In town you'll find a number of deluxe hotels or condominiums for rent. Excellent restaurants often feature both Mexican and American foods. Seafood, especially lobster, is a specialty.
Beaches lovely, wide, and uncluttered to the north and south of town are ideal for sunbathing, swimming, water skiing, hiking, tennis, and horseback riding. Although a few beaches run beside the malecon, swimming is not too good. Playa del Sol, south of the Cuale, has the action; vendors with goods and fish on a s tick, thatched roof snack and cocktail bars, wandering mariachis, and boat and surfboard rentals. Taxis and buses run to and fro.
To the north, an excellent marina adjoins Playa del Oro. It has a number of slips for yachts and for fishing and excursion boats, a concrete dock (where cruise passengers land), a bathhouse, and a terminal building for the Cabo San Lucas ferry.
Tours take you to Mismaloya Beach, a jungle hideaway discovered by Hollywood several years ago and converted into the setting for Night of the Iguana. Foliage has obscured most but not all traces of "el set." The view is worth your time, though the beach may be cluttered.
For a novel, all day excursions that includes swimming, sunning, hiking, lunching, and shopping, take a boat trip to the sequestered fishing village of Yelapa. If you want to linger, make reservations in advance; accommodations are modest and the choice is limited. Living is slow paced and the people are friendly and hospitable. A handful of Europeans and Americans have made Yelapa their retreat from the bustling modern world.
After lunch you can climb into a hammock under a palm umbrella, hike to a nearby waterfall, wade in a warm lagoon, or shop at the small boutique displaying embroidered dresses, hand loomed articles, and hand printed cloth.
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Puerto Vallarta still unspoiled :
The cobblestone streets are as rough, uneven, and jolting as ever; the perilous descents from hillside casas, casitas, and condos are still rugged and scary; and the shops, restaurants, and resorts keep on growing. By some strange grace, though, Puerto Vallarta still retains the charm and simplicity that has made it world famous.
Described in superlatives by most visitors, Puerto Vallarta's environs look more tropical and tidier than those of Mazatlan or Acapulco. Though you'll glimpse much of the native life, the presence of the American tourist is sometimes more obvious because the town is small.
Donkey carts still rattle along the streets among the taxis, autos, and jeeps. Flaming bougainvillea and blue jacaranda hug stucco walls; sweet jasmine perfumes the night. So, if no longer an idyllic retreat, Puerto Vallarta is certainly one of Mexico's fun spots and a highly picturesque town in a perfect away from it all setting.
The town crowds between the foot of the mountains and beautiful Banderas Bay. To become acquainted, locate the Cuale River, the zocalo (plaza), the malecon, and the Church of Guadalupe. The river (which runs in an east west direction) serves as a natural
dividing line within the city, separating the business sections from the south beach. The only bridge across the Cuale provides a scene of constant bedlam rivaling the confusion on any large city's freeway. One of the town's two major shopping districts starts north of the bridge; the other is south on Lazaro Cardenas and parallel streets. Farther up the river loom steep cliffs where luxurious homes cling precariously. One ravine is dubbed "Gringo Gulch" because of the number of Americans maintaining homes there.
