Puerto Vallarta Rentals Blog

As we wrote earlier this week, the recent drug-related violence in parts of Mexico has some travelers worried.

The Mexico Tourism Board is reminding the public that Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, and other popular destinations are still safe for visitors. The board recently launched the site mexico-update.com, which points out that most of the violent incidents are happening along the border between Mexico and the U.S., in municipalities such as Tijuana, Chihuahua, and Ciudad Juarez. These areas are as much as 2,000 miles away from popular beach destinations, such as Cancun.

Yesterday Mexican officials held a roundtable discussion with reporters. The bottom line? They feel that the media isn’t painting the whole picture about where the violence is, which could scare off would-be visitors. There hasn’t been a drop in tourists just yet?Carlos Behnsen, executive director of the tourism board, said that in the first few months of the year, tourism numbers are up, especially at beach destinations. But officials worry about the future nonetheless.

So what to do, eager traveler? The dollar is strong against the peso, and travel wholesalers are discounting like crazy in the tourism hotspots. But the U.S. State Department renewed a travel alert for Mexico on Feb. 20 for a reason?Mexico has a drug-trafficking problem, and violence is at a peak. If you decide to go, take common sense precautions (as always).

Puerto Vallarta sits serenely between the Bay of Banderas and the Sierra Madre Mountains on Mexico’s west coast. Puerto Vallarta still has the look of a small town with narrow cobblestone streets, red tile roofs on top of homes, and small sun-bleached store fronts. Puerto Vallarta has seen a steady stream of visitors since 1963 when the first movie “The Night of the Iguana” was filmed there. Since then, Puerto Vallarta resorts has seen several properties being built and new ones popping up every year.

The area’s main attraction is by far the beautiful climate: hot sun with light ocean breezes. During the months of June, July, and August expect your sunshine to be broken up with a rainshower. The rainy season peeks in September and October, so plan your visit in view of that.

There are several Puerto Vallarta Mexico hotels that are so huge and elegant that you wouldn’t have to leave the property till you’re ready to leave. So your major decision will be having to decide how much time to spend relaxing and how much time you will spend exploring the area. A usual day at one of the many Puerto Vallarta resorts might include relaxing by the beach or by the pool, taking some time for tennis, water skiing, or, maybe, parisailing might be your thing! Not so adventurous? How about a relaxing spa treatment?

Shopping can be done in the hotel shops and even on the beach where local store owners offer a variety of merchandise. If you’re lucky, you might even run into one of the young boys carrying around 3′ to 4′ iguanas. For a couple of green backs, they will let you take pictures with the animal.

Puerto Vallarta resorts boast beautiful dining rooms. Most have
a few. They can range from relaxed to formal. They have a perfect pallet to create a very intimate feel. The food is wonderful and the menus offer a nice selection so everyone can find something there they like.

There are also many attractions outside the hotel. Visitors can take day trips into the jungle by either horseback or jeep. One can also spend the day on a fishing trip. If golf is your game, Puerto Vallarta also offers manicured courses with a scenic landscape to enjoy.

After a day of fun and the sun goes down, there is still more fun to be had in Puerto Vallarta. There are several clubs to go dancing or you can catch a variety of shows. You can also indulge in a sunset dinner cruise or lobster dinner cruise.

At the end the day Puerto Vallarta is a exciting destination spot. If you ever get the opportunity to explore, you have to go. You will leave with smile on your face and a lifetime of memories.

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Puerto Vallarta is a attractive destination spot located on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, located between Banderas Bay and the bottom of the Sierra Madre Mountain range. This unique location in the Northwest corner of the State of Jalisco, gives visitors an opportunity to experience both beautiful ocean sunsets and stunning mountain views. This is tequila country and some of the best tequilas of the world is produced here. If it’s your thing, don’t forget a bottle to share with your pals when you get home.

Puerto Vallarta lodging is very versed and typically reasonable to almost any budget. One can find good welcoming lodging for under $30 per night. You won’t be located on the beach, but just a couple of blocks away. It’s worth the walk to experience the culture and the wonderful taco stands along the way. You can also pick up souvenirs right outside your hotel door. They have many items including silver, leather, and colorful blankets, just to name a few. And, all the other necessities you forgot to pack. Their prices are considerably lower than in the states.

Puerto Vallarta resorts and water go hand in hand. They possess some of the most beautiful pool areas anywhere. If you’re a beachlover, you won’t be disappointed. While basking in the sun waterside, you can sip on your favorite frozen drink and just relax in the warmth of the Mexican sun.

Puerto Vallarta rentals offer many services. You can rent chairs for the beach, join in non-motorized watersports, or arrange a excursion of the best sites. You can participate in land or water activities, all easily accessible from all points of Banderas Bay. You can go whale watching, swim with the dolphins, go fishing, go kayaking, snorkel, or take a sunset dinner cruise. If you want to stay out of the water for a while, there are several land tours to choose from. For the risky tourists, you can take an ATV tour, canopy tour, or go on a jungle outing. For the less adventurous, you can tour the City of Tequila and visit the factory where they make world famous tequila, take in the sites of the nearby small agricultural villages, water La Iguana Mexican Fiesta, or tour the charming city of Puerto Vallarta which features The Cathedral of Guadelupe, one of the most famous architectural landmarks in town.

Puerto Vallarta rentals are an inexpensive way to visit the area. While you won’t have all the amenities offered at a resort, you will have some advantages of your own. You can save money by preparing some of your meals in the kitchen and have the privacy of your own place. It has a more “at home” feeling and is excellent if you’re bringing the whole family. You can still take advantage of a tour by making reservations online before you leave home or purchase them upon arrival.

No matter what your funds, large or small, Puerto Vallarta offers a variety of activities. One thing is for sure, you will have fun in the sun!

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Wireless Internet Access in Puerto Vallarta

Wireless Internet access is very easy to find these days in Puerto Vallarta. Nearly every hotel has a wireless network, although most charge a fee for access. Many restaurants and almost all coffee shops offer free wireless Internet to paying customers.
Free Wi-Fi Hotspots in Puerto Vallarta

To help you save some money on Internet access, I have compiled a list of places that offer free wi-fi to their customers. The listings are grouped by location.

I would love to expand on this list. If you know of any other places that offer free wi-fi to customers, let me know so that I can share them with my readers.

Marina Vallarta Wi-Fi Hotspots

* Once Upon a Bean – Marina Vallarta boardwalk
* McDonald?s – at the Plaza Marina shopping center
* The Coffee Cup – Marina Vallarta boardwalk near the lighthouse
* The Coffee House – at the Plaza Marina shopping center

The Hotel Zone Wi-Fi Hotspots

* CucaraMacara – located in the Krystal hotel
* La Mansion Restaurant – located in the Krystal hotel
* Subway – Blvd. Francisco Medina Ascencio in front of Burger King and Office Depot

Downtown/Centro Puerto Vallarta Wi-Fi Hotspots

* Starbucks – located on the main plaza
* Subway – on the Malecon / boardwalk

Old Town Puerto Vallarta – Olas Altas – Zona Romantica

* Dee?s Coffee – Rodolfo Gomez street
* The Coffee Cup – Rodolfo Gomez street

Puerto Vallarta Airport Wi-Fi Hotspots

* Starbucks

Not very far from your condo in Puerto Vallarta lies a very different world, a small and charming Mexican town that will take you back to the days before cell phones and satellite television ruled the day. In fact, a trip to San Sebastian will take you back to a time when the community?s the central square, or plaza, was the focal point for social life. That isn?t to say that life in San Sebastian has always been calm. Quite the opposite, in fact: in its heyday, miners pulled gold and silver from surrounding mines, and San Sebastian served as the provincial capital and home to tens of thousands of people.

One look at the architecture and the town?s layout will tell you that this lovely place is not very different today than it was 100 or 200 years ago. A visit to San Sebastian will appeal to everyone who wants to spend a pleasant day exploring the streets of this now-quiet village high in the Sierra Madre. No extreme sports or wild clubs here, just fresh air and nice people.

Make no mistake ? you will find things to do in town. Shop for silver and other local items. If you?re visiting in spring, don?t miss the San Sebastian Silver Festival, which takes place over three days in May. Visit the La Quinta coffee farm, a fifth-generation family enterprise which produces organic coffee, takes guests on short tours and serves coffee and fruit rolls from a stand on the road. Enjoy a good meal. The restaurant Real y Minas comes highly recommended. And if you love to sit on the patio with a cup of coffee and watch the world go slowly by, stop at Los Arcos for breakfast.

You can reach San Sebastian by car; simply follow the airport road toward the university; when you reach the Y in the road, take the route to Mascota until you reach Estancia where you?ll see the sign to San Sebastian. If this sounds too complicated, pay a few pesos and catch a bus to the fork in the road and catch a ride to the small mountain town. Or take a tour with one of Puerto Vallarta?s vendors. Either way, you?ll return to your condo rental in Puerto Vallarta satisfied with a day well spent.

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico (AP) ? Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says she hopes to discuss not just drug trafficking but a host of world issues with Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Patricia Espinosa in meetings in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Rice says Mexico’s newly won seat on the United Nations Security Council makes it likely that more than just bilateral concerns will be discussed.

Rice arrived at the Pacific Coast resort on Wednesday for a two-day visit to Mexico, and said she hopes to discuss global cooperation with Mexico.

The talks are also expected to touch on the violent drug cartel turf battles that have hit Mexico in recent years, and the role played by weapons smuggled into Mexico from the United States.

One of the best cultural resources in Puerto Vallarta is the Biblioteca Los Mangos (Los Mangos Library) located on Francisco Villa Avenue not far from the new Costco.

The library is open to the public and has a large selection of books in Spanish and in English. If you are in Puerto Vallarta for a longer stay you can get a library card to check out books. You just need to fill out a form, show your passport and a receipt such as the phone bill or electric bill to verify your address.

The library offers an extensive list of courses including ballet, piano, and painting at very reasonable prices. The best way to find out what is being offered is to visit the library. At the main entrance is a bulletin board with postings for all of the courses and activities. Also, many of the library?s events, classes, and cultural activities are listed on the library?s informational blog.

Other things that the library offers are Internet access at no cost and the Cinema Club which is very popular and shows little known art movies as well as more mainstream features. On Saturday mornings the Puerto Vallarta SPCA offers dogs and cats for adoption.

The library really offers something for everyone and is worth a visit.
Donate Your Old Books

If you bring books with you on your visit to Puerto Vallarta and you don?t want to take them back with you, consider donating them to the library. They accept books in English and Spanish.

Library hours are:
Monday – Friday 9:00am to 9:00pm
Saturdays 10:00am to 6:00pm

The library address is:
Ave. Francisco Villa #1001

Telephone:
322-224-9966

email:
[email protected]

While in the beautiful, spacious, and comfortable waiting lobby of San Javier a couple weeks ago, we met a group of doctors, nurses, and assistants from the US. They travel to PV on a monthly basis, spending three days at San Javier practicing a revolutionary prostate cancer treatment on a prescheduled group of men; many of which have unsuccessfully tried conventional options. This procedure is minimally invasive, non-surgical, non radiation, and virtually painless. These doctors and nurses split up into two teams and perform this state-of-the-art technique on two patients simultaneously, each procedure typically requiring three hours or less. This group of urologists and nurses, working in conjunction with a local urologist and local nurses, can treat as many as 20 patients in three days.

This leading edge technique incorporates high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) which is provided by means of a Sonablate 500 system. There are two of these state-of-the-art systems at San Javier, a HIFU Certified Specialty Hospital, each having a control console, a power generator, a cooling unit, and a probe that contains a standard imaging and high-intensity ultrasound treatment head.

Prior to this out-patient procedure, the patients are positioned on a standard operating table and given a spinal anesthesia. The ultrasound / imaging probe is then inserted into the rectum and a series of prostate gland images are viewed on the monitor, allowing the surgeon with a mouse, to select the precise treatment area. Next, by either manually adjusting the power or allowing the computer to determine optimum intensity and duration, the highly focused ultrasound waves create an extremely small and well defined zone of heat; similar to using a magnifying glass and allowing the sun?s rays to produce a localized spot hot enough to burn a hole in a piece of paper. The pulsing ultrasound is applied with pin point accuracy in doses of less than a second each, generating temperatures in the range of 70-80?C (155-176?F). These warm temperatures are enough to thermally ablate the targeted tissues and because the targeted zone is so well defined, the adjacent tissues remain cool and uninjured.

The success rate for becoming cancer-free is similar to surgical removal and radiation; however, the complication rate with HIFU tends to be lower, especially the rates of incontinence and impotence. The cost for this revolutionary treatment package which includes flight, limo to and from the airport, and shuttle to and from the hospital, is roughly $25,000, which must seem very reasonable after all other options have failed.

The HIFU treatment is approved in Europe, Japan, China, Latin America, Caribbean, and Mexico, but has not yet received FDA approval in the US. Of all the HIFU approved doctors and hospitals in the world, these American urologists have joined up with a renowned and respected local urologist at San Javier to do their work. Not only are the hospital facilities top notch, but the attention and service that the visiting doctors, nurses, and patients receive is first class. Aside from being the most convenient location, it was also very evident that the surgeons and assistants really enjoy visiting PV and generally try to extend their stays as long as practical. We wouldn?t be a bit surprised if one or more of the doctors eventually moves to Vallarta and practices this revolutionary prostate cancer treatment here on a daily basis until it?s approved in the US. At that time, they?ll probably be ready for retirement, and what better retirement haven to remain in than Puerto Vallarta?

Along with meeting the doctors and nurses, we also had the opportunity to visit with some of the patients prior to being treated and with their wives while they were being treated. Naturally, the men were nervous, anxious, and preoccupied; however they, and especially their wives, had many favorable comments regarding Vallarta. They all seemed quite shocked as to the growth of Vallarta and all the modern conveniences it has to offer. They praised the city?s cleanliness, the great hotel accommodations and food, the fact that they could communicate with just about everyone they had come in contact with, and of course, the beautiful scenery and perfect climate. They all said that they looked forward to returning to PV under better circumstances when they could rest, relax, and enjoy themselves.

It was nice hearing these men express their admiration of our Paradise south of the border; however our greatest pleasure was seeing them walk out of the hospital after treatment, appearing as though nothing had been done and hopefully prostate cancer-free!
By: Jim Scherrer

Puerto Vallarta sits on the largest natural bay in Mexico, and it would be a shame to visit the city and not pay a visit to the area?s friendliest marine mammals. After all, some people speculate that cetaceans (the species that includes dolphins and whales) are extremely intelligent. They may be wrong, or they may be right; if they?re right, local dolphins may feel slighted if you overlook them.

It?s completely natural for visitors to gravitate toward the water; after all, it?s right there and it?s big. Folks bail out of their villa Puerto Vallarta each morning looking for some kind of adventure on the high seas. Many people jump on the chance to interact with dolphins; they set off on an excursion to see dolphins in their natural habitat or take a swim with the dolphins in a controlled setting. Either way, time spent in communion with these creatures is time well spent. Quite often, the experience leaves visitors with a new-found respect for the natural world.

Watch Them Blow

Dolphins fin around Banderas Bay throughout the year, and dolphin watching is not highly regulated in the same way as the government restricts encounters with whales. You may find that most tour operators focus their efforts on whales during the official whale-watching season, however, which creates something of a de facto dolphin-watching season.

Dolphin tour guides take guests onto the waters of the bay, where they can watch these playful animals do their thing in their own world. A dolphin tour in a small boat puts you up close and personal with the objects of your attention, and if you join a group led by marine biologists, you?ll pick up some fascinating information about the world of marine mammals.

Swim with the Fins

It may not be practical to try to swim with wild dolphins in the bay?they have the all the advantage in that environment. Don?t despair! That opportunity is there at one of the dolphin centers in Puerto Vallarta. And visitors have all kinds of great things to say about swimming with dolphins.

The Dolphin Center in Nuevo Vallarta is a favorite for many dolphin-lovers. You can choose how you want your dolphin encounter to unfold: meet dolphins in an intimate, small-group encounter; join a bigger group of humans interacting with dolphins in the water; or stay dry and enjoy the dolphins from the side of the pool. It?s entirely up to you.

Aah . . . Home Again

Whether you choose to meet Puerto Vallarta?s Pacific bottlenose dolphins on the waves of Banderas Bay or nose-to-nose at the dolphin center, you?ll have the experience of a lifetime. You?ll return to your villa rental Puerto Vallarta with wonderful memories, some great photos, and a finer appreciation for the wild world.

You remember what it was like learning to ride a bicycle ? pedal a couple of times then fall, pedal then fall. You kept after it until you got it right. And you know what they say about bicycles ? once you learn how to ride, you never forget. If they?re right, you should still have the cycling skills of an 8-year old. The weather is great, so why not abandon your villa rental Puerto Vallarta for a few hours and rent a two-wheeler?

Tour operators offer mountain-bike tours for riders of every skill level. If you haven?t been on a bike since you were 8, or if you just don?t enjoy the experience of catapulting down a mountainside at top speed, consider biking around Puerto Vallarta itself.

If you want to take the family on a ride that will leave everyone mostly intact, join BikeMex on their Rio Cuale tour. You?ll start riding through town and finish up along the banks of the Rio Cuale. This one takes off twice a day (except Sundays) and lasts about 4? hours. They provide the bicycle, the guide and the water; you bring the sunblock.

At the other end of the difficulty scale, the Killer Donkey ride will take you along old mining trails, up and down some pretty severe terrain. This one is for experienced, strong riders only. Really. No matter what tour you take, you can soothe your aching muscles in the hot tub when you get back to your villa Puerto Vallarta.