Touring Destinations

Yelapa

Yelapa is the most popular destination for cruises. After a couple of hours the boat glides into a small, picturesque cove surrounded by green mountains. Yelapa is a Polynesian-style village sitting at the edge of the bay. It is blessed with a beautiful white sand beach, perfect for swimming, snorkeling, parachuting or relaxing with a drink in a hammock.

Here you can eat lunch at one of several thatched-roof restaurants on the beach, and enjoy the freshest fish you've ever tasted. Be sure to wear casual clothes (jeans or bathing suit with cover-up, and tennis shoes). If you're adventurous, a 20 minute hike or 30-minute horseback ride up the mountain will bring you to a breathtaking 150-foot waterfall, where you can take a dip in the cool waters at the base. The village is also worth a visit ; with stores filled with handicrafts and unique designer clothing. There's small hotel, and the local yacht club turns into a disco at night. If your timing is right, don't miss one of the "informal" full-moon bonfires, attended by most of Yelapa's locals.

Other delightful cruises aboard the Buenaventura, Cielito Lindo, Fantasy, Simpatica and Vallarta Pricess offer a memorable day at Las Animas, a smaller, more secluded bay than Yelapa (the Buenaventura also stops at Quimixto). Princess Cruises offers a snorkel cruise aboard the Vallarta Princess, which takes in Las Animas and the National Marine Sanctuary of Los Arcos. The Shambala goes to Los Arcos and Quimixto, where you can rent a horse and ride or hike the short distance to a small, picturesque waterfall. All these cruises offer lunch and open bars; some also serve a Continental breakfast. Many, like the Princess, stop for a swim and snorkeling at Los Arcos.

There are also two-and-a-half hour sunset cocktail cruises available for a romantic evening on the bay. The Princess Vallarta takes passengers on a sunset cruise from 5:30 to 8 p.m., with live music for dancing, and entertainment.

Check with you hotel travel desk for details.

Isla del Rio Cuale

Isla del Rio Cuale is a five-acre island in the river that divides the city. The western end of the island is a the mouth of the river and looks out over the blue Pacific. The eastern end provides a beautiful vista of the canyons that border the river corridor and the mountains in the background.

The island is full of small shops, boutiques, activities and cultural attractions. The shops sell mainly arts and crafts and sportswear. There's a children's playground on the eastern end of the island, as well as a cultural center with classes in everything from painting and sculpture to dancing. On the ocean side of the island is a fine little museum with a collection of archaeological artifacts from pre-Hispanic tombs in Jalisco, Colima and Nayarit states. Open Tuesday through Saturday form 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday form 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In this same area there is a small botanical garden where the plants and trees are all identified by name. There are restaurants of various types, such as s Le Bistro Jazz Cafe and Cuiza, offering great food and drinks.

Marina Vallarta

Probably the most attractive, well planned tourist/residential/commercial development in Mexico is Marina Villarta. The 445-acre site not only includes Mexico's largest marina, with slips for 300 boats, but also has one and a half miles of beach front, an excellent 18-hole golf course, several luxury hotels, houses, villas, condominiums and timeshare resorts, an American school, spas and a tennis and beach club, as well as a large commercial center. It's whole new community unto itself.

Just south of Marina Vallarta, on the north edge of town, are the port and marina. Many of the deluxe cruise ships drop anchor here, among them the famous Pricess Lines' "Love Boat." It's also where bay cruises and deep-sea fishing boats leave.

The adjacent marina for pleasure boats is usually packed during the winter months. It's fun to walk out on the docks and see the beautiful yachts and sailboats, most from California and Canada and many with their owners living on board.

Nuevo Vallarta

Eight miles north of town is a residential/resort development called Nuevo Vallarta; a 1,150-acre site with 2.9 miles of beach front, a large marina, and more than five miles of river and estuary frontage for home sites with private docks. There are several hotels, including the Diamante and the luxurious Sierra Nuevo Vallarta Radisson Plaza, and an 18-hole golf course in under construction. A shopping center, beach and tennis clubs are planned. The impressive beach front Paradise Village Resort & Spa is located here. Surrounded by water on three sides, the resort offers a 300-slip marina, the best in water sports and membership at an exclusive European Health Spa.

Seven miles farther north, on a beautiful beach, is the town of Bucerias. From there you can follow the bend and pristine beaches, including Cruz de Huanacaxtle and Anclote, to the northern most point, Punta Mita. Open for many years to public enjoyment, Punta Mita has been closed by its developers.