Play on the Bay in Puerto Vallarta

There is no way to deny it – the thing that makes Puerto Vallarta such a popular vacation destination is its location on Banderas Bay. It seems that every Villa Rental Puerto Vallarta faces the bay, and what a great view to wake up to.

Enough with the sight-seeing. The real thrill of sleeping a stone’s throw away from Banderas Bay is the opportunity to get down and soggy whenever you choose. The simplest thing you can do, of course, is to walk across the beach directly into the water. No special tools or toys, no extra cost, and people do it all the time.

To get the most out of some of your bay activities, you can use your Villa Rental Puerto Vallarta as a base and take a short trip out of the city. For example, the clear waters of Las Gemelas or Colomitas beaches are wonderful for snorkeling, and the waves that roll into the bay at Sayulito make surfers very happy.

In case you’re wondering, it’s perfectly alright to stay dry on the beach. Take a towel or find a chaise and spread out in the shade with your favorite book and beverage. You’ll be shocked at how quickly the time passes.

Kids are Welcome in Puerto Vallarta

Before you can take your family on vacation, you need to find a place to take them. You want a destination that has something for everyone. If your gang is unanimous in their desire to go someplace warm, with a beach, take a look at the Vacation Rentals in Puerto Vallarta and start packing.

It may be a resort city, with all the high-end amenities that term includes, but don’t let that keep you from hauling the gang down to Banderas Bay - families are welcome in Puerto Vallarta. There are so many activities to choose from that kids of all ages can stay pleasantly occupied from morning to night.

Your list of kid-oriented activities might look something like this:

•Take a “canopy tour.” It sounds tame, but really, this one is a wild ride on a zipline through the treetops in the jungle.
•Spend a day enjoying a very physical encounter with dolphins at the Dolphin Adventure Center. You and yours can choose your comfort level and get in the water for a face-to-face or, if it feels right, keep a bit more distance between you and these guys.
•The beach beckons. Those Vacation Rentals in Puerto Vallarta are so close to the beach that you’re going to be tempted to spend every day hanging out in and on the waves. So force yourself to get out.

Star-Studded Puerto Vallarta

If you haven’t yet heard about Casa Kimberly, at Calle Zaragoza 445, read on. This is a place that anyone who loves gossip, innuendo and Elizabeth Taylor absolutely must see. The casa is the home that Richard Burton bought for Liz in the 1960s, and it’s not far from your Villa Puerto Vallarta.

For those of you too young to remember Liz and Dick, here’s the scoop: the legendary couple met when they were filming “Cleopatra” in 1963. He moved on to Puerto Vallarta to work on “Night of the Iguana,” and she followed. The film wrapped, the crew moved on to other pastures, Taylor and Burton stayed on.

The couple settled in for a lovely life south of the border – a natural in Puerto Vallarta – and a string friends and acquaintances from Tinsel Town soon joined them. A good time was had by all. (You know how this works; you have a Villa Puerto Vallarta of your own, the envy of all your friends.)

Things didn’t always go swimmingly for the Taylor-Burtons (they had an inclination to argue), so Mr. Burton picked up the villa across the street from Liz’s as a retreat. A cute little footbridge connected the two homes, so no one had to play in traffic to get home.

Take a Puerto Vallarta Hike

You know how tough it is to keep up with your fitness routine when you’re vacationing in Puerto Vallarta. There is good news, though – not far from your Mexico Vacation Villa Rental lies a hike near the bay that will keep your old heart pumping young.

Don’t misunderstand – there is absolutely nothing wrong with relaxation, and it can be just as good for your heart as a good walk. Some folks need to get out, though, and break a sweat. And what better way to walk your way to fitness than to step onto the trail that leads from Boca de Tomatlan to Animas?

This route occasionally asks your feet to get personal with the water, so select shoes that can handle it. Put on your hat and smooth on some sunblock, then grab a water bottle and a couple of sandwiches as you head out the door of your Mexico Vacation Villa Rental. You can take the bus to Boca, a fishing village south of Puerto Vallarta; they run every 30 minutes.

When you get into town, cross the river and stick to the concrete path along the river. When it becomes a dirt path, start looking for a trail high up on the hill. This is the trail to Colomitas Beach. The walk to the beach should take you less than an hour, and when you see it, you may just decide to scrap the rest of the hike and settle in for a lovely afternoon.

Puerto Vallarta’s Silver Tradition

When they book their Villa Rental Puerto Vallarta, many visitors don’t realize that the town was once an important part of the region’s thriving silver industry. Believe it or not, today’s beach bunnies and zip-line zippers didn’t always have a lock on this town; once upon a time, the docks were alive with silver.

In centuries past, miners pulled silver out of the surrounding mountains, and much of that silver made its way to distant markets through the port at Puerto Vallarta. That brief history lesson might help explain the wide and gorgeous selection of silver treasures just waiting for you in Puerto Vallarta’s galleries and shops.

You should know a couple of things about Mexican silver before you begin shopping. First, genuine Mexican silver is stamped with a number that indicates its purity level – a piece that carries the mark “950” is 95 percent pure. And only silver pieces created in Mexico are permitted to carry the “Mexico” or “Mex” stamp.

If you’re looking for the real thing, or things, look for those marks or ask an expert. Either way, choose the right piece and you’ll have a genuinely Mexican memento. When you wear it, your memories will take you back those wonderful evenings spent relaxing at your Villa Rental Puerto Vallarta.

Walk on Puerto Vallarta's Wild Side – with Iguanas

An iguana is a lizard – a large-ish green lizard with a wild set of spines running down its back. It lives in the trees, it dines on flowers and fruit, and it likes to sit in the sun and soak up rays. If you weren’t staying in a comfortable Puerto Vallarta Villa Rental, this could describe your stay on Banderas Bay, right?

Anyway, a lot of folks who visit Puerto Vallarta recommend a casual stroll on Isla Rio Cuale, the island at the mouth of the Rio Cuale. The walk doesn’t cost anything, and on a lovely day, it provides pleasant diversion for a morning or an afternoon. While you’re walking, don’t be surprised if you come face to face with an iguana or two.

It turns out that iguanas are hooked on solar energy – they like nothing so much as a hot rock to warm their cold blood. They’re easy to spot, and you’ll know one when you see it since they tend to be green and long. They don’t look for company and they don’t want to play with you, but they’re usually not aggressive, either.

On the other hand, if one of them grunts or hisses at you, it’s probably a good idea to take the long way around its perch on the way back to your Puerto Vallarta Villa Rental.

Puerto Vallarta’s Surfing Scene

Visitors to Mexico stay in Vacation Rentals in Puerto Vallarta for a number of reasons – the weather, the shopping, and yes – the surfing. If you’re looking for an encounter of the rolling waves kind, take a short trip to the village of Sayulita for a surfing adventure on Banderas Bay.

In case you’re wondering why the trek to Sayulita, here’s the deal. As a sea-side destination, Puerto Vallarta has almost everything; it just lacks good surf. As fate would have it, the bay at Sayulita has exactly what you need for a great day on your surfboard. And hey, it’s only 45 minutes north of town by bus.

If you’ve never heard of Sayulita, you haven’t been listening. More and more folks are heading north to spend a day challenging the waves on a surfboard or a boogie board. One nice thing about this beach: it’s a good place for newbies to rent equipment and get a lesson. That’s right, you don’t need to be afraid to go to a surfing beach anymore.

Like all good things that get “discovered,” the surfing crowd is growing at Sayulita, so mind your surfing manners. Drop-ins are welcome and folks in those Vacation Rentals in Puerto Vallarta can reserve their equipment in advance. You probably won’t need a wet suit, although a rashguard is a good idea to keep you warmer and protect your skin from sun and scrapes.

Do the Zoo in Puerto Vallarta

There are tons of things to do while you’re staying in a House For Rent in Puerto Vallarta, so don’t waste a single moment of the day. Although it may sound a bit uninspiring at first glance, consider spending a day wandering the trails and paths at the Vallarta Zoo.

The Zoologico de Vallarta offers a wonderful opportunity to enjoy an animal encounter in a jungle environment. You’ll see quite an assortment of species at the zoo, and many of them are housed in a habitat that is as close to being the real thing as you can get. And of course, any place you have “birds and bees,” you’re going to have little ones, so ask if there are any new zoo babies.

The Vallarta Zoo is dedicated to preserving species that are in danger of disappearing from the Earth. Their approach to the problem is education. The zoo’s staff try to help every visitor understand important concepts of environmental conservation, including the place of humans in the natural world.

You’ll find the zoo near Mismaloya, south of the city. You can visit any day between 8:30 and 6:00. Pack a lunch, catch a bus and spend some time at Zoo Vallarta. Your House For Rent in Puerto Vallarta will be waiting at the end of the day.