Villa del Palmar

We enjoyed venturing to the downtown area almost every day. My wife enjoyed the many shops while I preferred to relax and enjoy the view from one of the many restaurants lining the Malecon. The Malecon is the main boardwalk in Puerto Vallerta that is located in the heart of downtown. For us, this was probably our favorite destination. It is lined with fantastic statues and park benches. During the day, you can stroll along at a leisurely pace and watch the waves crash upon the shore. At night, the view is even more outstanding. The bay itself is lit by the glow of the city lights while the Malecon is lit with decorative lighting. It is much more crowded in the cooler temperatures of the evening and the entire boardwalk takes on a carnival atmosphere as locals display their wares. It is really quite romantic and a site not to be missed.

Quick Tips:

If you are like us and enjoy a cold alcoholic beverage to cool down during the day, drop into one of the many restaurants that line the Malecon. In the majority of these restaurants, drinks are priced two for one during the day. This also provides a great opportunity to have a look at the restaurants' menus and decide if you feel that might be a place you would like to return to for dinner

Best Way To Get Around:

Taxis and the local bus system are probably the best means of transportation within Puerto Vallarta. The bus is fairly simple to use and costs 8 pesos per person to travel from the hotel district to downtown.

Taxis are a bit more convenient as you do not have to wait and they take you directly to your destination. The cost is a bit more, 30 pesos from the hotel district to downtown. The 30 pesos covered both my wife and I.

We would usually take the bus from just outside of our resort to down town, spend some time shopping and make the return trip by taxi.

Walking is an option but not one that I would recommend. It took us about an hour to walk from the downtown area to our resort. It is pretty hot in Puerto Vallarta and we were quite dehydrated when we finally made it.

Best Things Nearby:
This resort is located in the Hotel District, which is between Marina Vallarta and down town Puerto Vallarta. Both are great options to explore.

Best Things About the Resort:
One of the best features of this resort was the location. It is centrally located directly on the beach about ten minutes, by taxi, from Marina Vallarta, the airport and downtown Vallarta. The staff at the resort were also very pleasant and helpful. They were more then willing to recommend nearby activities, attractions and restaurants.

Resort Experience:
We really enjoyed our stay at the Universal Vacation Club at Villa del Pal Mar. Located directly on the beach, we enjoyed the beautiful view of the bay and downtown Puerto Vallerta. Our one bedroom unit was very comfortable and spacious. It contained a full kitchen, living room with a pull out couch, master bedroom with a king sized bed and a balcony with a patio set to eat meals at. We were able to prepare a number of our meals and snacks in our room. A large supermarket called Gigante, similar to a Walmart Superstore, is located just a 10 minute walk from the resort. Incidentally, so is the Corona factory. Between these two establishments, we were more then able to fulfil our needs. There is a small convenience store on site, but the selection is not nearly as great and the prices are substantially more. The amenities at this resort are shared with the Universal Vacation Club at Villa del Mar (resort 2673). From what I understand, the only difference between the two resorts is the quality of the rooms. On site amenities included a large Jacuzzi, three tennis courts, three pools, shuffleboard, bocce, two restaurants and a sports bar. The pool is amazing. We spent a great deal of our time sitting around it and splashing in it. In the middle of it is an island with a waterfall and a pretty quick waterslide. The sports bar is located close by and has a happy hour daily. This is of excellent value and is an excellent way to reward yourself after a long hard day spent “soaking up rays.”

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

I’m a bit of a Jimmy Buffet fan so when I saw this restaurant along the Malecon, I new I just had to try it out. Cheeseburger in Paradise completely lives up to it’s name. I would have to say that this was probably one of the best hamburgers I’ve ever had.

After a morning of shopping my wife and I decided to stop into Cheeseburger in Paradise to grab some lunch. We both ordered the Cheeseburger in Paradise special, which comes with a delicious 100% American beef, hamburger and a side of fries. As with many of the restaurants along the Malecon, drinks served during the day are two for one. We requested four of our favorite Mexican beer, Sol, relaxed and enjoyed our meal.

We were lucky enough to get a seat on the second floor balcony with a great view of the bay and the Malecon. It is a great way to spend a few hours. We found the meal to be a bit pricey. Our bill came to $272 pesos ($45.00 cdn), which sounds like a lot for Hamburgers and a couple of drinks but if you consider the atmosphere and location with the outstanding view, we felt that it was worth it

Cucina was one of the restaurants located on the grounds of Villa de Mar and probably the best one we tried in Puerto Vallarta. By the time we checked in and got all settled in our room, we decided we would prefer not to venture off of the resort and instead head down to the on-site restaurant for dinner. It turned out to be a great decision. As we checked in, we noticed a sign advertising a surf and turf night. We both enjoy lobster and were both very satisfied with our meals. The restaurant has a wonderful patio where one can sit out and enjoy a great view of the bay. Once the sun set and the lights of downtown Puerto Vallarta could be seen across the bay, our waiter was able to point out where some points of interest were located. The grilled steak and lobsters were delicious. There was also a group of three musicians that circulated around the tables planing local tunes.

Ordering room service from this restaurant is also a great option. One evening we ordered food in so that we could watch my beloved Toronto Maple Leafs get pummeled by the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Conference finals. The service was very prompt and the meal delicious. They even included nacho chips and various salsas free of charge as an appetizer.

Los Arcos is a grouping of three small islands two the south of Peurto Vallarta. This was the first dive that my wife had taken. It all began with an introductory lesson in the resort pool. After an hour long lesson in the pool, her instructor recommended the Los Arcos dive package as it was one that targeted beginner divers. It also provided me the opportunity to go snorkelling on the same tour with her. The tour group left from downtown Puerto Vallarta and included a boat cruise through the bay to Los Arcos, sandwiches and drinks. There were about twenty of us in the group. Less then ten went diving. The divers were split into two groups, one for beginners and one for slightly more advanced divers. My wife enjoyed her adventure very much and took great pleasure in describing the many creatures that she saw at the bottom. As for the snorkelling, I would have to say that it was just okay. I found the water a little murky and hard to see in as compared to the Caribbean. Despite this, I still found the trip well worth the price. Maybe next time I'll be brave enough to see what it looks like at the bottom.