Mexico Recomendation needed

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

Add us to the group that isn't that excited about Cabo. We don't dislike it; we are still exploring Mexico but have easily decided that Puerto Vallarta is more of interest to us.

I also do MX rentals, and I can easily say that there is much more demand for Cabo than for Puerto Vallarta, so clearly there are many people who prefer Cabo to PV.

What we liked most about Cabo is beaches and sun. We didn't like that is almost entirely a resort area catered to gringos, but frankly, that's why my rentals do better in Cabo than in PV. Lots of people want to go there for sun, sea, beaches, warmth, and golf, especially in the wintertime. If that's what you want, it's one of the easiest places to get to for that from western North America -shorter and cheaper flights than Hawai'i and the Caribbean from the western states and provinces.

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

I also do MX rentals, and I can easily say that there is much more demand for Cabo than for Puerto Vallarta, so clearly there are many people who prefer Cabo to PV.

I expect that your rentals do better in Cabo because there are far more resorts in Puerto/Nuevo Vallarta rather than more people prefer Cabo.

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

We feel that Cabo is very Americanized with no cultural attractions in the area to speak of and we have been all over the area. On the other hand the Riviera Maya has several attractions such as Tulum, Xel Ha, Xcaret, etc.

We are probably not your typical tourists as my wife is Mexican and we are both fluent in Spanish and are more interested in the local people and culture. We were married in Mexico and lived not too far from Mazatlan for 4 years.

It is true that there aren't the traditional Mexican towns in the Riviera Maya but there are many Mayan villages close by. In fact the traditional Mexican cities are becoming quite Americanized now. Puerto Vallarta has become much more Americanized than a few years ago. While we were at the GM in Nuevo Vallarta in 2006 we took a private tour up through the state of Nayarit to Tepic ( state capitol ) and back along the coast. Tepic is still very Mexican and a very nice city.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

I expect that your rentals do better in Cabo because there are far more resorts in Puerto/Nuevo Vallarta rather than more people prefer Cabo.

It's a supply and demand issue. When I offer people the choice of renting in Cabo vs renting in PV, Cabo is preferred at least 2:1. And when I try to make reservations, winter weeks get filled in Cabo before they get filled in PV.

Puerto Vallarta has become much more Americanized than a few years ago. While we were at the GM in Nuevo Vallarta in 2006 we took a private tour up through the state of Nayarit to Tepic ( state capitol ) and back along the coast. Tepic is still very Mexican and a very nice city.

When we were in Tepic last spring we drove to Tepic on Saturday (market day). That was one of the highlights of our trip!!

I loved traveling through the mountains to get to Tepic, and it was a lot of fun walking around the zócalo when everyone was doing downtown shopping and stalls were set up.

We bought a few Huichol crafts - as compared with Puerto Vallarta it was nice to interact directly with the Huichol craftspeople. Plus, with the prices not that much less than prices in Puerto Vallarta, we knew they were netting a lot more money for their work.

[bezerk Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close bezerk]

Well, I might agree that Cabo San Lucas is rather "Americanized". Definitely a resort town that revolves solely around tourism/vacationers. San Jose del Cabo is not nearly as developed, and it may be the only drawback for you is having to drive to get to snorkeling.
I'm curious where you went on the Caribbean side? I absolutely loved Tulum and Akumal, and have heard great things about Isla de Mujeres. We did alot of snorkeling there, and also really enjoyed renting a scooter and just riding it on the road along the beaches.

I've been in Cabo in March and in early December. It was not super hot either of those times. Definitely cool and breezy at night. Mayan peninsula in late March when I was there, much hotter (that's how I like it, too!). But Cabo was hot enough during the days for sunning on the beach!

That is what I kind of expected...a revolution around tourism/vacationers....

We stayed in Playa Del Carmen at Playacar Palace....we liked the resort a lot, Fifth Ave was just okay, lot of things actually came from our area or neck of woods, so no big shopping fest. We did all the sights, well as many as we could squeeze in, Tulum, Coba, Chichen -Itza, Xel-Ha, X-Caret, Cozumel ( we liked it better over there somewhat and also Isla Mujeres which we liked a lot). And some others that elude me at the moment. We did not go to Akumal and have heard that is great.

We still have so many places to see in Mexico and have seen many places most tourists will never see, but as far as returning to Carribean and such I think I would do Akumal or Isla Mujeres if we did, but I do not forsee it right now. The weather was so very unstable....Our side of Mexico we have rainy season and dry season...pretty much sums it up, plus the exact area where I live very temperate, which actually is not my choice as I like it hot, hot, hot and sunny, sunny! But I do not like humidity when hot, like it dry. Anyway we are glad we went to that side and saw all that we did and such but just we did not feel the water which everyone raved of was enough to draw us back...there are so many nice places here with great colored water and we can drive as opposed to flying, like Ixtapa/Zihuatenejo ( kind of teal color water).

Back to Cabo....of course all our friends in states say oh go to Cabo and all our friends here say well have a feeling you won;t like and will have wished you just went to states to visit family etc. So sounds very americanized and well if it is as much as Cancun area was, then prefer to just go to states. But San Jose del Cabo sounds like we may like it..the snorkeling is not so big a deal to me, hubby likes to dive but not me, had bad experience. I like to see sights, culture, talk with locals in Spanish and have some treasures to bring back as well as soak up the sun.....The resorts I like have to have good service and either be a pampering place or a Mexican inspired decor and experience.

Mayan Peninsula, you say hotter, what exactly is that??? Truly I need hot...if you can believe this if it gets below say 70...I am freezing..My hubby always says you must be only person who walks around Mexico continually with a coat or sweater. I came from cold part of US but have acclimated here, so I get cold....

I have a lot of research to do, I can see, thanks for your post, if you think of anything else, pls. let me know...Appreciate your help!

[bezerk Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close bezerk]

Add us to the group that isn't that excited about Cabo. We don't dislike it; we are still exploring Mexico but have easily decided that Puerto Vallarta is more of interest to us.

I also do MX rentals, and I can easily say that there is much more demand for Cabo than for Puerto Vallarta, so clearly there are many people who prefer Cabo to PV.

What we liked most about Cabo is beaches and sun. We didn't like that is almost entirely a resort area catered to gringos, but frankly, that's why my rentals do better in Cabo than in PV. Lots of people want to go there for sun, sea, beaches, warmth, and golf, especially in the wintertime. If that's what you want, it's one of the easiest places to get to for that from western North America -shorter and cheaper flights than Hawai'i and the Caribbean from the western states and provinces.

We go to PV many times a year, we are close enough to drive in a short 5 hours, we have many friends and acquaintances there as well. It has definately changed in the last 3 or 4 years and now is more like a city than a nice beach town.....though we still love it and it is convenient for us. Pv certainly has plenty of sun and beaches and we do venture to the outer lying parts etc. that are less touristy or we just hang with friends and or at resort and relax totally in the sun...

I think there could be a possibility that many are going to Cabo as they hear movie stars go there and many have been to PV....maybe who knows...

I expect that your rentals do better in Cabo because there are far more resorts in Puerto/Nuevo Vallarta rather than more people prefer Cabo.

This is a good point there are definately more resorts in PV and surrounding areas, so would assume that Cabo would fill up quicker but yet, I at times if exchanging and not using owned resort many times cannot get PV but I always can get Cabo or Cancun side, so that is different.

We feel that Cabo is very Americanized with no cultural attractions in the area to speak of and we have been all over the area. On the other hand the Riviera Maya has several attractions such as Tulum, Xel Ha, Xcaret, etc.

We are probably not your typical tourists as my wife is Mexican and we are both fluent in Spanish and are more interested in the local people and culture. We were married in Mexico and lived not too far from Mazatlan for 4 years.

It is true that there aren't the traditional Mexican towns in the Riviera Maya but there are many Mayan villages close by. In fact the traditional Mexican cities are becoming quite Americanized now. Puerto Vallarta has become much more Americanized than a few years ago. While we were at the GM in Nuevo Vallarta in 2006 we took a private tour up through the state of Nayarit to Tepic ( state capitol ) and back along the coast. Tepic is still very Mexican and a very nice city.

Okay this is good..we are not typical tourists either since we own home in Mexico and I spend 99 % of time here, other than vacations. I am not fluent in Spanish but can carry on a conversation and such. My kids are bilingual and younger son is almost trilingual.

We did like the Mayan villages in Maya Riviera and we did like all the cultural things we saw etc. Just now we have been there so looking for a different place, since we were there just last Jan.

Tepic is nice...but we have been to all those places along the way in our travels. ( we travel that way heading to PV etc...) Guadalajara is still Mexican and very cultural as well, but a huge city and since I am there all the time would not be a vacation place for me LOL.

Guess I'll just have to keep researching, many places yet to see in this great country....trying to do one new place per year as we already do about 10 weeks to coastal areas in Mexico as it is. We do prefer driving, so the one different place is probably gonna involve a flight, although we can do Acapulco by car..but again getting the same issues with friends " you should go once but you will not like, big city on beach and well overdeveloped".

Also thinking I could maybe do Huatulco in a very long ride, like 3 days possibly....maybe 2....We would do Acapulco and or Huatulco and then on way back stay in Ixtapa where we own a timeshare and we go there just about every May...so that is do-able.....

Cabo would have to be like in summer, but then what is hurricane risk? Or maybe Feb. or Dec. or Jan, so that might be cool then...huh?

Decisions, decisions...

Thanks all I appreciate your input...

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

… Tepic is nice...but we have been to all those places along the way in our travels. ( we travel that way heading to PV etc...) Guadalajara is still Mexican and very cultural as well, but a huge city and since I am there all the time would not be a vacation place for me LOL. …

Nos interesa viajar a los regiones con la cultura importante de las gentes indigenas.

(With apologies to our Spanish-speaking amigos y amigas for my fractured Spanish!)

We very much would like to spend some time in Oaxaca and other areas in the southern area of Mexico. With some luck and planning, I may be able to spend a couple of weeks in Ometepec within the next couple of years. My best friend has gone to Guatemela three times working with Agros villages in Guatemala, and I may join him on a future visit.

I'm mulling over my options to rent timeshares as a way of swapping timeshare vacations for more cultural immersion types of travel.

[morgancita Member Find all posts View Profile Close morgancita]

Mexico traveling

We very much would like to spend some time in Oaxaca and other areas in the southern area of Mexico. With some luck and planning, I may be able to spend a couple of weeks in Ometepec within the next couple of years. My best friend has gone to Guatemela three times working with Agros villages in Guatemala, and I may join him on a future visit.

I'm mulling over my options to rent timeshares as a way of swapping timeshare vacations for more cultural immersion types of travel.

If you are considering Oaxaca and have not been there before, and want a Mexican immersion, I HIGHLY recommend it. I lived there for a few months during college and absolutely loved it. The city of Oaxaca is full of treasures, some rather hidden but many very easy to find. Within the state there is the forest of Ixtlan, petrified waterfalls at Hierve el Agua, some great beaches - Zipolite (sp?) and others. A two-week festival of folk dances and indigenous culture each July, the Guelaguetza. And you can easily get from Oaxaca to Chiapas, equally rich! Dia de los Muertos is a fantastic time to be there, too, in October. I could go on and on, such is the love I have for Oaxaca!!

[allenh91801 Member Find all posts View Profile Close allenh91801]

I've never been to Cancun. Just made my exchange into there for July 4, 2009 into the Royal Sands into a 2br. Any suggestions on what I should do there and how the weather would be? Am I going to be there during hurricane season?

Thanks,

Allen

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

I've never been to Cancun. Just made my exchange into there for July 4, 2009 into the Royal Sands into a 2br. Any suggestions on what I should do there and how the weather would be? Am I going to be there during hurricane season?

Thanks,

Allen

The weather will be hot and humid. The hurricane season runs from June - November so you will be there during the season. However the worst part of the season is usually later than July.

What you should do depends on what your preferences are. We always go to the eco-park Xcaret and some of the other sites. Xcaret is our favorite by far and I recommend the complete tour including the night show which is spectacular. We also just spend a lot of time at the Grand Mayan resort, relaxing and taking in some of the activities.

[morgancita Member Find all posts View Profile Close morgancita]

For day trips if you have time, the Mayan ruins at Tulum are spectacular and the ruins at Chitzen Itza even more spectacular!

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

For day trips if you have time, the Mayan ruins at Tulum are spectacular and the ruins at Chitzen Itza even more spectacular!

We have been to both and I recommend them. However Chichen Itza is a very long day as it is quite a distance and it will be much hotter.

[bezerk Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close bezerk]

Xel -Ha & X-Caret for sure!!! Tulum, Coba ( you can still climb this ruin), Chichen-Itza but you cannot climb any longer, swim in a cenote. Take a ferry over to Cozumel and Isla Mujeres if time allows.

[allenh91801 Member Find all posts View Profile Close allenh91801]

Wow. That's a lot to do. I think I would like to pick just 2 to do. Which would you say is a must do?

[morgancita Member Find all posts View Profile Close morgancita]

Maybe you want to pick one place for snorkeling, and one ruins site. Ruins: Tulum and/or Coba, because I agree that Chichen Itza is a long trip from Cancun. I have been only to Tulum and was swept away - however, best time to go is EARLY in the morning just as they're opening. Busloads of tourists descend upon the site for the rest of the day. If you get there early, you can be done seeing everything while it's still calm, and there's even a nice swimming beach right there that you can enjoy afterwards. In Cancun you'll find plenty of ocean/bay snorkeling, I believe? So a good day trip would be a Cenote (cave), absolutely, for swimming and snorkeling. You shouldn't leave without a cenote experience!