Well, in Puerto Vallarta, for starters. As anyone who knows me knows, I will mortgage my soul to travel to a fabulous place, so I went to Vallarta even though Citigroup stock is at... $2.11?
P.V. is on my list of perfect vacations. Here's why.
Vallarta is many things at once. It's authentic -- as honky-tonk as it can be, it's built around an authentic Mexican fishing village, which has been declared a landmark. No new building can be done in the Old Town. All the development takes place north or south of this wonderful and pretty town. The streets are all cobblestone, the buildings white and painted stucco.
Vallarta has a glorious location. The Sierra Madre mountains come right down into the Pacific. It sits on the second largest bay in the world (I think. Maybe I made this up.) Anyway it's a huge wide curve of a bay. You gaze out at the Pacific and to the left and right are hills and mountains. Behind you is 'the jungle' as it is locally known.
We rented a villa for a week in Conchas Chinas, where the villas tumble down the hill. From our 90' terrace we watched the sun set over the ocean while we sipped our margaritas. We stay in a building called Las Terrazzas, and it may have one of the best views in town. There are 6 villas in Las Terrazzas and I've stayed in two of them, both divine. This last trip we stayed at the Casa de la Noche. Check it out!the pool at Casa de la Noche
We spent a second week at my friend Sandra Leonard's fabulous B&B cum art center, Hacienda Mosaico. Sam, as she likes to be called, invites teachers to come down or a week and teach their craft - from journal making to glass beads to mosaic sculpture. I sometimes take a class but I sometimes just book a room at this simply fabulous hidden jewel. It's off the usual tourist route in an area called Versalles. It's filled with amazing objects and furnishings created by Sam (and sometimes her generous guests). Sam did most of the mosaics (see picture - this is a mosaic that lines the exterior wall) and painted the oilcloth rugs... and she's also a talented glass artist and jeweler. (Oh, and she's gorgeous, by the way.)
Vallarta is at once sophisticated, funky, artistic, brash and serene.... all at once. The town has a beautiful Malecon that runs along the sea, lined with palm trees. Everyone strolls along the Malecon... The streets off the Malecon are filled with shops and restaurants, but not just the usual tourist junk... This is a real artisan's town, and it is filled with galleries and personalized boutiques. It's wonderful fun to shop here. Even if you don't buy, it's wonderful to look. (Now, to me, shopping is like going to a museum, so if anyone ever gives you a hard time about shopping or looks their nose down at you, you have my permission to quote me.)
The food is terrific. There are plenty of 'international' restaurants but when I am in Mexico, I want Mexican food. And it is varied and excellent. You'll have a chance to taste many new flavors so don't think you'll get bored eating Mexican every night. Some of my favorites: El Arrayan, where you can try Chile en Nogada, an elaborate stuffed chile with walnut sauce and pomegranate seeds; and El Repollo Rojo (The Red Cabbage), filled with funky paintings and a special Frieda Kahlo menu. Another favorite: Hacienda San Angel, a boutique luxury hotel tucked away in a quiet street way up the hill. Like so many Mexican treasures, the exterior tells us nothing of the spectacular and luxurious gem hidden behind the walls. If you're not staying there, you should have dinner there one night.
Then there's the weather - really reliable. I can't tell you how many rainy vacations I've spent in the Caribbean (sorry, Caribbean!) But Vallarta has a rainy season - June to October - and the rest of the year is dry.
There are beaches like La Palapa, at Playa de los Muertos where you sit in your beach chair and sip your margaritas while the waiter fetches your ceviche and you watch the people. Here the stores come to you so you don't have to leave your beach chair to look at the local crafts. And there are some really nice things on the beach - textiles, baskets, the ubiquitous silver jewelry. If you like silver jewelry there are really nice things to be had in Vallarta.
There are beaches like La Palapa, at Playa de los Muertos where you sit in your beach chair and sip your margaritas while the waiter fetches your ceviche and you watch the people. Here the stores come to you so you don't have to leave your beach chair to look at the local crafts. And there are some really nice things on the beach - textiles, baskets, the ubiquitous silver jewelry. If you like silver jewelry there are really nice things to be had in Vallarta. 
There are also isolated, wilder beaches, if that's your thing - like Playa Conchas Chinas. We were the only ones on the beach. No one to serve us margaritas, of course, but it wasn't a long walk to the nearest cafe.
I've been to a lot of places in Mexico and I still think Vallarta is one of the most special places in Mexico. Cancun and Playa del Carmen don't have the old fishing village - they're more modern constructs for tourists, and they feel that way. They also don't have the artisans you'll find in Vallarta.
I've been to a lot of places in Mexico and I still think Vallarta is one of the most special places in Mexico. Cancun and Playa del Carmen don't have the old fishing village - they're more modern constructs for tourists, and they feel that way. They also don't have the artisans you'll find in Vallarta.
Speaking of art... Mexico is one of the most artistic places on earth. The Mexicans make art out of everything - I've seen chairs decorated with bottle caps that are absolutely fabulous. They invented the handbags made out of gum wrappers. Everyone makes those now, but I saw them first in Mexico. Even the art galleries, which normally don't interest me much, are filled with really stunning art, very different from what I've seen in New York... and WAY more appealing to me. The art here goes with the climate - it's brilliant and bold and strong, with bright bold colors. Take a look at this fabulous diptych we saw by a painter named Abelardo Favela.
There are nearby towns that are also wonderful. Bucerias is about a 20" drive north of Vallarta and has quieter beaches. Further north is Sayulita, with rocky beaches and a couple of wonderful shops. I bought the most beautiful beaded jewelry in Galeria Tanana, a fabulous store here that helps support the local Huichol Indians who produce this intricate work.
So that's where I've been. Now I'm back, sitting on my couch and knitting. In my next post I'll bore you with that...
