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Puerto Vallarta VacationBeautiful, warm, and cultured truly describes a Puerto Vallarta vacation. On the main downtown beach, you are greeted by these beautiful statues.
The people are friendly, there's plenty to do, and the cost is fairly inexpensive. An all-inclusive package is the best way to go. It usually includes airfare, hotel, food and drinks (if you eat and drink in the hotel where you're staying); some even include tips. 
Our Spanish-style hotel, the Solare, turned out to be a wonderful choice. The rooms were adequately large with marble floors and a sunny, covered veranda. We enjoyed breakfast from room service each morning on the pillared veranda. Then it was off to the beach, a quick dip in the pool, a shopping trip downtown, or enjoy one of many adventure trips available.The entertainment vendors are usually located in the lobby of the hotel. One such vendor, The
Vallarta Adventures
offers a wide variety of tours, including whale watching, a safari into the small towns, forests and hidden beaches surrounding Puerto Vallarta, snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing, a night-time dinner cruise on a secluded beach, and many other 'must do' adventures on a Puerto Vallarta vacation.
We boarded the open-sided trucks very early in the morning. Heading away from the suburbs of Vallarta, we traveled to a small village where our guide gave a detailed history of how the cities/towns in Mexico were formed dating back to the Spanish conquistadors. Then it was off to the forest for an educational nature walk like no other I have ever taken. Our guide, Martin, was a walking encyclopedia on every subject - the flora, fauna, insects, animals, etc. "Do you know why those red-barked trees are called 'tourist trees'?", he asked. "Because they turn red and peel." [chuckle, chuckle] (A little Mexican joke.) The bark of those trees actually does turn red and in their yearly cycle, the bark peels off. We passed agave plants growing in the field (think tequila!), an incredibly colorful cemetery such as you will never find in the USA, and visited the residence of a family in a small town. Here our guide explained to us how a family of 10 could live on $1.00 a day on a one-acre property. They grew corn, an avocado tree, several fruit trees, and a wonderful garden. They served us freshly made tortillas and salsa. Delicious! Our adventure did not stop there. We continued to a golden expanse of virgin coastline, where our guides prepared an alfresco lunch as we kicked back and relaxed on the white sands of a beautiful, secluded beach. Needless to say, we dragged our exhausted carcasses back to the hotel and called it a day.
Another was the River Cafe with its open-to-nature dining right on the river. It was very elegant with flowing breezes to cool us from the heat of the day. The photo is a view from the front door of the cafe. The woman is selling her wares on the steps coming down from the street above. This is a common activity in Mexico. People are everywhere selling trinkets and souvenirs.
This photo is looking out from the patio at a woman waiting for a bus in the rain.
Plenty of shopping on a Puerto Vallarta vacation.There is an abundance of places to buy almost anything you could want, but shop around before making any purchases. Bartering is expected; otherwise, you will be spending far more than necessary. Don't waste your time converting American or Canadian dollars as vendors have plenty of each to exchange. The best time to visit. So, pack your bags, and take a Puerto Vallarta vacation. Stretch out in the sun and, oh, don't forget the sunscreen!
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Experience exquisite dining on a Puerto Vallarta vacation.
A third favorite was Los Arbolitas (the trees). The outdoor dining was covered with a branch-constructed roof. It was raining that night and if you sat near the edge of the patio, the rain from the "trees" would drip down your back. 
