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Twenty-four years ago, fresh off a visit to a Sandals resort, my husband and I were lured by the call of the all-inclusive resorts of Puerto Vallarta. Looking to enjoy another comprehensive vacation, we set off from our home to Los Angeles and then on to Puerto Vallarta.
A lengthy cab ride deposited us at our resort and we quickly changed into our swimsuits, eager to enjoy the amenities.
“Oh, you would like to book the dive trip for tomorrow, senora? We are sorry, the boat is broken.”
“Oh, you would like to go to the disco tonight, senor? We are sorry, the disco is being renovated and is closed…indefinitely.”
And the list went on. Nothing worked. Nothing was nice. And the food? Don’t get me started. This was definitely not anything that could compare to Sandals.
A phone call was made to our booking agency that afternoon and we were promised a refund after we informed them that we were leaving the next day.
Three months and the threat of a lawsuit finally got our money back. So, whenever someone mentioned going to Puerto Vallarta…it kind of turned my stomach. Nothing against the city itself. That dreadful resort had just ruined it for me. I had the mentality of “been there, did that” and I never really wanted to go back.
Trying to figure out plans for spring break is always tricky for airline employees as we fly on a stand-by basis and my son has limited time-off due to his baseball schedule. I watch flights for days-on-end, trying to decipher which will end up with seats both to and from tropical destinations. And, though we prefer a tropical destinations, I only told my boys that I would get them somewhere…even if it wasn’t their top choice.
Mother nature, however, had another plan. No one would could have prepared for the weather problems encountered that week, causing massive disruptions to flight schedules. Knowing that we would never get out of our hometown to one of my airlines’ hubs, we jumped in a rental car and made the eight hour drive to Atlanta, where I knew there were many flight originations and many customer’s flights that would not make it the next day due to the continuing cancellations.
My hunch was correct. As I watched three destinations the next morning, all with multiple flights and all with availability at hotels that we had earmarked, seats on those flights slowly began to open up. Quickly, we had to make a decision. We would try one of the earliest, leaving us with other options later in the day. My vote was for Punta Cana, but my boys wanted to try…Puerto Vallarta.
Waiting to reserve the hotel, my husband hit the “Book” button only when we had been given our seat assignments and the door to the aircraft was closed. Whew! We had made it onto a flight! But…what was it going to be like?
Four hours later, I was admiring the blue water and surrounding lush mountainsides as we were touching down at Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport.
A swift cab ride from the airport had us arriving at the Hilton’s Puerto Vallarta All-Inclusive Resort, not long after our arrival and we were lounging on the beach, cocktails in hand, by two-thirty. Sunny skies and blue water! What more could you ask for?
Needless to say, we absolutely LOVED this resort…everything worked, our room was upgraded, the service was amazing and the food and drinks, divine!
Happy to have a resort that met our expectations, there was one other thing…I wanted to see this place that I never really got to see.
The next morning, I decided that I would head into town. Gathering advice and instruction from the concierge, I hailed a cab with my boys and headed to the center of Puerto Vallarta and its Malecón, the twelve-block boardwalk along the waterfront.
The Malecón was renovated in 2011, making it more pedestrian friendly. The waterfront area is filled with beautiful sculpture, restaurants, bars, museums, free shows, duty-free shopping and souvenir shops. As we made our way south, we took lots of pictures, shopped, made friends and visited Our Lady of Guadaloupe cathedral, the city’s endearing landmark with its wrought-iron crown tower.
The area felt extremely safe and was exceptionally clean. The local people were very friendly and helpful…just beware, they might spot your wristband and tell you that they met you the night before at your resort, just to lure you in. I was stupid enough to fall for that one!
Though we only spent about three hours enjoying this area, we agreed to come back and bring my husband so that he could also see what he had missed.
Counting out twenty-one pesos, we decided to take the city bus back to the hotel. I love traveling the way locals do…my children…not so much. Still, it was a cheap way to travel and was surprising easy.
There was more fun to experience later in Puerto Vallerta, but this was a great beginning! So happy that we gave it another chance!
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Puerto Vallarta
- http://visitpuertovallarta.com/
- http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/jalisco/hilton-puerto-vallarta-resort-PVRPVHF/index.html
- Getting There/Airport-Hotel: Cabs are regulated and can be arranged prior to exiting the airport. Approximate taxi fare to our hotel, in a van for four people, was approximately $30. Return fare from hotel, was $10.
- Getting There/Malecón: From the Hilton (near marina) a cab cost about $5.00 US. The cabdriver will give you an amount in pesos and will also give an amount in US dollars. The bus is about 7 pesos (about $.40 US) and though a bit of a rough ride, very safe and easy to ride.