Puerto Vallerta, Jalisco, Mexico.    This beautifully diverse city and country will honor you with a lifetime of memories.  A relatively safe place to travel, many families bring their children and grandchildren to explore the city and Old Town,

(Villa del Palmar Flamingos timeshare photo above)

 Vallerta is a haven for timeshares.  If you receive a notice in the mail that you’ve received a free trip - you have, but -   You’ll get a free tript, however, the 90 promised minutes you have to sit through a presentation can end up costing you several hours.  If you’re looking for a timeshare, this is the place to get started.  Let me tell you firsthand, you can’t mix business with a meal.  The locals just won’t allow it.  So if you are thinking your 90 minutes begins the moment you sit down to breakfast, lunch, or dinner - forget it.  It begins after you’ve finished eating.  Being from the US, I like to mix business with a meal, not so in Vallerta.  Meals are made to be enjoyable and experience your food.  I suggest before you sign any paperwork on a timeshare - see if you can’t set up other appointments at the resorts.  Each resort has its own affiliation with travel agencies, management firms, and timeshare properties around the world.  Depending on how much money you want to spend and benefits you can negotiate will determine your timeshare outcome.

There are tours associated with the timeshares.  Some of these are low end while others seem to fall in the mid-range as far as cost and tour experiences.  If you are not timesharing, before going to Vallerta, look up the website www.thingstodoinvallerta.com , this site is filled with an unbiased approach to most of the activities in Puerto Vallerta which cost money.  For example, there are 9 canopy tour companies, 6 ATV tours, 7 booze cruises, 5 jungle tours, 4 scuba diving tours, and 3 snorkeling tours just to name a few.  You will more than pay for the time to scout out what each of the companies offer, in satisfying adventures.  Since you’ve spent the time and effort to get to this part of Mexico, make the trip the best you can.  One word of caution, when arriving in Puerto Vallerta, beware of those in the airport who will try to sell you tour excursions which may be less quality than what you could find with a little prior research.  If the price is too good to be true - it probably is too good to be true!

On my arrival to Puerto Vallerta, traveling as a guest of one who was there to go through the timeshare nightmare, our VIP greeters abandoned us as we headed toward an area in the airport which I thought led us to our taxi.  It was a set up to get us to a counter where a “travel agent” gave us tour brochures and then proceeded to “help us pick out our tours.”  Fortunately, we encountered an agent who had the better tours and with a minimum of $80 per/person we were able to enjoy 4 tours each while there for a week.  Let me tell you now, schedule only one tour per day!  Most of these excursions last from 2 - 5 hours and are grueling.  Especially if you are not used to living in humid tropical environments.  You’ll definitely be ready to drop into bed when bedtime comes around.

Looking at the trip to Puerto Vallerta from senior or handicap viewpoints, unless you are very active and a youthful senior, forget the parasailing, ATV, and canopy tours.  The parasailing takes off from the beach and lands on the beach.  This isn’t the best form for senior hips and knees.  A parasail adventure which wenches you out off a platform from the boat is much easier and safer.  You can find this experience in other places along the Caribbean tourist areas. 

The ATV is quite fun if you are strong and able to control the 4 wheeler while hitting potholes, pebbled streets, ruts in dirt roads, mud, and running rivers, and avoiding traffic on the streets.   Most of the people on this tour looked to be in their mid 20’s to 30’s with a few 40 year olds present.  I found it earth shaking!  By the time 4 hours had passed, I was exhausted and when my friend asked me if I saw _____, I found out I spent the majority of my time trying to keep the

darn 4 wheeler on the road.  I had missed

many of the beautiful sites we passed!

Canopying or zipping through the trees is quite an experience!  For this excursion you must be able to walk up the mountain side through a series of trails, steps, with ropes in some areas to mark the edge of the trail.  Although the sites of the rain forest and jungle are beautiful, this was a difficult tour for me.  While I’ve been hiking up switchbacks on mountain trails and enjoyed them thoroughly at my own pace, this tour required you to keep up with your guides who were in their 20’s and very physically fit - so it was nothing for them to make these trips several times a day.  The humidity in the jungle can really be taxing to you.  Take plenty of water if you decide to do this tour.  Also you must be strong enough to hang onto your pulley and rock your body from side to side to slow your entry into the next platform, and you must be able to keep your legs lifted up extended in front during the canopy across whatever terrain you are zipping through.  Be sure and wear long shorts or pants and hiking boots or ankle supporting sneakers that are comfortable since you will be walking over bumpy terrain at times.  Your guides will be on the lookout for scorpions, snakes, spiders, and other friendly creatures you don’t want to put your hands on while you hold onto the ropes along the trail.  My best advice - don’t forget your walking stick and bug spray!  Bottled water is provided on this tour.

The snorkeling and cruise ride to Los Arcos a three-rock structure which stands out into the Banderas Bay is one of the deepest parts and boosts of good snorkeling experiences.  My experience of snorkeling was cloudy water.  Since September is part of the rainy season and it does rain almost every evening, the silt coming down the mountains runs into the bay.  This made for cloudy water, however,  I was able to make out the bedrock formations and coral areas while viewing many varieties of fish including a couple of  20 inch puffers and knife fish.   If you enjoy snorkeling just do it - you’ll always have fun in the water.

One of the favorite places to visit in Vallerta is the Malecon or boardwalk.  At evening this place comes alive!  The locals come out to be entertained and to entertain.  I saw a clown mime performing to a large crowd of locals and tourists, and a foursome of musicians dressed in brilliant attire hung suspended from one of the light posts playing their instruments while performing acrobatic maneuvers - quite interesting.  The boardwalk is the place to sample some of the locals cuisine, or spot lovers cuddling in romantic places sharing a kiss.  Art sculptures line the boardwalk.  Artists sell their wares and you can find quite a variety of hand painted pottery, canvas art, and of course all the touristy merchandise. 

The Malecon is a place to go back to each evening to people watch, enjoy some Baskin Robbins ice cream and watch a terrific sunset - even in the rain.

All in  all, Puerto Vallerta is a fun, friendly place to visit time and time again.  In each season there will be many opportunities to visit the old town, tour the churches especially the famous Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the merchants, watch whales during December through May, fishing trips, lay out on the beaches, take a cruise, or live in a resort.  It’s up to you.  Happy Traveling! 

(photos copyright Rhonda Pipkin- all rights reserved   Exception Villa del Palmar Flamingos Resort, timesare -

www.hotels-puerto-vallarta.com  )