Bucerias is a quaint Mexican town of about 8,000 people, brimming with good restaurants. It exudes an ambiance like that of a simpler Puerto Vallarta, thirty years ago. Bucerias is lined with cobblestone streets, white-washed houses, and a beautiful long, broad, white sandy beach.

The Bucerias beach located mid-town is one of the longest and widest on the bay. The shores are shaded by large palm trees if you just want to relax and enjoy the fresh ocean air. Horses are also available here for rent by the hour.

Wide, white, sandy Bucerias Beach stretches for miles
Rent a horse and go for a daytime or sunset ride on Bucerias Beach
Colourful streets in Bucerias

Bucerias has many good restaurants, fish markets, fresh fruit stands, and many nice shops for all your shopping needs--and you are only about 20 minutes from downtown Puerto Vallarta.

Other favorite area destinations may necessitate catching a bus or renting a car. The nearby community of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle offers additional restaurants and has a protected harbour in a cozy little cove. (Be adventurous and walk from to Bucerias to La Cruz along the water. It's a great way to explore the area).

LA CRUZ DE HUANACAXTLE:

The quaint fishing village of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle is just a few minutes north of Bucerias on the road to Punta de Mita. 

La Cruz is a sleepy little fishing village and has long been treasured in the international sailing community as a cozy cove to drop anchor.  It offers complete services in a hospitable Mexican setting, unspoiled by the influence of huge tourist complexes.

La Cruz's protected harbor is also the seasonal anchorage for yachts from all over the world. Known for its natural beauty and tranquility, the bay is home to many forms of marine life. These conditions make it ideal for the Gray Whales who use the bay as their birthing grounds in January, February and March.  Pelicans, gulls and other sea birds plunge into the waves getting their catch as the dolphins play in the warm ocean waters.

Local fishermen set their nets each morning and evening just a few hundred meters shore then retrieve their catch for sale at area markets.  A morning stroll to the harbor will enable you to purchase fresh fish as the fishermen unload their boats, or you can simply watch as the purveyors for the local restaurants buy the evening's "catch of the day".     

	The fishermen unload their catch at the harbour in La Cruz
Take home some fresh tuna for the BBQ

The village of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle has a number of small shops (tiendas), and a Wednesday morning market.  There is a local carniceria (beef store), panaderia (bakery), cerveceria (beer depot), and a good variety of eating establishments, including The Octopus's Garden Cafe and Shop, where the owners host Huichol Indian workshops, run a t-shirt factory and serve light meals.  This is a great place to stop for a rest in the bougainvillea shaded patio for refreshments--coffees, milkshakes, cold beers and a selection of sandwiches and cakes--don't forget to try a glass of their freshly squeezed orange juice!   You can view the Huicholes at their crafts making colorful artwork, woodwork, sandals and weavings. These items are available at bargain prices and this is the best place to buy Hikuri T-shirts, Huichol bead and yarn art and Sandals.

What really makes Mexico a wonderful place to visit and La Cruz so special is the Mexican people.  The warmth and hospitality of the villagers is genuine--a smile and a greeting are returned and much appreciated.  The streets are safe and there is very little crime in this part of the world.

There are many good restaurants and cafes in the village serving a variety of dishes ranging from freshly caught seafood to pizza and pasta.

      
    Street tacos in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle
 

PLAYA LAS DESTILADERAS, approximately 5 km from La Cruz de Huanacaxtle on the route to Punta de Mita, is one of the Bahia's most beautiful beaches--one mile of sparkling white sand with two to five foot waves--perfect conditions for body surfing and boogie-boarding. Enjoy lunch in the excellent restaurant or sit under your own "palapa" umbrella while enjoying ice cold Pacifico Beer or a Coronitta,  as well as other refreshments.     

		Nearby Destiladeras Beach is one mile of sparkling white sand with two to five foot waves-- perfect conditions for body surfing and boogie boarding

Just past Playa Las Destiladeras is the beach club, Villa Vera, formerly Los Veneros Beach Club, located on one of the Bahia's most beautiful beaches. Villa Vera is an upscale, multi-service day club that offers (for a small fee) beach activities, pool, restaurants, several bilingual tours, as well as Mexican art and local presentations.  Watch artists at work and visit stores with art and crafts from all over Mexico.  The club has two pools and a children's water park.  LOS VENEROS BEACH is gorgeous and great for surfing and swimming.

PUNTA DE MITA, a small village of some renown on the point of the peninsula, is the final stop on the north side of the bay and is an old surfer mecca.  A spectacular and very exclusive Four Seasons Hotel is now open at Punta de Mita. It's Jack Nicklaus-designed championship golf course boasts the world's only true "island green" - an awesome 196-yard par 3 to a spectacular island out in the ocean!  The resort is attracting an assortment of condominium developments and this tiny little enclave is changing fast.

Along the one kilometer stretch at Punta de Mita, also known as "the point of many pleasures", you will find numerous restaurants and bars serving the freshest seafood around.

	Stop for "a cool one"  at one of the beachfront palapa restaurants at Punta de Mita...
...then enjoy a fresh fish dinner before you head back  to Bucerias and Condo Oceana

Going north on Highway 200 towards Tepic, Sayulita, or San Francisco Beach (known locally as San Pancho) is an enjoyable day trip.

Outside the Bahia de Banderas, about 20 minutes north of La Cruz via Highway 200 in a small cove protected from the powerful Pacific Ocean is the traditional fishing village of SAYULITA, nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Madre mountains. 

Lush tropical jungle is inhabited by exotic birds and wildlife, beaches are soft, white and sandy, the Pacific waters are rich in marine life and the waves are appreciated by surfers from around the world.  Sayulita is perfect for fishing, kayaking, hiking, surfing, horseback riding and shopping.

Sayulita is a famous surf break in this part of Mexico and attracts surfers from around the world. This little fishing village has dusty streets and a beach of black sand, peppered with gold flecks.  While in Sayulita, experience Don Pedro's restaurant--European and local cuisine on the beach.  Watch the surfers right out front at one of the best surfing spots on the west coast of Mexico, or try some freshly caught shrimp at the little local "palapa" restaurant next door.

SAN FRANCISCO is a small town with a shaded park in the center of town, shops along the main cobblestone street, and two large restaurants with inside seating, as well as palapas on the beach.

A little further up the road from Sayulita is the Mexican vacation town of RINCON DE GUAYABITOS--about a 45 minute drive from Bucerias.  "Rincon" is a well-kept, charming beach resort for vacationing Mexicans and it is well worth the drive for a stroll along the sandy beach.  On weekends you will find vendors pushing colorful canopied carts, roaming the beach serving pineapple and coconut drinks.  Families, shaded by tarps, cook fish on outdoor grills, and their children peddle crispy "fish on a stick" and artistically sliced mangos on sticks as well as pineapple shells filled with chunks of topical fruits.

Beach at Rincon de Guayabitos   Beach vendors with their carts

The wide, two-mile long beach offers a variety of restaurants and tourist activities--boat rides and lunch trips to the offshore island, are at the south end. To the north, it's less crowded and lined with luxury resort hotels and oceanfront mansions.

NUEVO VALLARTA:

For a real adventure, you might decide to walk along the beach to Nuevo Vallarta, past the luxury homes of the rich and famous (Jullio Iglasias is said to have a home here), past the mega "all inclusives" that line the beach, and on to Paradise Village.

Start off from Condo Oceana along the beach--being sure to take along some bottled water and sunscreen for your walk as well as walking shoes for the journey back.  Try to walk when the tide is low, otherwise you'll wish you had one short leg!  First stop will be the Etc Restaurant where you might want to relax and enjoy lunch and a cool drink.  From there you can turn around and walk back to Condo Oceana, or catch a bus or taxi back to Bucerias. 

Stop at "Etc Restaurant" It doesn't get much more beachfront than that!		Be sure to walk at low tide, otherwise you'll wish you had  one short leg!

For the more determined, carry on.  Soon you will come to the "all inclusives", the parasailers on the beach and the beach shops.  Further down the beach lies your destination--Paradise Village where you can stop for some refreshments before catching a bus or a taxi back to Bucerias. 

PUERTO VALLARTA:

Majestically perched on the shores of Bahia de Banderas, Puerto Vallarta is a picture-book city of red-tiled roofs, white stucco buildings and cobblestone streets that offers a treasure trove of spectacular sights and activities.  Just a 20 minute drive from Bucerias brings you to the downtown district of Puerto Vallarta with its charming cobblestone streets and its blend of old and new Mexico.

Puerto Vallarta is one of the few places on Earth that can boast an "ideal" climate. It is temperate, but with sub-tropical vegetation.  A dense, green palm jungle covers the mountains behind the town, nestled in a bowl at the base of the Sierra Madres. The Bay offers shelter from harsh Pacific winds and hard weather. Puerto Vallarta enjoys 345 days of sunshine each year, with average daytime temperatures reaching into the high 80's, but at night, the onshore breeze from the Bay descends bringing cool air and cool night temperatures that make for pleasant sleeping conditions--without air conditioners.

Puerto Vallarta is divided by the Río Cuale, with the older hotels, the commercial district and the new resorts to the north and the residential area to the south. The seaside promenade, or malecón, is the center of activity in downtown Puerto Vallarta; it is lined with shops, restaurants, bars and even several sculptures.

At its southern end is the Plaza de Armas, the town’s main square.  And just west of the square is the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, the local cathedral. Topped with a crown supported by angels, the church’s bell tower is the town’s most recognizable landmark.

		The bell tower at  Our Lady of Guadalupe Church is  Puerto Vallarta's  most recognizable landmark

Puerto Vallarta's main flea market is located by the Rio Cuale's northbound ridge.  Dozens of stalls on two levels carry a myriad of souvenirs including T-shirts, straw bags, silver jewelry, leather sandals, colorful blankets, hammocks, ponchos and rugs. Typical Mexican lunches are served upstairs.

Haggling is par for the course in flea markets and with beach vendors. The first asking price generally leaves a wide margin for bargaining. The only rule of the game is that both sides maintain mutual respect while vacillating between desire and indifference. In most cases, about 30% under the asking price is a reasonable first counter offer, with the result tending to be somewhere between that figure and the original asking price. Mexicans are experts at this, so test your mettle!  But don't expect to negotiate prices in exclusive shops, chain outlets or department stores. There are several large arts and crafts markets in the traditional stall-style downtown, in the hotel zone, and at the Marina where the large cruise ships dock.

Take home colourful items from the
shops and Flea Market in old town Puerto Vallarta

If you want to take in the local color while soaking up some rays, one of the most popular beaches is "Playa Los Muertos" on the South Side of town. Since the very beginning, this beach has been the favorite of local Mexican families. Now, during the winter, this beach is covered with beach-goers of all types, both young and old, locals and gringos either sitting on the wall eating their box lunch, lounging under "palapa" (palm-covered) beach umbrellas sipping margaritas, or just watching the crowds.

	Beach activity at Los Muertos Beach in downtown Puerto Vallarta

Sparkling beaches combined with a warm year-round climate--plus the choice of around-the-clock activity or peaceful seclusion make Puerto Vallarta ideal for visitors.