Visiting Yelapa Waterfall

Yelapa Waterfalls

Looking for an adventurous tour in Puerto Vallarta? If you’d like to enjoy some peace and quiet, and at the same time engage in an interesting venture, consider visiting Yelapa Waterfall.

Yelapa is a gorgeous beach town nestled well into the southernmost cove of the stunning Banderas Bay. Even though the town is located only 30 miles south from downtown Puerto Vallarta, it is not easily accessible by land; so the most common way to arrive at its beautiful golden shores is taking a 40-minute boat ride from Playa de los Muertos or Boca de Tomatlan. Make sure to enjoy the fantastic panoramic view from your water taxi or the catamaran – the huge Sierra Madre Mountains, Puerto Vallarta skyline, Mismaloya and the immense sea.

Once on the beach, you’ll find several picturesque thatch-roof restaurants where you can enjoy a cold beer, some traditional Mexican dishes and the freshest seafood. The isolated shores of Yelapa make it a great spot to spend a day off the fast rhythm of Vallarta. The loudest sounds come from the tide and the birds, and your most important worry may be deciding on what to eat for lunch.

Once you’re ready, put on your sun glasses, your trainers, some insect repellent and biodegradable sun block and start your way up to the breathtaking Cola de Caballo Cascade, located a 20 minute-hike through the jungle, and whose name derives from its curious resemblance to a horse tail. Once there, you’ll find a small eatery where you can enjoy a quick snack and a soda.

Cola de Caballo is 65 feet high and offers an awesome view- ideal to reconnect with your inner self and commute with nature. It’s worth mentioning that the waterfall runs during the rainy season from July through November. In general it has no water during the dry season, especially from April to late June, although the trip and the sightseeing are equally beautiful.

During your way back to the beach, check the marvelous wildlife around. The flora and fauna are truly beautiful and exotic. Once back on the beach, you can enjoy some water sports like snorkeling, kayaking and even parasailing, or just relax on the beach and listen to the melodies of nature as you sip a tropical cocktail.

There are countless tours from Vallarta to Yelapa and its sister Mismaloya. Most of them depart daily, early in the morning from the marina or from Vallarta Adventure Office. These tours grant you the great advantage of having a professional guide to lead you through the jungle to the waterfalls while teaching you about everything that surrounds you. Generally, they also include your breakfast, buffet lunch, beverages and your snorkeling equipment. Remember to take your camera with you and carry as much cash as you think you may need, because the town doesn’t have an ATM or a bank to visit.

Spending a day in Yelapa is like slowing time down. It is a journey to an isolated heaven where the sounds of nature cradle your soul. You’ll notice this during your voyage back to Puerto Vallarta. The power of nature can truly make your mind reborn.

Cecilia Vittori
Image: Flickr (author: waywuwei)

What are the most common fishes species in the area of Nayarit?

The area of ocean that Nayarit surrounds is known by its magnificent fishing. Two captures of world record have been caught in this area (marlin blue and wahoo) and they are waiting more. Many luxurious ships of fishing in rent are available for those that seek to pass the day, or several days going fishing in the blue waters of the area, in search of different species of fish of the ocean. The calmness and the warmth of the water attract fishermen of about the world. The ships in rent for sports fishing are in New Vallarta, Bucerías, La Cruz, Punta de Mita, Sayulita, San Francisco and Lo de Marcos. The ships to renting can be from a panga that is rented in the beach up to a great yacht, and can be rent per hour, half a day or complete day. Some of the services that offer the yachts can be pass the night including all the eaten ones and housing to pass the night. The most common fish that you will find in these waters are the following ones. This is a great destination.

 

What are the most common fishes species in the area of Nayarit? The Marlin Rayado is in Nayarit during the months of Julio until November. The world record has been one of 339 pounds and is an impressively strong fish usually caught by the fishermen. In addition it has an exquisite flavor. The Marlin Azul is in the area in the months of Julio until April, but the best months to catch it is from September to February. Its normal weight ranges between the 150 to 500 pounds, the world record was 1402 pounds. This is a fish of fights, which it takes hours that a specialized equipment takes it on board. This fish has a rich flavor but usually the fishermen liberate it. The Marlin Negro is in the area in the months of Julio to February. The Marlin Negro is the biggest of the family of the marlin, the world current record is 1560 pounds. This fish is extremely estimated by the lovers of the sports fishing but its declining numbers have given like proved a politics of “catching and let it free” between the real sportsmen.

In Nayarit you will find the fish Vela that is more near of the coast that other fish and rarely is caught inside Bay of Flags. This one is an excellent fish of fight that is not overcome by its size in force and by its spectacular jumps and speed. A delicious fish to savour and that ranges between the 50 to 100 pounds normally. The world record is 221 pounds. There are many species of tuna in the mexican waters, but the favorite is the tuna yellow fin. Also known like Ahi, this spectacular fish of fight is the favorite of the fishermen and is served commonly in many local restaurants. it is one of the thinnest saucer to choosing. The tuna yellow fin ranges go to 400 pounds. The world record is 338 pounds. Special equipment for work, must be used to control to this type of fish.

Shirley Alvarez Bahamon

Barcelo Puerto Vallarta Hotel: rooms, services and facilities

The Barcelo Puerto Vallarta Hotel is an elegant resort category premium of mexican style on the beach Mismaloya, with impressive conference to the Bay of Flags. The hotel has 4 Diamonds granted by the AAA (Diamonds-system of classification). Its 316 wide and luxurious rooms are divided in 179 junior suites, 109 familiar suites, 13 suites master, 12 suites grand master and 3 presidential suites. All of them stays of high quality and comfort. In the hotel, you will enjoy an excellent service, amusement, beautiful landscapes, an exuberant vegetation and the privacy that you are looking for. The hotel has many restaurants, bars and canteens, inside the program All Included Barceló, in that you will be able to taste a varied and international gastronomy of high quality. Beside enjoying the paradisiac beach of the hotel with its tropical waters of dream, you will enjoy its facilities, between them 4 swimming pools (1 sports one, 2 familiar and 1 for children), 2 Jacuzzis outdoors, a beautiful tropical jungle, gymnasium, lounge of games and infantile shows of entertainment and for adults. The real luxury for a few unforgettable vacations. This is one of the best hotels in Mexico.

Barcelo Puerto Vallarta Hotel: rooms, services and facilities. This hotel has a program of All included, in order that you do not have to worry about anything and could relax simply and have fun. You will have breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, coctails and refreshments in free drink, sports, activities and animations without additional post pay. They put to your disposition a special free selection of their better services, then you can enjoy this hotel. You will enjoy of national and international drinks Premium in their restaurants and bars: the bar “La Cantina”, the Italian restaurant Capri, the Spanish restaurant Don Quijote and the Theatre where you will enjoy during the thematic nights with the Program All Included. You will have foood in the restaurant buffet “El Patio” and in the Snack The Arches. In addition, a dinner offers during 2 nights of stay, 2 dinners for stays from 4 to 6 nights and 3 dinners for a week of stay (without limit of reservations).

Barcelo Puerto Vallarta Hotel has services like night entertainment, program of animation, gymnasium, miniclub, sports as tennis, tennis of table, vóleyball aquatic, water polo, kayaks, snorkel, aerobics and aquaerobic, towels and chairs in the swimming pool, safety box in the room, taxes and gratuities. U-Spa is a philosophy that inspires by the needs of the guest. You will be the center of U-Spa and everything turns around satisfying your needs of a personalized form. The U-Spa of the hotel Barcel oPuerto Vallarta incorporates a wide range of treatment and services. Come to Mexico, to the hotel Barcelo Puerto Vallarta and enjoy of the 316 rooms that the resort offers you, all of them wide, luxurious and comfortable to live a few fantastic vacations. For example, the Suite Deluxe is a comfortable room of 68 m2 with partial conference to the sea, to the gardens or to the ponds from the balcony.

Shirley Alvarez Bahamon

5 classic summer experiences in Puerto Vallarta

In Puerto Vallarta you will find many things to do and you will pass a great time with your family and friends. The  Golden beach is located to the north of the city; this place is wide, clean and sure, with rocky configurations that give to the small bay its peculiar touch. Surrounded by big hotels between the Rio Pitillal and the Maritime Terminus, in Golden beach you will be able to enjoy many of recreative activities like parasailing, jet skis and swimming. It is one of the most popular beaches of Puerto Vallarta between the local inhabitants and visitors equally. The beach “Los Muertos” is probably the most famous place of Vallarta. this site is in the south of “El Malecon” and the river Cuale. Also you can find a great variety of restaurants, bars, galleries, boutiques and shops of recollections. This is the only beach of the city with its own wharf, which acts as a point of arrival and exit of the aquatic taxis towards the north or towards the south, as well as a point where passengers can gather the tours in the way. This beach is ideal for have fun and entertainment, by day or by night. This is a great travel.

All  this make part of the 5 classic summer experiences in Puerto Vallarta. Also you can visit the Beach The Twins that are a couple of small adjacent beaches, with form of half moon, each one of approximately 100 meters of length. They differ for its thin white sand, crystalline waters and soft waves. They are in the south zone of the city, one of them, is in front of the President Hotel with private access and the other beach has access to the public. Here you can practise many activities as swimming, snorkel, kayak, hiking, climb the rocks that divide the beaches, and clearly also to relax and to sunbathe under the palms. “Conchas Chinas Las Pilitas” are natural ponds formed in the rocks and is one of the most fascinating beaches. To only a few minutes to the south of the city, this beach is known by the waves color turquoise that there bathe its pristine beaches of white sand.

In Puerto Vallarta you will find the site “Mismaloya” ubicated in the point more to the south of Puerto Vallarta; this place is very near to the mountains in its own cove surrounded with jungle. It is possible to enjoy some of better conference that Vallarta has to offer from the road to the beach. You will enjoy of charming restaurants of beach and pangas that offer frequent service of aquatic taxi to other beaches in the shore of the sea. During the season of rains, this beautiful river offer a great variety of flowers and birds for the delight of the most eager observer of birds. “Garza Blanca” is a small and discreet beach to the south of The Twins in the km 7 of the road of the Coast of the Pacífico. The white sand is surrounded with palms and crystalline waters. This place is very popular between the people the weekends. Come to relax, breathing the tranquility and the beauty of this Beach.

 

Shirley Alvarez Bahamon

Go to Nuevo Vallarta and Buy a Souvenir from this Wonderful Place

Puerto Vallarta has been for a long while the Mecca for artisans of all Mexico. Shops in Vallarta offer a great quantity of regional and national art. If you happen to visit it, you will have the chance of choosing among unique pieces of the most famous plastic artists from Mexico and the whole world. Nuevo Vallarta has something for everybody, regardless of the money you have to spend. You may look for something special made by unknown street artists either in markets or in the crowded Malecón.

All kinds of art crafts can be found in Nuevo Vallarta –masks, items of clothing, ceramics, souvenirs made of copper, plate, wood, and even liquors. The most recommendable ones are the sandals and hand-made items of clothing. Still, bear in mind that you will find in Vallarta the finest jewelry not only in artisans markets but also in the most modern shopping malls. While you take a walk along its streets, you will realize that alternatives are ubiquitous in this town. Some of the main points to go shopping in Nuevo Vallarta are:

• Municipal market. Located next to Plaza de las Armas, this is a good place to buy something original; its corridors are full of little shops where clothing, art crafts, and jewelry are sold.
• Plaza Caracol square. This little and old square offers a good variety of shops, a supermarket and a big department store. Its main visitors are locals, but due to its location it is chosen by many tourists who are looking for products to take back home.
• Plaza Galerías Vallarta. This department store is famous for its cinema and boutiques of first-designer clothes and shoes. Apart from this, this place has an amazing gym and a fast food area.
• Neptuno square. Tourists will find in it items to decorate their homes and little pre-Hispanic jewelry reproductions as well as souvenirs made in plate or wood.
• Península square. This outdoor attractive square is made up of designer stores such as Lacoste and Squale, beauty salons, spa, gym, Banks, galleries and restaurants and bars. This may be the right place to buy a present for your beloved ones.
• Sergio Bustamante Gallery. This man is a famous Mexican artist and sculptor whose colorful and original works are mainly really big sculptures which take the shape of animals, people, or accessories.
• Malecón. This area is one of the places that you must visit no matter what, not only because of its beauty but also because of the numerous local artists who sell their artworks in it –paintings of different techniques, sculptures, jewelry, among so many others.

Nuevo Vallarta is the right place to but a souvenir since it provides you with an array of shops and squares. It doesn’t matter which of them you choose, each and every shop has something special and unique to be bought.

Agostina Giacomino

Puerto Vallarta in the Top Ten of the best destinations in Mexico

One of the most beautiful places in the world is Puerto Vallarta, México that have the biggest second bay of all the continent, called the Bay of Flags, known by the extraordinary natural beauties, unexplored deep waters and wonderful beach. This place have spas and hotels very attractive for the tourist and also you can visit the majestic mountains with a great tropical vegetation. Don’t miss the opportunity to know this espectacular place with a village that have a very original colonial style.

Puerto Vallarta has experienced a “boom” with places like Mitas Top, a very attractive destination for houses of retirement in the Coast of the Pacífic Ocean. Puerto Vallarta is in the top ten of the best destinations in Mexico because is one of the cities of major growth in this country. Puerto Vallarte mixed perfectly  a colonial village with a wonderful beach. Puerto Vallarta is considered a paradise for all the people who enjoy the sports because they can have an endless number of adventures outdoors. If you like the aquatic sports, this is your place and you can choose between all the imaginable activities, from the esnórquel and the skin-diving to the kayak, sailing ships and surfing. You also can enjoy of the abundant marine life in the warm waters of Bay of Flags where you can practice sports and make fishing in deep waters in one of the best places in México. If you want exciting adventures, you can walk in bicycle of mountain, choose for a safari in jeep or ride a horse in difficult areas. Also, there are excursions of adventure in the jungle.

The Beach called “Los Muertos” is the place where tourists and locals share great moments like taste fresh fish and buy jewels, hats and sarapes. In this nice place, you can take a walk in a boat “banana” or in parachute. Also, you can find a lot of restaurants along the beach with parasols and beds to relax. Don’t miss the opportunity to Know a unique place like Puerto Vallarta full of magic, beauty and peace where you are going to pass the best vacations of your life.

Nowadays, Puerto Vallarta is the leader of the most popular winter destinations of Mexico because this place have the perfect climate. You can enjoy of golden beaches, mountains and jungles in a real paradise  that is attractive for everyone in the world. Every night is a time of party in the center of Puerto Vallarta. You will find a band of tradicional music in the Plaza of Weapon, the principal square in the place. The Malecón of Puerto Vallarta is an obliged walk, where you can appreciate originals sculptures in bronze or sand. You will be able to take pics but do not forget to leave a tip. Puerto Vallarte is a perfect place to pass your vacations in México with your friends or family.

Shirley Alvarez Bahamon

Exploring Riviera Nayarit Parks

Riviera Nayarit is only 10 minutes away from the Puerto Vallarta airport and located at the foot of the Sierra Madre Mountain range. Most of the areas along the Riviera are protected since they are the home for turtles, whales, birds and many other exotic species.

When exploring Riviera Nayarit Parks, you will find there are a total of 350 bird species that visit the Riviera and the surroundings every year and because of this, Government has made sure that the birds are protected during their yearly migration. There are protected bird parks and bird lagoons available for these flighty little creatures, thus creating a well-laid bird sanctuary that can be visited and observed by specialists and bird lovers alike.

La Tovara is a protected area in which birding is a popular activity; Tourists can observe and discover different kinds of bird species like the Puaraquees, Purple Gallinules, Bare-throated Tiger Heron, Northern Potoo and Jacanas.

Santa Isabel in San Blas is also a national park and a protected ecological reserve. It is a tropical paradise for birds and bird’s watchers. The best months to observe them are October through April but there are no facilities, so be prepared for self-sufficient camping.

Another protected area is Banderas Bay or Bahia de Bandera, located at the foot of Sierra Madre Mountains. Whale-watching is a very popular eco adventure, especially between December and April when the whales come here to calve. There are whale watching photo safaris, prices are approximately 85 (USD) for adults and 60 (USD) for children.

The Marietas Islands are close to Banderas Bay and about 30 minutes away from the Vallarta Marina. This protected ecological park since you will find a vast array of sea life, flora and fauna. This is a great spot for snorkeling or scuba diving, prices range from 75 (USD) for adults and 48 (USD) for children.

Los Arcos National Marine Park is also a protected marine paradise in Banderas Bay. When the sun gently dips into the horizon, you can dive into exploring underwater life, including lobster, octopus, and sea turtles. There are islands to visit, reefs to dive, tunnels to swim through and caves.

Bucerias and Punta Mita are also protected areas; some famous eco activities around here are Sea Turtle Adventures and Baby Sea Turtle Release programs. From June to September children and adults can release baby turtles from buckets and applaud as the hatchlings plunge into the ocean. Prices are approx. of 50 (USD) for adults and 30 (USD) for children.

Finally, Suyalita and Playa de los Muertos are almost untouched beaches; these are very popular with Mexican families and a safe swimming beach. Las Cargadas is the tiny beach past the rocks to the south of Playa Los Muertos.

Cecilia Ameri