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One of the things I love to do on a trip to Puerto Vallarta and always highly recommend to friends is to break up the trip with a few nights in the middle of the trip in Yelapa.  The pace of life couldn’t be more different—no discos await you, just a few tranquil days to unwind from the excitement and activity of PV.

Book two midweek nights at one of Yelapa’s hotels, leave the bulk of your luggage stored at your PV hotel and take the bus to Boca del Tomatlán where you’ll find lanchas to take you on the 45 minute boat journey to Yelapa.

Boat is the only way to get there other than a long hike through jungle trails and there are no cars when you arrive. The pace of Yelapa couldn’t be more different than PV’s. Last time I was there we stayed at Hotel Lagunita, a reasonably priced but beautifully appointed hotel right on the beach with a lagoon-like pool which fit right into the ambience. We did nothing but sit in the well-shaded hammocks reading, eating the delicious meals at one of the beachfront restaurant choices and playing with the Tucan (a pet of one of the beach hotels) who came up and ate mango from your hand. For a different cultural experience you can take a short walk up the hill to the village of Yelapa which is a collection of small houses, stores and a few restaurants lining the footpaths which cling to the cliff.

Another accommodation option has recently presented itself in Yelapa: luxury spa hotel Verana where 8 guesthouses dot the 5 acre property carved out of the hillside jungle. I haven’t had an opportunity to try it yet, but the description and photos look enchanting.

Well it might be because “Sobriety under the Sun” hits Puerto Vallarta this weekend. It’s an AA convention for English speakers held at the NH Krystal. Best of luck and enjoy the sunshine!

Straight to the source: Banderas News: Sobriety Under the Sun.

Check out convention info: AAPVConvention.com.

Instead of beer and bikinis, a group called Edukick is organizing a spring break soccer and Spanish camp in Puerto Vallarta for youths. Learn something, get a little sun and a little exercise. Now that’s something I can get behind.

The camps are a week in duration for $1399 (not including airfare), offer accomodation options are either a homestay or a hotel.

Straight to the sources: eMediaWire: Spring Break Soccer Training and Spanish Language Camp in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Edukick.

Yesterday I reported about a Delta plane from Puerto Vallarta that had a near miss in LA. Today, the media is reporting about a Continental flight coming from Puerto Vallarta in which the pilot died during the flight, apparently of a heart attack.

Passengers were first given a PA announcement asking if there was a doctor on board. A few minutes later this was followed up with an announcement asking if there was a pilot on board!

The co-pilot diverted the plane to McAllen, TX and landed the plane without incident.

Straight to the sources: KGBT Channel 4: Plane Diverted To Valley After Pilot Has Heart Attack, Houston Chronicle: Pilot dies in-flight; co-pilot lands jet. 

There was a close call for some Delta passengers returning from Puerto Vallarta to LAX on Tuesday when their plane was forced to veer off and abort the landing just before touching down when an Aeromexico plane pulled onto the runway.

Straight to the source: International Herald Tribune: Errant Aeromexico jetliner on Los Angeles runway forces Delta pilot to abort landing.

Do you have a story idea or link for the news section?

Would you like to advertise on the site or feature your listing more prominently?

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I’ll be happy to help, just email info@puertovallartasatellite.com.

As far as hotels go, I’d pick a small place over a big one anyday. Especially when we’re talking about small luxury properties. I find it astonishing sometimes what people will pay to stay in a Hyatt or a Sheraton which are all just so generally devoid of character, every room the same.

Small boutique hotels on the other hand, are another story. Often full of interesting details, each often furnished in unique ways.

Puerto Vallarta definitely has some of these properties although I must admit I haven’t had the luck to stay at any of them. But I did enjoy reading the article Small is beautiful: Mexico’s boutique hotels are on the rise from The American Statesman. The author stayed at Hacienda San Angel in Puerto Vallarta’s old town. Check out the article.

Locate it on the map: Hacienda San Angel.

Puerto Vallarta Weather Patterns

Choosing a time to visit Puerto Vallarta? This chart will give you an idea of the best time to visit based on what kind of weather you like best.  Click here if you’d prefer to see this chart in metric measures (ºC and mm). Current weather conditions can always be found at the bottom of the right column.

 

Puerto Vallarta Weather Patterns 

Choosing a time to visit Puerto Vallarta? This chart will give you an idea of the best time to visit based on what kind of weather you like best.  Click here if you’d prefer to see this chart in US measures (ºF and inches). Current weather conditions can always be found at the bottom of the right column.

I just read an interesting article in the American Chronicle entitled “Guanajuato: The Death of Heritage“.  It’s a theme I’ve thought on many times before, as Americans and others move into an area and instead of embracing what is different and special about a place, instead slowly (or not so slowly) transform it into a imitation of what was back home.  The author mentions that some 25,000 gringos now live in Puerto Vallarta and so they chose Guanajuato for a more authentic experience. Now they find that the gentrification/Americanization process is following them to Guanajuato.

One of the things I love about latin cultures is how social everyone is and how everyone interacts together to solve the simplest things, like how to get from here to there. Forget being face down in a map, just ask someone! Go to the hardware store and the clerk will stay with you from beginning to end and help you find everything you need behind the counter. But once the Walmarts and the Home Depots and their clones start moving in it isn’t long before that culture becomes transformed.

A couple years ago, My friend Colin and I wrote an article on Costa Rica which generated a lot of controversy in the ex-pat community there. Tropical Fever was a lighthearted rant on the worst things that foreigners bring to their new homes. But it must have hit close to the mark since many people were unable to see the humour. But when the only thing one hears among the expat community is how crappy the roads, how corrupt the politicians are and that their maid wants another raise this year then it’s time to move on to a place where one can live more in harmony with the locals and celebrate our differences.

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Puerto Vallarta Satellite is part of the travel blogs network at Blogads.

Vallarta's Top Picks! Hotel Mercurio  Gay owned, friendly, near gay beach! Casa Cupula  Luxury gay/lesbian boutique hotel

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