Nuevo Vallarta is the newest area of Puerto Vallarta and is mostly a combination of timeshare and all-inclusive large resorts—nothing small here. You can be assured of quality accommodations with all the amenities—big chains own these large all-inclusive, mostly timeshare, complexes, and there is a lot of competition to attract guests and potential buyers.

The beaches are better than in Puerto Vallarta or Marina Vallarta.

A large three-story complex, Paradise Plaza, has lots of shops, restaurants, and a good-size supermarket, enough to get the things that you need for your condo.

${QuickSuggestions} Don't miss the downtown area of Puerto Vallarta, about a half-hour away for the real feel Mexico with lots of great restaurants and shops.

Walking along the Malecon is always great, but especially on Sunday nights, when all the locals come out to enjoy the evening; you may find entertainment and lots of barbecues.

A walk along the Rio Cuale, with all its shops and restaurants and lush greenery, is not to be missed; it's very romantic.

A fun afternoon is going way out to Mismaloya Hotel to the south. There are shacks on the beach with access from a dirt road just past the hotel: barbecue food, fresh fish, and frosty margaritas!!

If you want to find even better beaches and more surf, head on up north toward Punta Mita—all the beaches are public and many have small beachy restaurants for a refreshing drink or grilled lunch.${BestWay} Busses are the least expensive transportation and will take you to either Marina Vallarta or downtown. It's a bit of a distance, probably close to a half-hour to downtown, and the busses run only until 11pm.

Taxis are readily available and charge about US$10 to the marina and US$16 to downtown.

If you want to explore, a car is great, and they can be inexpensive, especially if you reserve in the States before your vacation.

If you are going into town, parking is a big problem, so it's best to leave the car at a hotel or even in a large parking lot, such as at Wal-Mart or Sam's Club, and then take a taxi or a bus from there. The roads away from Puerto Vallarta toward Punta Mita and Sayulito are mainly highways and quite well marked. If you are going in the other direction, south toward Mismaloya, there is a cut off just before town that allows you to bypass the busy city.

Another neat option for getting to either the marina or downtown is the ferry service from the marina across from Paradise Village—it's $10 per person and runs about four times daily.

From journal A few days in Nuevo Vallarta