All posts filed under: Destinations

Nothing is more important to us than the health, safety, and well-being of our members. Some of you started vacationing with us more than 30 years ago, and we have been your trusted partners in travel ever since. Therefore, we feel it’s important to give you some tips to help you during these stressful times.   Over the past few weeks there has been an increase in anxiety and fear around the world with new developments of COVID-19 being reported every day. Stress has been shown to negatively impact our health.    Signs of stress include:  Fear and worry about your health and the health of your loved ones.  Changes in sleeping or eating patterns.  Difficulty concentrating.  Worsening of chronic health problems.  Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs.  Our mental health is important and it affects how we think, feel, and act. It also determines how we handle stress.  Here are some ways that you can help yourself and others take care of their mental health:   Check-in on your friends and loved ones while still practicing social distancing (FaceTime/video chat, texting, private messaging, social media, phone calls).   Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news …

If you are a film buff or just love films, don’t miss the 19th International Film Festival in Puerto Vallarta (FICPV).  This is the biggest annual film event in the destination and hugely contributes to the development of the film culture in the region. The festival runs for 12 consecutive days from March 11th to 22nd, 2020.  FICPV is organized by the University Center of the Coast (CUCosta) of the University of Guadalajara, Jalisco’s Government and the Ministry of Culture. This year the country of Chile will be the guest of honor.  More than 50 national and international films have been selected to be shown during this year’s festival and will be projected in different locations free of charge. All screenings are open to the general public. The films will be divided into several sections including: Official, Academic, Senior, Environmental, Cross-border cinema, Short films, and Children. This year a new “Echoes of Havana” section has been added thanks to a link with the “International Festival of New Latin American Cinema in Havana.” Several actors and directors from Havana will be attending the festival with their films to be screened.  Some of the FICPV venues where the films will be screened include:   The Arches of the Malecón amphitheater – Malecón   Lázaro Cárdenas park – Romantic Zone  The Jazz …

If you are visiting Cabo San Lucas during the 14th and 15th of February, be sure not to miss the annual San Jose Jazz weekend! A number of renowned local, national and international artists will be performing at Plaza del Pescador in San Jose del Cabo, from 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm, to share their talent in this original and melodic music genre. Enjoy a family-friendly, spirited atmosphere, dine at one of the plaza’s signature restaurants, tap your feet to dynamic Jazz bands and shop your way through the artsy market or the plaza’s retail stores! The San Jose Jazz Weekend is a true delight to the community and continues to grow in popularity each year, with more than 5000 locals and tourists attending the event in recent years. The atmosphere bursts with vibrancy as music, culture, and art are brought together in one place! The event is set in the modern and voguish Plaza del Pescador but you still get a sense of traditional Mexican culture with a quaint market, art displays, sculptures, and …

Vacation is a time to relax, soak up the sun’s rays and perfect your tan, but it wouldn’t be complete without a shopping trip to buy things you can’t get back home, like handmade Mexican pottery and giant sombreros. It is also a time to buy souvenirs for friends and family to let them know that while you were having the time of your life in paradise, you still had time to think about them.  In Puerto Vallarta and the surrounding area, you will find some amazing open-air flea markets and famers markets that are operate daily or weekly during the high season throughout the winter. Here is a list of our top 5 favorite shopping spots for those who really love to shop until they drop:  The Night Market in Marina Vallarta  From October until May, every Thursday night from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm you can enjoy an incredible atmosphere at the Marina Vallarta Art & Market, held all along the Marina Boardwalk. This is a lively market with a mix of both locals and tourists and a great place …

If you are in Puerto Vallarta during the first 12 days of December, don’t miss one of Puerto Vallarta’s most beloved celebrations, the Festival of Guadalupe. This 12-day long festival celebrates Our Lady of Guadalupe (Día de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe,) the patron saint of Mexico.   The festival takes place between December 1st and December 12th  as hundreds of people take over the downtown historical zone near the Cathedral of our Lady of Guadalupe. The Cathedral is a well-known landmark in Puerto Vallarta with an elaborate crown in the shape of a tiara on the top.   During this important festival, the streets of Puerto Vallarta become filled with devoted followers making their way through the city in traditional ‘Peregrinaciones‘ (pilgrimages) or processions that start from the corner of Juarez and 31 de Octubre streets and continue to the Cathedral where they place gifts for the Virgin and receive a special blessing from the Priests. Baptisms, confirmations, first holy communions and even weddings take place within the local community to coincide with this special date.  Thousands of people from schools, businesses and communities from PV and surrounding towns come to pay homage to the appearance of the Virgin of Guadalupe to the peasant Juan Diego on December 12, …

Puerto Vallarta has come a long way from the small fishing village that it once was. The horseshoe shaped Banderas Bay (Bahia de Banderas) is the third largest bay in Mexico with over 50 miles of beautiful shoreline. The Pacific Coast waters in this region are abundant with sea life making it a prime fishing spot.   While fishing is a known activity in the area, fly fishing is increasing in popularity. Some North Americans may be familiar with freshwater fly fishing, but saltwater fly fishing is a completely different experience since the species are different. You won’t find trout here in these waters. Inside Banderas Bay, you’ll find snook, jacks, mahi mahi, roosterfish, red snapper and sailfish.   Carlos Sanchez is a local resident who became an avid fly fisherman after learning the techniques when he visited Scotland. He came back to Puerto Vallarta and devoted himself to perfecting his craft and to learning all he could about fly fishing. There wasn’t anyone else offering it in the area and he thought he could offer something new. He started Snook Mafia five years ago. It is not a mafia at all but got its name because of the knowledge he gained about fly fishing that he wanted to keep secret, that to him felt like the mafia. And one of his main hobbies is going to the river to catch snook. He says: “I don’t like fishing, I like …

Food tours are growing increasingly popular around the world and put together by local experts, they help you to taste the very best that different regions have to offer. The Puerto Vallarta Secret Food Tour takes you on a flavorful journey through the history of Mexican cuisine. This is the perfect tour for foodies where you will learn about the significance of food within Mexican culture.   During this 3-hour tour, your local expert guide will take you to seven stops to sample delicious dishes from different regions of Mexico while giving you insights about the history and culture as you leisurely stroll through Puerto Vallarta’s beautiful downtown streets.   You will be introduced to sopes, a Mexican antojito, which literally translates to ‘little cravings’ and can be eaten at any time of day. Sopes are comprised of a thick corn tortilla, which is thicker than a conventional tortilla. The tortilla is fried in oil and pinched at the sides to make a kind of bowl to which different ingredients are added such as pork rinds, meat, …

The fireworks that kick off a night in the streets of Puerto Vallarta not only delight locals privileged with a waterfront view, but are part of a spectacular fantasy adventure on the Banderas Bay. The Marigalante Pirate Ship in Puerto Vallarta invites children of all ages on an action-packed presentation that doubles as a guided tour of the waters off this scenic coastal locale. Departing from the city’s Marina twice each day, this swashbuckling affair includes a range of activities including thrilling pirate performances and themed audience participation games. The day tour and night tour each present their own experiences, and although both options include full open bar access, one type of tour may have more to offer an individual visitor or day plan. The show is also presented in both English and Spanish to include the most possible visitors. Day Tour At 10am Monday to Saturday, this carefully reproduced 700-ton scale replica of Christopher Columbus famous Santa Maria that brought European migrants to the Americas sets sail for Majahuitas Island. During this 6-hour tour, …

While many tourists shy away from a visit to Mexican destinations like Los Cabos during the wetter months, experienced travelers know that August offers some of the best space on the calendar in which to discover the twin towns. Not only is August perfect for avoiding the large crowds that descend upon the area most of the year, ensuring a seat for visitors at popular bars and restaurants, there are also a range of public events scheduled for these exhilarating weeks. Wonders in the Waves August represents a prime time in Los Cabos for lovers of the ocean, as swell patterns bring favorable conditions for a number of nautical activities. Surfers from around the world flock to the tip of the Baja California peninsula to enjoy consistent waves at beaches on the Sea of Cortez such as Old Man’s Beach and The Rock without the chillier temperatures that come with ideal surf on the Pacific side during the winter.  Beneath the turquoise waters off the shores at Los Cabos, the locale offers one of the …

What is commonly called “low season” in Cancun brings high times for those in the know, as August is one of the more active months for community events with a focus on locals. This month brings on a full schedule of festivals, cultural presentations, and other special presentations that ensure anyone who finds themselves in the city during these weeks will return to their routines with a newfound appreciation for this destination. From August 11th through the 13th, the natural splendor of Cancun and its beaches are celebrated with the Fiesta de la Playa en Cancun. This citywide beach party spans over 12 kilometers of shoreline between Punta Cancun and Punta Nizuc, making it one of the most massive and activity-dense seaside events in the world.   The Fiesta de la Playa in Cancun incorporates options for the entire family from street food installations and live outdoor concerts to themed parties and parades. There will also be competitions including windsurfing and jet ski races as well as an extensive fireworks display after nightfall. In fact, the …