Thrifty Traveler: Puerto Vallarta Overview

Dreaming of a beach getaway? Oceanside resorts can get fairly expensive depending on where you are looking. In the United States, beachfront hotels can be over $300/night and this doesn't include food, drinks, or entertainment. Also, in the winter, the weather is not always warm enough to lay out on a beach in the USA. This is why we started traveling internationally. There are many amazing countries and cities to visit that offer budget-friendly beach front options, however, today we are going to focus on Mexico. More specifically, Puerto Vallarta.

While there are still more expensive resorts available in Puerto Vallarta, there are many, MANY places that are very affordable. If you are willing to stay at a non all-inclusive, your price will drop even further. In January of this year we stayed at an all-inclusive for 8 days. For airfare and the hotel (which included food, drinks, and had entertainment) it was $600/person. To put this in perspective, we live in the northern Midwest meaning there is no quick access to the airport or those super cheap flights to hop from Miami to Mexico for us. This was an amazing deal, but yet very similar to what we've been paying the last two years to visit Mexico.

You have to be more flexible in dates and what type of service you expect in order to get these deals, but we have always felt very safe, had amazing food, and wonderful staff. But we did not have a butler taking care of us, so expect to spend ALOT more if that's what you're looking for. We will have a later post mentioning best travel dates and how to find the best travel deals.

With the exchange rate at over 18 pesos to the dollar, you can afford most things down there. You could get 6 beers for $5 and we got this giant margarita for only $1.

And ate a huge plate of shrimp, chips & guac, drank margaritas here for under $10/person. Our table was actually out on the sand. This was when we were splurging so you can definitely find cheaper ways to eat out.

We found the food to be much more authentic here than in Cancun, meaning better seafood and quite a bit spicier. I was put to shame when I thought my taco was spicy and the 4-year-old next to me  was smothering his is more hot sauce. There are less spicy options available to those with a sensitive stomach. We ate at the resort, on the street, on the beach, even had shrimp on a stick and none of us had stomach issues. We actually get food poisoning more often in the US than abroad.

TRYING THE EXTREME HOT SAUCE

Most places will take US Dollars or pesos (fewer take credit cards or charge you to use a credit card), but you will pay a lot more if you use dollars. Typically they will give you 12-15 pesos for a dollar versus 18 pesos to dollar in you exchange your money. If you are unable to exchange money at home (or it is too expensive to exchange at home), don't worry. There are ATMs everywhere. Be sure you use a bank ATM or you will get more US dollars. The ATMs can be switched to English so it won't be a problem if you know little Spanish. Our bank actually reimbursed our ATM fee while we were in Mexico making it even cheaper to obtain pesos. Be sure to check that your bank card will work internationally or bring a backup credit card.

Puerto Vallarta has more than 25 miles of beaches within Banderas Bay and offers ocean, jungle, and city activities. It also has family friendly, party animal, gay/lesbian, and romantic things to do. This means you can probably please everyone in your group. We will go into more details about tours, places to eat, etc. in future posts.

Many of the workers speak some English, a few speak good English, and most of the locals know little English. The cabs drivers will get you where you're going, but may not be able to carry on a conversation with you. It might be helpful to learn a few phrases, like "where is the bathroom?", "How much?", and "Check, please". We will do a special post with quick phrases in the future as well.

The beaches are rockier and water is colder/cloudier making is less ideal for those determined to swim. There are many people who still go swimming, snorkeling, diving, and surfing, but it will not yield the crystal clear waters available on the East Coast of Mexico. The weather is typically sunny and 80s every day through the winter and due to the mountains rains less often than other parts of the country. While nights may be slightly chilly (in shorts and a tank top), it can be refreshing after a day of sunbathing.

Things to remember...

• Wear sunscreen your first day there.
• It's okay to sit in the shade--a lot of people get terrible burns that can ruin the rest of their vacation.
• Tip the staff
• You will get faster and better service
• $1 can go a long way there, no need to be stingy
• Be nice to the staff
• This can be more important than tipping! Say thank you once in a while
• Don't be a rude American!!!! (This goes anywhere)
• You're not more important because you're American. Don't expect everyone to know English.
• Be Patient
• Things run at a slower pace down there. Enjoy your meal, what's the rush??
• HAVE A GREAT TRIP!