TRAVEL AWAITS: My 6 Favorite Islands To Visit In The World

The original article was published in Travel Awaits on Sept. 11, 2022

The Philippine archipelago is composed of 7,641 islands. I was born on one of them, so I am familiar with life on the beach. But I am highlighting these islands that I found on four different continents, not only because of beach life. These six are unforgettable because of one other thing or two—a natural formation, a place in history, a unique creation, or even something completely different.

Marietas Islands: The Hidden Beach and the Mexican Galapagos

The Marietas Islands are on southern Mexico’s Bay of Banderas, off the popular Puerto Vallarta. There are two, 900 meters apart. Both uninhabited, together they form a National Marine Park and UNESCO MAB (Man and Biosphere) Reserve. It’s is said that an innocent Facebook photo of its Hidden Beach went viral and brought droves of tourists to the islands, damaging the area.

Strict new rules have since been implemented. We could only snorkel outside the string of yellow buoys that demarcated Isla Redonda, the smaller of the two,  because that is where Hidden Beach is located. Only 116 people per day can enter (closed on Mondays and Tuesdays) so you have to go early. But you must swim through a 50-foot-long narrow water tunnel through the volcanic rock that leads to the beach below the crater hole. I cannot swim, and my husband didn’t want to go without me, so we just had to be satisfied with the fantasy in the pictures.

At Isla Larga, the larger island, we had to go barefoot to explore its own “hidden beaches” and a thousand-foot interpretive path. It was good enough, we comforted ourselves. The islands’ underwater life teems with rare fish species, sea turtles, dolphins, and manta rays. They are also a protected bird reserve with 92 species, including the world-famous blue-footed booby and large frigate birds, earning them the nickname “Mexican Galapagos.” We took many photos including those of Lion Head, Deadman’s Cave, Blowhole, and Stone Arch.

Pro-Tip: The boat ride from Puerto Vallarta is long so an alternative is to take a car, taxi, or bus from Puerto Vallarta to Punta de Mita, the closest point to the islands. The cost of the boat trip is cheap and you spot whales en route!

Palawan: Longest Navigable Subterranean River & A Prison Without Walls

I took my husband to only one other island in the Philippines aside from Luzon where I was born. Palawan is the fifth largest. Long and narrow, it juts out such that the westernmost point of the country is on its shore. It has consistently been named as one of the Top 10 Islands of the World because of its fine beaches like El Nido and Coron and the Tubbataha Reef, one of the world’s best dive spots. But what I am highlighting here is what made it win a spot in National Geographic’s “7 New Wonders of the World.”   

A two-hour van ride from the capital Puerto Princesa will take you to the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walking on wooden planks placed on the floor of a green forest inhabited by monkeys and monitor lizards, we reached the Underground River where small paddle boats were waiting for us. The world’s longest (8.2 km.) navigable subterranean river, it flows directly into the sea as a natural phenomenon subject to tidal influences. A thing of beauty with the striking limestone karst mountain landscape outside, stunning cave formations followed inside its deep chambers. The light at the end of the tunnel was not welcome because it meant the tour’s end. 

Another reason we cannot forget the island was our tour of the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm. It’s a “prison without walls,” housing about three thousand inmates on about 45,000 hectares (originally) of land. The only real barriers were in the maximum-security section. Minimum and medium-security prisoners were provided with some land and farm animals to build a livelihood. Some practiced crafts, and we bought some of their products at the gift store. Nobody attempts to escape because it was certain death in the mountains.

Pro-Tip: There is a lot more to see in Puerto Princesa: caves, mangroves, wildlife refuge centers, refugee camps, and island hopping so a few days may not be enough.

Shetland Islands: The Broch And The World’s Smallest Pony  

After Iceland, our cruise ship docked at Lerwick (population 7,500), the capital of the northernmost islands of Scotland called the Shetlands (population 23,000). A city walking tour showed us stone buildings whose foundations were on the water. We toured Fort Charlotte, the Lerwick Town Hall, the Shetland Museum and Archives, and the Old Town Center.

There was time left before we had to go back to the ship. We had a choice of a site where humans had lived since the Mesolithic period, accessible by bus, or join a Shetland pony tour. We dared ride the bus to get to the Broch of Clickimin. Constructed in the first century BC, it’s a very dramatic Iron Age drystone hollow-walled structure found only in Scotland.

With unbelievable luck, a Shetland pony was grazing on the bright green grass around the Broch! Originating in the Shetlands, the world’s smallest ponies stand only up to 42 inches, sport a heavy coat, and have short legs. Still, they are used for riding, driving, and packing because they are very strong for their size.

Gozo: Older Than the Pyramids of Giza And The Stonehenge

Once I took time off with my BFF to visit the Maltese archipelago. We heard that many movies were filmed on Gozo Island, the other island of about 26 square miles. So we took the 25-minute ferry ride from Malta, the bigger island, through the Gozo Channel.  But instead of movie sets, we saw something else.

We were quite lucky we saw the Azure Window, a rock bridge arch on the beach because two years later, it collapsed. We were also fascinated by the Fungus Rock which hosts a promising medicinal fungus plant, the artifacts of miracles at Ta’ Pinu National Shrine, and the statue of the Virgin Mary in the middle of the beach on Ramla Bay.  

But what impressed us the most was a huge pile of old blackened rocks propped together in some parts by support structures. It was the Ġgantija Temple Complex, older than either the Pyramids of Giza or the prehistoric Stonehenge and the second oldest only to Göbekli Tepe in Turkey.  Together with the other temples in Malta, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the earliest of the series, erected during the Neolithic Age (3600–2500 BC).

Pro-Tip:  We took one of the 'Hop-On Hop-Off' buses to these stops. A taxi would have allowed us to stay longer at the Temple.

Ile St. Marguerite: The Man In The Iron Mask In The French Riviera

During an anniversary, my husband and I chose to be on the French Riviera, visiting Antibes, Cannes, Nice, Grasse, Eze, St. Paul de Vence, and Monte Carlo from a base in Mougins. While in Cannes, we found out about the Lerins Islands, a group of four small Mediterranean islands off the coast. The two largest and inhabited are Ile Saint Honorat with a historic Cistercian monastery and Ile Sainte Marguerite where a fortress has the cell occupied by the Man in the Iron Mask.

We chose the latter. From the ferry dock, we hiked to the top of the hill to what is called the Musee de la Mer. My husband loved the Man in the Iron Mask’s dark cell where he was held captive for 11 years. But I loved more that we were able to bring home photos of an entirely different view of the Cote d’Azur, Cannes harbor, and Palais des Festivals.

Waiheke: World-Class Wines

Waiheke Island is the second largest and most populated island off Auckland, New Zealand. It was ranked fourth/fifth best island destination in the world for a few years. From the ferry dock, we rented a car and proceeded to the southernmost part of Orapiu Bay. After some photos, we drove east through rough coastal roads, unfarmed fields, idyllic scenes with flocks of sheep, and rich olive groves.

At the easternmost part, we lingered at the Man O' War Bay, where we photographed the lovely event sections and sampled the best sellers of this only world-class waterfront winery on the island. Satisfied, we resumed our trek up north and then west where most of the 9,000 islanders’ beachfront residences are. Farther west on Ocean View Road, we found the enviable holiday homes of 3,000 affluent Aucklanders, visiting one owned by a friend.

Back to the ferry side, where most of the art galleries, shops, restaurants, etc. were located, we chose to have late lunch at the prestigious Mudbrick Winery and Restaurant. The Chef paired world-class wines with our meal and explained each dish we ordered. We chose to sit at the beautiful open garden on a hill rather than the extended balcony or the second-floor deck. From each, there was a mystical view of Auckland and Rangitoto Island. For dessert, we moved to the nearby Cable Bay Winery to sample after-dinner wines and to get another view of Auckland from the wide expanse of greenery rolling down to the waters below.    

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TRAVEL AWAITS ARTICLES: 5 North American Island Getaways

Note: This is the second in my series on Travel Awaits Articles. Like the first, it was published in 2019. But this one is still my most widely-read article with around 15,000 views. If you want to know more about the places highlighted here, please go to the complete and original article where the links are all included. 

We have hesitated to go back to Hawaii because it is truly quite expensive to have an island getaway there. And there are islands -- from the New England coast to the Florida Keys and the Los Angeles coast up to the Pacific Northwest -- much closer to where you may be, each with a distinctive island charm.

1. Martha’s Vineyard

If you live in the New England area, Martha’s Vineyard is a wonderful alternative.. The mainland ferry dock in Wood’s Hole is just an hour and a half from Boston and the Steamship Authority ferry ride takes only 45 minutes. The island has many museums, art galleries, and unique landmarks. In fact, there are four museums right in Wood’s Hole. You may opt to go on a day trip or stay for a weekend at many lodging options. There is a good public transportation system on the island.

Oak Bluffs is famous for the Martha's Vineyard Camp Meeting Association's Giant Tabernacle surrounded by about 300 lovely vacation gingerbread cottages in all colors and designs. There are also four museums, including the Cottage Museum. Edgartown has an old scenic lighthouse is in Aquinnah and five museums. It's connected via a small ferry to the small island of Chappaquiddick (where Ted Kennedy’s car accident led to the drowning of his young female companion). Look for the Giant Pagoda Tree in the middle of town. West Tisbury hosts the most art galleries and Falmouth has the most (nine) museums. 

2. The Outer Banks

Highway 158 cuts through North Carolina and connects to Highway 12, which runs through the Outer Banks. Depending on where you are in the state -- of Virginia -- the drive will take only about three to four hours. Best during late spring, summer, or early fall, the barrier islands jut out 26 miles from the coast. They offer a lot of history and charm rests because of a unique terrain and distinctive weather. 

The whole family will love kiting or hang gliding at the 426-acre Jockey’s Ridge State Park, home to the largest and tallest active sand dune on the East Coast. Movie buffs will be happy to discover the Inn at Rodanthe. The Wright Brothers chose Kitty Hawk for their historic flight and Big Kill Devil Hill commemorates their feat. The Lost Colony on Roanoke Island is where, in 1585, 115 pilgrims preceded those in the Jamestown Colony in Virginia (1607) and the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts (1620). Finally, there are four beautiful lighthouses, built to help maritime commerce, to see -- the Ocracoke Lighthouse (1823), Bodie Lighthouse (1846), Cape Hatteras Lighthouse (1870), and Currituck Beach Lighthouse (1875). Still ships sank and the Outer Banks became  known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, as explained at The Ocracoke Museum.

3. Florida Keys

The Florida Keys is made up of about 1,700 islands.  To get there, you drive the "Overseas Highway, a breathtaking narrow highway with water on both sides, punctuated by connecting bridges -- there are 43, with the Seven-Mile Bridge as the longest -- and sometimes patches of swaying palm trees. 

We stayed at the Sunshine Key Resort and Marina on Big Pine Key, one of the islands. It has blue water on all three sides, all kinds of amenities, and lots of activities. There was also key deer roaming around the island. They grow to only a third of the size of regular deer. 

A public bus can take you from Big Pine Key to Key West, the southernmost Key, in 45 minutes, While there, visit Mallory Square for great shopping, stay to celebrate a spectacular sunset, visit Truman's Little White House, explore the Hemingway House and Museum, and dance the night away at Sloppy Joe’s, Hemingway’s favorite hangout. Don't forget the photo-op at the Southernmost Point of the US, only 90 miles from Cuba. 

4. Catalina Island

Catalina is just an hour by ferry from Los Angeles. A hilltop tour reveals a priceless view of the harbor, which is smaller and less luxurious than the one in Monaco but has the same look as a playground of the rich. At the highest point on the hill is Wrigley Mansion who was responsible for creating this island destination. There’s a Wrigley Memorial Tomb down the hill.and the former spring training houses of the Chicago Cubs, previously owned by Wrigley. Deer flourish since there is no predator larger than the small fox on the island. So deer hunting is legal on the island some days of the week.

The island is known for its Old Hollywood charm, especially with Avalon Casino, not a gambling den but a 140-foot-tall circular building that juts out into the harbor. A Ballroom with a 20,000-square-foot dance floor occupies the top floor. The ground floor has the fabulous Catalina Theater with 1,154 seats. It's where the first talking movies in the country were shown. 

Marilyn Monroe used to live in one of the pastel-colored wooden homes that are spread across Catalina’s flats and hillsides. The Square and the commercial buildings are adorned with beautiful colorful tiles, just like those in Mexican, Spanish, and Portuguese towns. Finally, the small pier overlooks a busy beach with lots of water activities. It's also a jumping-off point for side trips to Lovers Cove.

5. Vancouver Island

Victoria on Vancouver Island is less than three hours from Vancouver, including the one-and-a-half-hour ferry ride from Tsawwassen near the U.S. border. It takes roughly the same time via a ferry from downtown Seattle. If you are in the Pacific Northwest, this is a most  charming weekend getaway.

The oldest Chinatown in Canada is in Victoria's two rows of small side shops on a tiny side street called Fan Tan Alley. The beautiful British Columbia Provincial Legislature is across the Victoria Harbor stands because the city is the provincial capital. And, also facing the harbor is the Fairmont Empress Hotel, known for both its grandeur and its upscale afternoon tea.

But the decided highlight is the beautiful Butchart Gardens, north of the city near the ferry dock, It’s composed of five sections -- the Sunken Garden, the Rose Garden,  the Japanese Garden, the Italian Garden, including the private garden of Mrs. Butchart, and the latest addition, the Mediterranean Garden. It's the most beautiful garden I have ever seen and it inspired me to extend the garden in my home.

We were pleasantly surprised with these charming island getaways in North America. I am sure you will not be disappointed with any of these five.

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From High to Low Risk, Cruising while on Quarantine

During summer, we usually go on a long cruising trip on the road to escape the Phoenix heat, visit our children, and celebrate our anniversary. But, since there is a ban on non-essential travel between the US and Canada and my middle daughter lives in Calgary, we won’t be able to go there. Even Ada County in Idaho—including Boise where Bill’s son lives—is imposing a mandatory 14-day self-quarantine for people from states with high community spread of Covid-19 like Arizona. So we will not be able to go there either.

Instead, we are doing two shorter road trips to visit family and celebrate in areas where there are, in fact, lower risks for Covid-19 than staying at home. We will soon be in Granby, Colorado to visit Bill’s eldest daughter. Then in August, we visit my eldest daughter in Livermore, California. Before Colorado, Bill and I have chosen to spend a week in The Cliff Lodge Summer and Ski Resort in Snowbird, Utah. Before Livermore, we are spending another week in Snow Lake Lodge in Big Bear Lake, California. Both are part of celebrating our 12^th year wedding anniversary. This post is about the Utah celebration. 

Shoshone Falls

Bill drove all of 11 hours from Viewpoint to The Cliff Lodge, plus two 30-minute rest stops. After a much-needed rest for the night, Bill again drove the following day to Twin Falls, Idaho—four hours each way. It was our only chance to have a picnic with his eldest son and his family since that part of Idaho is not restricted. They chose a spectacular location for a picnic: the Shoshone Falls, "The Niagara of the West." Standing 212 feet tall and 900 feet wide, it is one of the largest natural waterfalls in the US, higher than, but not as wide as, Niagara. I really don’t know why its application as a national park was rejected. It should be one.

Located on the Snake River, it carves its way through a deep basalt canyon to meet the Columbia River below. Its flow is dependent on many variables. The best time to see it is in spring when the snow begins to melt in the mountains. In the summer months, a part of the river is diverted for use in irrigating 500,000 acres of farmland so the flow is somewhat reduced. But I thought it was still pretty spectacular, even in July. The worst time to visit is during fall when the water is used to recharge the reservoir system upstream. 

The Cliff Lodge at Snowbird

After another night of rest, we woke up to the beauty of our 1,500 square feet one-bedroom suite of the Cliff Club, an up-scale timeshare property located within the Ski & Summer Resort in Sandy, Utah nestled in the lovely little Cottonwood Canyon. The bedroom had an oh-so-comfy king bed, a lounge area with a sofa bed, an office desk, and a bar set-up, a bathroom suite with a walk-in closet/washing machine area, and a balcony. The living area had a sofa bed and armchair, a bar with stools, a complete kitchen, another office desk area, a bathroom suite, and another balcony equipped with a jacuzzi kept at 104 degrees Fahrenheit 24x7. We certainly  founda lot of use for it.  

The two balconies both looked out to the green wonderland of the Wasatch Mountains. It offers great ski slopes during the winter but in spring and summer, there are wonderful displays of wildflowers amid lots of firs, pines, and aspens. We could even see parts of the little Snowbird Village like the aerial tram, the chairlifts, the mountain coaster, and the stream that made the constant hum of nature calling. The Snowbird Center on the Village features other lodging facilities, shopping outlets, and more activity areas like the huge trampoline, the alpine slide, summer tubing, the vertical drop, a tree climb, and gemstone mining. In the whole resort, there are a total of nine shopping outlets, five fine dining and eleven casual dining restaurants, a high-end Spa at the top of The Cliff Lodge, another swimming pool and hot tubs at ground level and get this: 11 lower mountain, ten mid/upper mountain, and six Mineral Basin Trails for hiking and biking. 

We bought the Bird Bundle pass that is good for three hours and did everything that we could finish during that time. We tried both the Peruvian Lift and the Aerial Tram to get photos of all the spectacular views from up there at 11,000 feet above sea level. We took the Chickadee chairlift up to ride down the winding Alpine Slide twice and rode the rollicking mountain coaster twice. And my vocal cords exploded to Bill's utter embarrassment. They were our favorites so we did not get to experience the others.

The Resort, which opened only on July 1, required masks at all indoor and outdoor gathering areas. There were hand sanitizer dispensers everywhere. Everything we touched was sanitized after use. Contact tracing logs had to be filled up wherever we went  Reservations, menus, and forms were all digital.  Employees were health-checked every day. The resort was only operating at 40% capacity. Each facility was restricted by capacity, too. Most restaurants had patio seating sections. There was hardly a soul inside the Lodge. There was no need for air-conditioning so there were no common airflows. We just opened the sliding doors during the day.  The only bad experience was the initial adjustment to the altitude and the dry air. Two humidifiers were available for our suite. 

The Great Salt Lake and Antelope Island

We must have passed Salt Lake City several times but I had never visited The Great Salt Lake. So we went down to visit the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere. Its size fluctuates a lot because the lake is shallow. It has recorded the lowest at 950 and the largest at 3,300 square miles. Three major tributaries deposit approximately 1.1 million tons of minerals in it each year. Because there is no outlet for the water besides evaporation, the lake water is far saltier than seawater. In fact, it is the eighth saltiest body of water in the world, just behind the Dead Sea, at 30% salinity. Thus, you naturally float.  

Antelope Island, with an area of 42 square miles, is the largest of ten islands in the Great Salt Lake. When the lake is at its low levels, it actually becomes a peninsula. We drove across the causeway, a narrow two-lane road connecting the mainland to the island. It was a great place to see the beauty of the Great Salt Lake and witness the variety of scenes from white salt beaches, to white salt lakes, to everything in between. It is also home to the wildlife which grows well since there are no predators on the island: pronghorn, bighorn sheep, American bison, porcupine, badger, coyote, bobcat, mule deer, and millions of waterfowl.

After covering the areas around the Visitor Center, the Park Headquarters, and the two campgrounds, and having some burgers and onion rings at the Island Grille on the northwestern section of the island, I was lamenting not being able to spot any wildlife. But, as we were driving to the southeast side, we chanced upon a herd of maybe fifty bison down by the lakeside on Bill’s side of the car. When Bill stopped to let me out and take photos, lo and behold, there were ten of them on the hillside beside me.  I had heyday taking their photos especially when they rushed down the hill, crossed the road, and joined the herd.

We did not forget to visit the Fielding Garr Ranch located on the southernmost part of the road. The house is known for being the oldest continually inhabited Anglo home in the state of Utah (1848 to 1981) and the oldest Anglo built house in Utah still on its original foundation. It was quite interesting to see the old barn, stand-alone cottages, stockyard, dining room, bedroom, kitchen, grain silo, and farm implements. The stables had a few horses, too.

The Great Salt Lake State Park

The Great Salt Lake State Park is nearer the city but is quite small. It consists of the only easily accessible and swimmable part of the lake, the Great Salt Lake Yacht Club and Marina, and a Visitor Center. There are great views of the lake, Antelope Island, the Black Rock, and Saltair Resort. The latter is a modern-day remnant and symbol of the original Saltair built on pilings over the shore area of Great Salt Lake. The new resort offers concerts and a concession service for souvenirs. This was opened as a state park in 1928. And in 1980, the marina was enlarged with new boat docks.

The Utah State Capitol

The Club is just 25 miles from Historic Temple Square in Salt Lake City. The beautiful mountain resort thus gives its guests a lovely mountain escape with great access to city life and an international airport. We have passed through the city many times as we visited Bill’s children, to and from Idaho and Colorado. We had been to Temple Square before so we went to see the State Capitol  has been instead. It isois of the state’s most prominent landmarks since 1916 and underwent one of the largest historical preservation projects in the US in 2004-8. It renovated the building against the risk of an earthquake and restored the original beauty and artwork. However, it was closed to visitors. Outside is the wonderful monument to Salt Lake City's founder and Utah's first governor, Brigham Young.

We have been to many timeshare properties but this is one we would definitely go back to and maybe experience it during other seasons.  And Salt Lake City offers a lot for visitors. I wouldn’t mind photographing Antelope Island during sunset and maybe spend more time at the Temple Square.

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5 Day Trips You Ought to Do While You’re in PV

We spent two weeks in Puerto Vallarta (PV) and actually stayed in the adjoining new town of resorts, Nuevo Vallarta. In the first week, we combed the two towns and wrote about the 10 Reasons Puerto Vallarta Wins Many Hearts. In the second week, we explored the Bay of Banderas and the Sierra Madre Mountains. As promised, here is my post on the five day-trips you ought to do while you’re in PV.

Los Arcos

The lovely Los Arcos is part of a protected national park called Los Arcos National Marine Park. The granite arches stand out from the Bay of Banderas and can be seen at a distance from downtown Puerto Vallarta. But to appreciate their sheer size and stunning beauty, you need to get up close to them. Many boats can ferry you to this beautiful backdrop for snorkeling and other water adventures. Caves, deep tunnels, and coral reefs give you a taste of the tropical flora and fauna of the beautiful Bay.

But we didn’t go by boat. We saw the Arcos from the Mirador (Viewpoint) on the road to Mismaloya Beach, east from town. Even from there, we got the chance to spot a Whiptail stingray swimming close to the shore. Actually, we were on the way to see the abandoned set of the famous movie, The Night of the Iguana that starred Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. The two legends both left a legacy of their love in the Gringo Gulch of Puerto Vallarta. Alas, the set was no longer to be found.

Marietas Islands

There are also two uninhabited islands on the Bay of Banderas, northwest of Puerto Vallarta, that are world-famous and also part of a National Marine Park/Reserve. The islands have been declared a Natural World Heritage Site, a UNESCO MAB Biosphere Reserve. Actually, they are only a fifteen-minute motorboat ride from Punta de Mita which was just an hour north of Nuevo Vallarta where we were staying, closer by four miles than from Puerto Vallarta.

bird islands

The Marietas Islands were an untouched pair of islands until an innocent Facebook photo went viral. That sparked droves of tourists that destroyed its delicate balance. Fortunately, the local environmental protection authorities commissioned scientific studies and the help of environmental advocates. Now they are once again available but in a very controlled manner.

Bill snorkeled at the smaller Round Island with most of those on our motorboat as long as they did not go beyond the yellow buoys that demarcated it. On the other hand, I went down to explore the “hidden beach” on Long Island where we were allowed to land as long as we were barefoot. But the real Hidden Beach (Lovers Beach) on Round Island is the main attraction. Only 116 people per day can enter it if they can swim through a 50-foot-long small tunnel carved by the sea through the rock that leads to the beach on a crater. I didn’t know how to swim and Bill did not want to go without me.

humpback whales

Since it was March, humpback whales were still in the bay. They come in December to give birth to their calves. And we saw two such whales, one on the way to and then another on the way back from the islands. There were also instagrammable features like the Lion Head. The islands are a protected bird reserve, too, and many are white with bird poop. They are home to the world-famous Galapagos Blue-footed booby and large frigate birds.

Sayulita

Sayulita

Sayulita is a beach town that was declared a Magico Pueblo in 2015. This program is led by Mexico’s Secretariat of Tourism designating towns in the country that give its visitors a “magical experience by reason of natural beauty, cultural richness, traditions, folklore, historical relevance, cuisine, arts & crafts, and hospitality.” 

Sayulita began as six or seven little houses whose inhabitants worked for the Jaltemba farm that extracted coconut oil from the ubiquitous palm trees of the region. The oil was shipped from the small port of Sayulita.

In 1936, the land was expropriated by the government and the ejido was born. In the forties, coconut production declined considerably and the locals resorted to agriculture and fishing. In 1965 a highway was built and with it, tourism was born because the waves at the beach are ideal for surfing. A few years later, an expansion and tourism development project paved streets and rebuilt a pretty town square. Soon shops and eateries flourished  It also became a center of Huichol arts and crafts. Sayulita has become a backpackers’ paradise. It was a wow experience to descend upon streets all bedecked with banderitas.

San Sebastian del Oeste

Aside from the bay, the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range also provides more to be explored in the area. The former mining town of San Sebastián del Oeste was declared a Magico Pueblo in 2011. It was founded in 1605 during the early Spanish colonial period. More than 25 mines and a number of foundries produced gold, silver, and lead that were sent directly to Spain. In its heyday, the population was 20,000. Today, it is 700, all involved in tourism. Recent road improvements reduced transit time from Puerto Vallarta to less than 2 hours. From our hotel in Nuevo Vallarta, it was an hour and a half.

San Sebastian del Oeste

This mountain town’s well-preserved historical character gives a visitor a magical experience. The Church of Saint Sebastian, whose original construction was in 1608, was designed in the colonial Spanish Baroque style with Corinthian columns and ceiling vault frescos. City structures, built of cut red and white stone and/or adobe in the 19th and earlier centuries, remain unchanged. Bridges, including the curved Puente, are made of stone and the streets, of cobblestones. It is reminiscent of Old Spain with narrow alleys and old haciendas that have been restored in recent decades as hotels, restaurants, and stores. In the middle of town is a lovely Square with a quaint gazebo. We loved the authentic Mexican food served in its restaurants.

Canopy River

the infinity pool at Canopy River

The Direccion Turismo office in the Zona Romantica urged us to visit Canopy River, a private extreme adventure company carved out of the Sierra Madres where the Rio Cuale that flows through downtown Puerto Vallarta originates. It is a great place for ziplining, rappelling, ATV rides through the Jorullo Bridge, reputedly the longest suspension bridge in the world, horseback riding, hiking, and even diving and swimming in a pristine waterfall. Septuagenarians like us could not do any of these things anymore but we loved the late lunch at their expansive native hut of a restaurant overlooking the exclusive and magical infinity pool in the mountains. We loved our time, the food, and drinks there.

These day-trips complete the reasons why PV wins many hearts. Now you can understand why many people even opt to stay.  

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10 REASONS PUERTO VALLARTA WINS MANY HEARTS

Bill had vacationed in Puerto Vallarta (PV) many times with his family while he was still working but he eventually chose to go to Mazatlan on a regular basis. That’s why we are in Mazatlan three months a year. But my daughter and son-in-law had a fantastic couple of times in Puerto Vallarta and have urged me to go and see. So Bill brought me to PV. I wanted to know what the more southern Mexican city is all about. Bill found a changed and grown PV and I found ten reasons she wins many hearts.

Malecon

<os Arcos, an icon of the Malecon

PV’s Malecon is only a mile long and very touristy. It is now jammed by many bars and restaurants for great nightlife and shops and stores for daytime shopping. Many palm trees provide shade and there is a renowned sculpture every hundred feet, top-billed by the colorful Puerto Vallarta city sign with the signature Sea Horse in the middle. Various artists perform their acts along the boardwalk, at the end of which stands the Naval Museum and another emblematic structure, Los Arcos. With all the things going on, I was glad there were kiosks of the Direccion de Turismo, very helpful for first-timers like me.

Shopping and Markets

entering Cuale Market from the bridge that spans the Rio Cuale

There are many flea, artisanal and municipal markets in PV so shopping is particularly fun. We came across the Cuale Market first, after the Malecon, towards the east. It is a unique area carved out of an island on the Rio (River) Cuale, dotted on both sides by many makeshift stores. Unique features—like a centuries-old tree, a pair of hanging bridges that connect the island to the two river banks, a welcoming giant Mexicana, festive banderitas, and an upscale open-air restaurant— add color to the market.

Just outside Old Vallarta west towards the Port are high-end malls for upscale visitors and residents. Farther away in the suburbs are the national chains like Mega Soriana and La Comer and international ones like Walmart and Costco to make the North American snow birders really happy and feel at home.

Zona Romantica

the Pier on Zona Romantica

the Old Seahorse

Farther east, on the other side of the Rio Cuale and beyond the Malecon, is the Zona Romantica. A series of restaurants and bars line the popular Playa Los Muertos. This area is the center of vibrant nightlife. The Pier, completed in 2013, adds pizzazz to the Playa. We went in the day but I was told it is spectacular at night.  At the end of the Playa is the “original” Seahorse. Actually, the original was installed there in 1960 but was swept away by a strong storm. In 1976, a larger replica was built.

Nightlife extends to the many restaurants and bars that line Calle Olas Altas, parallel to the beach. On the same street is Plaza Cardenas which is now more popularly called Plaza de Azulejos because almost every inch of it has been covered with colorful tiles. Many residents have volunteered to install them in sections that they choose. That is also where the office of the Direccion de Turismo is housed and where we planned our visits with the help of the officer-on-duty, Erick Reyes.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish Church

The Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe sits just two blocks from the beach, fronting Plaza de Armas. It is "the most endearing" of the city's landmarks, towering over all the other buildings. Started in 1903, it was not really considered complete until its “coronation” in 1965 with a wrought-iron crown hoisted by angels. The original was destroyed by an earthquake 30 years later and the current one is a replica.

Gringo Gulch

Just to the north of the church, up above on a hill accessible by stairs, is a neighborhood called Gringo Gulch. In other words, this is where the Caucasians make their home. As a matter of fact, it is where Elizabeth Taylor lived while she filmed The Night of the Iguana with Richard Burton. Her house—now

known as Casa Kimberley, a hotel—is connected to the Richard Burton house on the other side of the street by a white bridge. It was built to make access to each other more easily. It is just too bad that the set of the movie, the legacy of their love story, is no longer there as It once was kept on the Mismaloya Beach.

Beaches

During the winter months, the temperatures in PV are comfortable — highs of 81 degrees Fahrenheit and lows of 65. There seems to be less wind, too. The Bay of Banderas makes the city (and Nuevo Vallarta, NV) land-locked and protected.  Waves are also not crazy strong, making the beaches a family playground.

I was blown away by Playa Los Muertos and its busy beach vibe but Riviera Nayarit (see Nuevo Vallarta below) is very different, quiet, and pristine. We were not able to go to the ones on the southeast that are only accessible by water taxis. They say those are the most fabulous. And those in the Marietas Islands are at yet another level. Yes, the beaches are a lot of fun in PV.

a regular brisk walk on the beach behind our hotel

Nuevo Vallarta

We stayed in a hotel/resort in NV which is a planned residential-resort community located in the Mexican state of Nayarit, about fifteen minutes north of PV's airport (PV is in the neighboring state of Jalisco). NV is a federal government project for PV’s overflow residents and tourists. It was begun over twenty years ago. Luxury villas, estates, resort hotels, and plush condominiums have arisen, many including canals lined with tropical gardens, each with private docking piers connected to the Marina. There are more than 5 miles of white sandy beach that is now known as Riviera Nayarit.

the Marina beside our hotel resort

The following three other reasons I will write about on my next post:

Bay of Banderas

Bahía de Banderas (or the Bay of Flags) is within the Mexican states of Jalisco and Nayarit. It is home to prominent features like the Marietas Islands and the Los Arcos. The port, the resort city of PV and the resort community of NV are all on the bay.

Sierra Madres

PV and NV are nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Sierra Madre Mountain Range. This is the reason the port city is so jammed up; the available land is small. But the mountains also provide the opportunity for jungle excursions. Bill and I enjoyed the Canopy River, an oasis on the Cuale River up in the mountains.

Magico Pueblos

Mexico has 121 magico pueblos—magical towns designated as such by the Ministry of Tourism. Jalisco has eight and Nayarit has three. We went to three on this trip: Sayulit and Compostela of Nayarit and San Sebastian del Oeste of Jalisco.

Now I know why PV, and also NV, win(s) many people’s hearts. A lot of them stay.

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