Join DiveBuddy.com

Meet new scuba divers, maintain a virtual dive log, participate in our forum, share underwater photos, research dive sites and more. Members login here.

Puerto Vallarta July 2007
Caloosa - 8/03/2007 12:36 PM
View Member Articles
Category: Travel
Comments: 2
Enjoyed a week on the Mexican Pacific in July. Had a great time, both at our tremendous resort, Paradise Village in Nuevo Vallarta www.paradisevillage.com with its nine restaurants and two pools, marina, and beautiful beaches; and diving with Vallarta Adventures www.vallarta-adventures.com where they cater to your every whim. We dove in Banderas Bay, a great body of water and saw plenty of marine life from octopus, scorpionfish, blowfish, rockfish, groupers, angelfish, green, spotted and striped morays, skates, parrotfish,soldierfish, cowfish, seahorses, rock beauties, crabs, sea cucumbers, sergent majors, amberjacks, and a great specimen loggerhead turtle. Disappointed that I didn`t get to see a manta ray which are there at this time of year. We dove at Las Caletas and Las Isla Marietas sites. Water temps were in the mid eighties at the suface, but thermoclined down to the low seventies at the bottom...circa 60 to 80 ft. Viz wasn`t too bad, about 35-40 feet--a far cry from the gin clear waters of the Mexican Carribean around Cozumel! I can personally recommend great dining at two restarants, a short taxi ride north of our resort -- both with great ambience, right on the ocean -- where you will watch the locals swimming, surfing, and playing in the ocean past dark...the Meson Bay and Dugarel Plays restaurants in the town of Bucerias...had great food and drinks and out of this world open air seating right on the Pacific....if you ever get to Puerto Vallarta you need to put these spots on your short list of places to dine, and take your cameras--with the evening sunsets...you`re sure to get great pics. One other restaurant near our resort in Nuevo Vallarta was Laguna Tinos...again open air and food to drinks that were great...all of these restaurants were very Mexican in flavor, but had seafood, steaks, and other entrees for the entire family. Prices were all very resonable at all three of these establishments. As far as the diving with Vallarta Adventures...they treat you to a tremendous variety of adventures, and trips with great boats, great entertainment, food and open bars (and I mean open, not just wine and beer, but everything!)once all the diving is done for the day...usually by 1 PM. Their trips all last about 8 hrs. departing around 8 AM and returning around 4 PM...but when I say they cater to you and treat you great for your buck...I mean it. I would book with them again, in an instant. Hats off to my divemaster Angel who I had a great time with on all my dives. As far as Puerto Vallarta, itself, beware of the time share and silver hustlers, take a tour of the city, and try a local eatery, and cruise thru the open air markets...you may even buy something...learn to say no in Spanish, just like English...it`s NO...otherwise enjoy the town, and then get back to your resort and your diving! Don`t expect the gin clear water on the Carribean side, but do expect to have a great time!

Comments

SKEETER - 8/05/2007 10:41 AM
It sounds like you had a blast. I could Sheryl think of going there . Based on your report, Thanks!
Hansdown - 8/03/2007 11:32 PM
nice report ! ....jOHN