Having experienced some of the sickest mountain biking of my life this fall in Steamboat Springs—with newly minted single track delicately covered in golden, red, and yellow leaves just beginning to fall from picture-perfect aspens—I decided I needed a little more warm weather adventure before the joys of ski season set in, and to pass the time during the dreaded shoulder season.
As with most experiences, Mexico is exactly what you make it. Most of us from Colorado think of Mexico as a relaxing getaway, but it doesn’t have to be. I’m an admitted Mexicofile with a dozen trips south of the border under my belt, and I was a little hesitant about another trip to a typical resort town. Puerto Vallarta is not that.
The place was barely on the map until the late 1960s. Pictures of P.V. from the 60s hanging in downtown beach restaurants like La Palapa (lapalapapv.com), which has been continuously operated since 1957, look like The Rum Diaries meet the Beach Boys, a retreat we all hope to re-live. It gained notoriety when famous filmmaker and womanizer John Huston arrived in 1964 with his star studded cast to film “Night of the Iguanas”—a strange if not boring Black and White classic starring Richard Burton, another local legend who was at the time was involved in an affair with Elizabeth Taylor, apparently a great distraction to all involved in the production of the film but a boon to the town. Huston bought a house and property there called Las Caletas which we visited, and today is home to some top notch recreation and entertainment—a Cirque du Soleil trained choreographer produces an amazing show entitled Rhythms of the Night (http://www.vallarta-adventures.com/tours/rhythms-of-the-night) on a fire-lit stage in the jungle. Richard Nixon also called Puerto Vallarta home for a little while, when the president of Mexico presented him with a coastal home as a gift for him to escape the pressures of Watergate in 1973. From there Puerto Vallarta experienced the dubious expansion visitors see today.
P.V. is popular as a beach and port destination and I’m sure its rich farming traditions are often overlooked, even though this agricultural richness contributes to the great food and drink of the area. For an authentic Mexican country experience where you can ride horses, mountain bike, and experience the gardens, food, and tequilas of the area, check out the Hacienda Doña Engracia. They make their own tequila with daily tasting tours. (Beware the high season as I heard they bus people in from cruise ships.) Of course the maritime activities take center stage, with a rich history in shark fishing and shipping of silver from the mainland. Today, yachters from all over the world take refuge in Puerto Vallarta due in part to the very low taxes to dock there.
P.V. is one of the safest and friendliest cities in Mexico and it is literally filled with expats. According to some sources, North American nationals make up 20 percent of the nearly four hundred thousand residents of the area. It is also known to be very GLBT friendly.
Now on to the adventure…
Ziplining
Sure, I might have thought I was too cool for zip lines, due to the fact that it doesn’t require any actual technical skills, but there’s a reason why it’s so popular. Vallarta Adventures (http://www.vallarta-adventures.com/) offers an intricate, dynamic, extremely professional—and extremely fun—system of high angle rappels, zip lines, gorge crossings, suspended bridges, and waterfall descents in a complex and lush jungle environment, essentially in the middle of nowhere. You take an awesome speed boat ride to a remote fishing village, hop onto a rad Mercedes Unimog 4×4, and four-wheel up to their agaves-growing adventure outpost. From there a mule ride and a hike takes you to the first zip line, La Vista, spanning more than 600 feet at over 115 feet above ground, designed to shake out those who aren’t going to make it. This multi-hour adventure is non-stop as you hike and fly through the jungle, surrounded by amazing natural features and wildlife. They often change the course so no two adventures are alike. Once you get the hang of zip lining, it is a total blast. Vallarta Adventures is the best in the business with amazing guides, double safety lines, and full compliance with the Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT) standards.
Mountain Biking
When it comes to mountain biking, you’ve got several quality options in the Vallarta area. Southeastern-style trail riding on steep, twisting, sometimes wet and rooted jungle trails is offered by Eco Ride. (www.ecoridemex.com) Rides range from easy to highly technical, and offer sightseeing and swimming opportunities along the way. Some start with a shuttle and others leave right from downtown, following dirt roads and singletrack for up to six hours. Countryside mountain biking, with more road than trail but not without its thrills, is offered at the Hacienda Doña Engracia (vallartashorex.com). I also very much enjoyed horseback riding at this authentic country ranch where the horses swim with you on their backs through the river, not necessarily for the faint of heart.
Surfing
Good surfing is available nearby through Eco Ride as well. They will shuttle you and arrange gear and lunch for a day trip to Sayulita, Pangas, Burros, or Pascuaritos.
Snorkeling
Like all great snorkeling adventures, this one started on jet skis. These powerful beasts are kinda like snowmobiles—you hate them when other people are on them, but they are a total blast when you get the chance to use them yourself. Our trip began by meeting our guide El Niño, a self-proclaimed “American trapped in a Mexican body,” who grew up in the Roaring Fork Valley, and claims to be one of the first Mexican snowboarders (a viable claim). After a semi-organized and exhilarating sightseeing jet ski tour, we stop in the isolated cove known as Colomitos Beach, within sight of the dramatic and beautiful Los Arcos rock formations. Diving and snorkeling is best in the summers when visibility ranges from 70 to 120 feet. Eco Explorer Vallarta can help you with all your water-based needs: scuba diving, kayak fishing, whale watching, and jet ski safaris. I recommend them all—just ask for Niño. (ecoexplorer.com.mx)
While I typically stay away from large hotels and resorts when traveling on my own, the Casa Magna (owned and operated by Marriott) surpassed any expectations. From multiple restaurants, an on-site herb and pepper garden, and giant swimming pool to energy conservation practices and a sea turtle release program we got to participate in, the Casa Magna has it all. It’s not a mega-resort, it definitely has a national flare, but it’s also nicer than anywhere else I’ve stayed in Mexico—being able to drink from the tap and flush toilet paper down the commode tends to spoil one. Be sure and show up with your own personal gear, performance wear, mask/fins, bike shoes/pedals, energy food, first aid…stuff you will want to be comfortable that we take for granted in the states.
After five action packed days, it was time to come home. Home to patient loved ones and anxiously awaiting canines, and the promise of an impending ski season. And boy did I time this trip right. My plane was the last to land in Denver that evening, and I stepped off the plane to six inches of fresh piling up on the ground, bringing hope for many powder days ahead. Mexico, I love you, and I’ll see you in the spring.
