In July, I had the pleasure of visiting the beautiful city of Puerto Vallarta in Mexico. If you are like me, you might not have heard of the place. I was only familiar with Cancun and Mexico City. However, according to my full passenger flight from Dallas to Puerto Vallarta there are others who are clearly in the know about this hidden gem on Mexico’s Pacific coast.
Here is what I thoroughly enjoyed about my trip:
The all-inclusive hotel.
I stayed at the Hilton Puerto Vallarta, which is an all-inclusive resort a.k.a all food and drinks are already included in the price which equals PPPARRTTTAYYYYYYY!! As I was scoping out the hotel for our future honeymooning readers, I was treated to the “honeymoon special”. Let’s just say everything was magical! I felt so in-love and googley eyed! The hotel room was two floors with two balconies overlooking the pool and the beach. It was so beautiful that I had to plan a candlelit dinner on one of the balconies. The super attentive concierge helped me organize the romantic affair including petal decorations, champagne, romantic and private server. Talk about a luxurious evening!
The hotel’s pool, beach and SPAaaaaahhhhhh!
The hotel’s pool flows into the beach, so if you are tired of hanging out by the pool all-day you can just walk a couple of steps to the beach. I actually spent most of the morning hanging out by the adult pool (not pictured). There were only a few people there and it was just nice to hangout. I even ended up having a mini-photo shoot in my Kamokini swimsuit :D. From the adult pool I watched people go jet skiing, ride the banana boat and play volleyball. I wasn’t interested in getting sand all over my clothes or getting salt water all over me, so I opted for the very daring and super cool PARASAILING! I had never done it before and boy was it amazing. I was petrified the entire time I was in the sky but I couldn’t help but marvel at God’s work as well as plan my James Bondess move in case I got detached from my harness. Yes, I am optimistic, but I am also cautious :D. After this, the SPA was needed cause you know I had worked super hard on relaxing the whole day. My Instagram post is still the best and most accurate descriptor of that experience!
The food
Everywhere I ate in the hotel was great. So much so that I just had to venture out into the town to see if everyone in Puerto Vallarta was an expert chef. Our concierge and cab drivers kept recommending this local hotspot called “Pipis.” I don’t even remember what we ordered but I know that when the tableside guacamole and homemade chips hit mouth, everything disappeared. I think I even licked the bowl shy face. You could even order a combination of American-Mexican and Mexican-Mexican food. Cue shrimp fajitas and a chimichanga. As you can see from the picture, I destroyed the guacamole and was about to dive into the rest of the food. Hello Ms. PIGGY! ☺ Also this place is famous for their HUMONGOUS MARGARITAS (not pictured). I couldn’t finish mine. I wish I could have taken it to go. 
A show called “Rhythm of the Night”
This outdoor showcase displays some of Mexico’s heritage. It is rated 5 stars by the New York Times and it was worth it!! Not only do you get a keepsake photograph and DVD of the evening’s performance but you get to take pictures with all the creepy interesting characters running around. Plus you are transported to the island on a large catamaran where the staff performs throughout the 30 minutes boat ride and after the show you are served authentic Mexican food with unlimited drinks.
Romantic “Sunset Sailing”
Amazing views!!! Incredibly, incredibly romantic. We even saw DOLPHINS! DOLPHINS! I felt like I was in a Disney Movie…all that was left were fireworks to go off cause I was already floating on Cloud 9.
Heads up on the following:
- Souvenir shopping isn’t great. I really struggled about what to bring back for my family and friends. The flee market has limited variety with the only pro being that you can negotiate on price (YES!!!!). I ended just buying a few shot glasses snooze.
- If you don’t drink, you may struggle. Most of the yummy beverages are alcoholic (YES!!!) and there are a lot of stores that offer tequila tasting. So if you enjoy you liquor, you will be right at home. Yes, you can get most of the alcoholic drinks without alcohol but they do not taste the same! ☹
(Picture from Pipis)
- The town isn’t very big. If you are looking for extensive shopping with international stores, you won’t find that many. I went into town and though the boardwalk is a long stretch of road, I walked about half of it in about 20 minutes.
I will totally be going back to Puerto Vallarta! Not only did I get to parasail for the first time (WOOOHHHOOO!!!!) but I really enjoyed how relaxing it was. When I returned to the States, I felt super recharged and ready to take on the work pile (especially unanswered emails) that was waiting for me ☹
(This is my DON’T MAKE ME LEAVE HERE FACE! ☹)
I recommend visiting this magical resort town if you are looking for a honeymoon spot or a quick rekindle the romance getaway!! For those with families, Puerto Vallarta is incredibly friendly and your kids will thoroughly enjoy themselves. However if you can get a baby sitter or someone to look after them, DO IT! You won’t regret your time away at Puerto Vallarta!!!
xoxo
Bukky O.
