exceeded our expectations and were reasonably priced, too.
3. The food is amazing and so affordable. I was excited to learn that all of the restaurants use purified water to cook and clean veggies. It’s safe to eat food in restaurants and from street vendors. Score! Our food tour took us to a bunch of street stalls and restaurants. We tried several types of tacos, ceviche, sopas, chocolate, ice cream and agua fresca. It was great to learn about the foods and vendors. We also went to a charity event that had food stalls from many great restaurants and to Planeta Vegetariano (an amazing vegetarian buffet).
4. All of the people we interacted with had a joie de vivre. People in Puerto Vallarta enjoy life. From our hotel staff to Shaunie, our American Food Tour leader, to the staff of our boat from Vallarta Adventures, everyone was positive and enthusiastic. They were not only doing their jobs, they were having a blast doing it. The joy is contagious.
5. It’s a great way to dip your foot into Mexico or international travel. PV is like Mexico on training wheels. It’s easy to get around with English. It’s clean, safe and friendly. Even if you’re not a world traveler, I think you’ll love it!
Have a great weekend!
PS. Don’t forget my great giveaways!