The Informed Traveler
The Informed Traveler
Puerto Vallarta & Riviera Nayarit
This week's show is all about the area of Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit, Mexico as travel expert Onanta Forbes is in Puerto Vallarta, so we'll check in with her to see what she's been up to. Then we'll chat with Israel Urbina with Visit Nayarit as Westjet recently announced new non-stop service from Calgary to Tepic, the Capital of Nayarit. Which opens up a whole new area to explore so we'll get some insight into that.
Well, hello and welcome to the Informed Traveler Podcast, a weekly travel podcast, where our goal is to help you become a more informed traveler. And I'm your host, Randy Sharman. It is all about the area of Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit, Mexico this week. As travel expert Onanta Forbes is in Puerto Vallarta, so we'll check in with her in a few seconds to see what she's been up to. And then we'll chat with Israel Urbina with VisitNyarit. As WestJet recently announced new nonstop service from Calgary to Topek, the capital of Nayarit, which opens up a whole new area to explore. So we'll get some insight into that. But first, let's kick things off chatting with travel expert Onanta Forbes, who joins us each week to discuss some of the travel news and travel trends. You can follow her adventures on Instagram, Facebook, and ex at Onanta Forbes. OnantaForbes.com is her website. And this week we find Onanta in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Hola, Onanta.
SPEAKER_01:Muy buena.
SPEAKER_03:Bueno, gracias. Yes. You are in Puerto Vallarta when we are practicing our really bad Spanish. So you got a chance to practice it at least for the last few days, right?
SPEAKER_01:Correct. Yes. We have the wonderful experience of uh spending a week in Puerto Vallarta. Um, you know, you can't get tired of waking up to blue, sunshiny skies, warm weather. Um, weather this week has been around 30 degrees, uh, light breeze. Uh wonderful. Can't complain.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, well, it all sounds wonderful. I always think that that's why people are so happy there because it's all the weather's always nice. You know, they get the odd storm or whatever, but still, uh, that's why people go there to enjoy the nice weather. So um uh what have you been doing?
SPEAKER_01:So uh, you know what, we came with a plan of no plan, because we've been here a few times. So we, you know, done have done um the must-sees, must-do's. Uh so we just came here to enjoy the resort. And the resort we're staying at is one that we stayed at before. It's called the Casaviles. It's very near the airport. So by cab, it's 10-15 minutes, depending on traffic. It's an all-inclusive adult-only resort, and um which is nice for us. We like that atmosphere. Um, this is a good resort if you're seeking quiet, you know, all-inclusive, luxurious experience. They have in the morning at breakfast different um uh like live entertainment, like a person that's uh playing a harp or playing a guitar or singing lovely songs. We have access to a beach club, which is near their sister property, the Vilas Villarda, which is a family-friendly resort if people you know want to experience this chain. And there's another one called Gran Vilas in Riviera Nera Ritch. So um quite quite um uh a nice option for people to stay at this chain. Um, it's really close to the marina. So last night or last night, but you can walk to the marina, which we did last night, um and enjoy the restaurants, the the shopping that's there, um, see um in the harbor all the beautiful boats. This looks like the James Bond boats, like you kind of think, how rich are these people? But it's kind of fun. Um and when a uh you know what we like to do is uh, you know, enjoy the opportunity of working with a property that affiliates with a local charity because it we're very uh privileged to be able to visit different places in the world. So I feel it's important that we give back to the communities that we visit. So they are working with a boys' uh children's home. So you can um bring different like toys or non-perishable goods and such, and they'll take it to the um to the children's home. So I think it's important to look at um how you can give back. Um but uh you know I have to tell you something, I'm gonna back up a little bit. So um we are very lucky in Calgary as a gateway to have nonstop flights to to different points, and uh Port of Vallarta is one and it's a year-round destination. WestJet offers it. Now, I wanted to share WestJet's going through a conversion with Sunwing because they're you know getting their Sunwing planes ready to go to different destinations. So we were um booked on a Dreamliner to come down, so we booked in premium, and then there's the opportunity to do business class upgrades. So we did it, we were accepted, but then it didn't happen. So like at two o'clock in the morning, they said, oh no, we're changing the aircraft. So then so then they have planes that are all economy. So how the mighty have fallen. So please, dear guests, um, realize that travel plans can change.
SPEAKER_03:You were accepted and then you were rejected.
SPEAKER_01:Rejected loudly and soundly. It was like wha. But anyway, so uh as I say, when we came to Puerto Vallarta, we didn't have any expectations of doing anything, just taking it as has come. And one of the fun things about Puerto Vallarta, they have markets. We came on a Friday, so the next day, Saturday, there is a market in um like uh in the romantic zone every Saturday. And it was fun. Like you go to it, there's lots of local grown produce and vegetable, baked goods, um, artisan crafts and jewelry, live music, and it's it's a nice experience just to walk around. And then we walked around the romantic zone. Um, and then we walked along the Malacon. And the Malicon right now has beautiful decorations. Um, there's a huge Caterina um with uh her dog on a leash that's um you can't miss it, and then there's different like uh um sculptures of uh like very colorful, maybe combination of like different kinds of admins in one. Um it's gonna come down in probably this week or next week, but it's it's a nice opportunity to walk along the ocean, um, enjoy the different entertainment that's there. The MaliCon's actually also extending, they're building uh an um an extension to it. So that's gonna um be um a treat when it does finish, as far as the promenade extending and appear happening. And then um we were able to um get around to different places. You can do uh like the local bus, uh taxi, Uber. Now there's similar um offers like InDrive and Dee Dee that um if you have their app, which is easy to download, um you can see the difference between the different um companies that offer to different places. So I would recommend you look at that. And also don't be shy about taking the local bus. Um I I recommend too that you download Google Translate as an app because that way too you can communicate a little bit more easier than trying to figure out um like the language barrier that could happen to some as well. Cash is king. So I would say before you leave Canada to get some pesos from your local bank or foreign exchange um currency place uh because it's nice to have cash to be able to go on the local bus because they won't accept credit cards, right?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Um and some companies like Indrive only accept um cash. Um so and you get a local flavor when, say, you are on a local bus, like we didn't realize what was happening, but this gentleman came on and spoke in his beautiful, fluent Spanish, and I don't know what he was talking. I don't know, maybe he was flogging timeshare. We didn't know. Then all of a sudden he started to rap. It was like, oh, this is this is entertainment as well. But of course, you know, you give little tips if you wish, and so on. Um in November, again, beautiful weather, um quite hot, but it it's not um busy with tourists yet. So it's quite nice to go on the Malicon and not have to navigate large crowds or go to a market or navigate, you know, the crowds there. Another market we went to on Sundays um is in La Cruz, which is just outside of Busarias, maybe maybe 40 minutes away from downtown Puerto Vallarta. And it's it's a fun market to go to. Um and then um last night, uh, or I should say Thursday night, um, they have one in the marina and it's huge. It's just amazing with food and and artists and so on. It's quite fun to have that flavor. Um, definitely, you know, as a tourist, you want to make sure that you protect your belongings. But I felt very safe walking to and from the resort to the market and even being in the market. Um, but as like Calgary, there is so much construction. So traffic in vehicles can be a little tiresome sometimes. So keep that in mind and um and drink some tequila and you'll be happy and fine. Um because I I have the opportunity um to work remotely, um, it's pretty easy to work remotely when you're away. Like in, you know, make sure you check out your resort, the the the Wi-Fi is included. But even walking around different um like down in the Malicon, there's free Wi-Fi, if you wish, um, um, to connect to. So it's it's a very easy place to work from, um, a very beautiful place to work from to escape the winter.
SPEAKER_03:Getting back to your uh point about the Malicon and the uh giant Katarina, uh I had the pleasure of being uh in Puerto Vallarta for Day of the Dead a couple years ago. And yeah, it's uh it's really amazing the size. I think I do believe it's the tallest Katarina in the world. I think Puerto Vallarta likes to uh brag about that. So it's really amazing. The Malicon is just, yeah, it's it's lots of fun. And I think too, when you when you go on like some vacations, depends on where you're going and what your plans are and who you're with. Uh but sometimes the best ones are the ones with no plans.
SPEAKER_01:Well, that's it. Yeah, you don't want, and that's what a true vacation is. It's just like you wake up when you want, you have have breakfast when you want. And I have to say, at this resort, what we like is breakfast goes till 11. Like um, I know on some ships, like we've had to get up because breakfast ends at nine, which is a little early for us. So we like um, we like having the leisure of going for breakfast later, but doing exactly what you say, nothing or whatever you want to do, or just you know, get up and think, oh, you know, like one day, one afternoon, uh, we went to Busarias. It's a beautiful little town right on the ocean. It is. I've been there.
SPEAKER_03:It's really yeah, it's it's a fun place too. And get and just uh a point on your um the resort you're staying at, the Casavillas, when you mentioned it was adults only, um my thought came to me. You know, I've never stayed at an adults-only resort.
SPEAKER_01:Ever? Anywhere in the world?
SPEAKER_03:No. Oh, talk to your travel agent. I said that would be an amazing experience, I think.
SPEAKER_01:It was really nice. Or it is really nice. Like um, what I have to say is like maybe because it's it's not it's still shoulder season, but you know, we're not uh we're not running out to save seats at the pool. There is gonna be a seat available at the pool for you. You're not gonna have to worry about stuff like that. It's it's um it's quite uh nice, it's very relaxed, it's um um, it's a very enjoyable uh place to be at. And as I say, we it's our return trip to this resort. Um, and there's other adults only in um Puerto Ray Art, like Secrets. Secrets is a nice one.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, it's not the only one. I was it was just it was just a funny thought that came to my head. I've never stayed at one. Yes, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And everybody loves their kids and their grandkids, but it's also yes, of course.
SPEAKER_03:That's that's yeah, there's nothing against staying at non-adult only resorts. But yeah. Uh well, it's good. I'm glad you had a great time. Glad you got uh a chance to explore and and get some sun, and uh we'll be looking forward to chatting with you next week when you get back. So have a Forbes is a travel expert. You can follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and X, some of the photos from Puerto Vallarta, and uh her website, onetaforbes.com. Uh gracias.
SPEAKER_01:Take care.
SPEAKER_03:This is the Informed Traveler Podcast. I'm Randy Sharman. Just want to remind you of our website, theinformedraveler.org. That's where you can find our contact page if you have any questions or comments about the podcast. You can also email me too with any questions you might have. My email address is randy at the informedtraveler.org. And you can check out our social media pages too at facebook.com slash informed traveler, Instagram at informed traveler, or on X at informed Traveler. And that's where you'll find a number of videos and reels from our adventures throughout the year and audio clips from our past shows. Plus, you can sign up for our monthly newsletter as well. It's released at the beginning of every month. Our November issue is available. So just go to our website, theinformedraveler.org, click on the newsletter button, and it'll take you right there. Or better yet, you can subscribe to it and have it arrive in your inbox each month. Well, WestJet recently announced new nonstop service beginning in December from Calgary to Topek, the capital of Nayarit, Mexico, which opens up a whole new area to explore. So joining us now to share some insight into the area around Topek is Israel Urbina. He's the PR director for Canada and the US with VisitNayarit. VisitNyarit.travel is the website. Hi, Israel. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER_00:Hello, Randy. Hi, everyone.
SPEAKER_03:Uh, so uh give me a geographic lesson. I always get confused about the area of uh Nayarit, mostly because uh most people fly into Puerto Vallarta to get there. So uh I'm always confused of the area. So give me a geo uh geography lesson before we get into all the nuts and bolts and all the fun things to do uh in Nayarit.
SPEAKER_00:Excellent. Well, thank you, Randy, for this opportunity. So let me explain a little bit. Um Mexico is divided into states, 32 states. Nayarit is one of these, Jalisco in the south is another. So uh Nayarit and Jalisco share this airport that is a PBR airport, that has been like very popular for the last 40-50 years. So that's why uh uh that airport uh is more popular, because people nowadays, you wanna get to Puerto Vallarta or to Nayarit, you gotta fly to PBR. But uh the capital of the state of the Nayarit, that is Tepe, has uh uh an airport too. It's it is a domestic airport until actually this year, because uh now this airport that is Tepe, now it's gonna be receiving international flights. We started with the first one from uh LA to uh uh to Tepeque. Tepeque is in the center of the state, like from Puerto Vallarta airport to the north, like around two and a half hours more or less difference. So, like this will have the chance to fly directly to the state of Niagara instead of flying to uh Puerto Vallarta, that is Jalisco State, and going to the north. So I was as I was telling you, this is the first thing that that uh we are actually promoting because this airport nowadays is gonna receive international flights direct from USA and Canada too.
SPEAKER_03:Nice. Well that open opens up a whole new opportunity of of people exploring not necessarily different areas, uh they may have been there before, but it just opens up uh a whole new uh area, doesn't it?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and it's funny to hear that uh uh when I ask, for example, people that uh have you been in Nayarit, then they say no. But when I start asking about where have you been in the area, and they say, Oh, I've been to Sayolita, I've been to Punta Mita, so they they don't even realize that it's Nayarit actually. So it's funny to to to to to to tell. And it's important to clarify that uh well, since we are oh well, Mexico is connected and very well connected by roads. So being in Puerto Vallarta and going to Nayarit is easy, so people can get to these areas very easy.
SPEAKER_03:Mm-hmm. And they can get to uh to peak easier now, as you mentioned, from Canada and US. Uh non-stop flights. WestJet is uh is starting, I believe, in December, uh seasonally once a week. So uh it's very exciting, and like I say, it's just another opportunity to explore areas uh that people love to explore in Mexico, isn't it?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, that's right. Because well, as as you mentioned it, WestJet is gonna start flying is this December the 13th. It's gonna be a weekly flight every Saturday. So it's gonna be a direct flight going to Tepe Calgary to Tepic Durek once a week. So like these people will uh get involved in what is actually the the I don't know the feeling of the state because there's no point of traveling to another destination and just stay in a resort or hotel. So if you want to explore and get involved with the culture, is the this is the best option because like this you'll be arriving directly to the heart of the state, the capital that is the peak. That uh to be honest, it's like starting with most of these activities in tourism. But in the area in general, you will find not only the beach areas that Mexico is very well known for, but also volcanoes or waterfalls or colonial towns, because few people know that this actually, this area has a lot of historical sites too, archaeological sites. Uh there's like uh tribes that used to live in this area, and there's a history about people that used to live in this area were the ones that moved to Mexico City to found what is nowadays Mexico. So there's a lot of history in the in the area too. So interesting if people like is willing to try something else in addition to beach and and and so on, and wanna explore something more interesting, more cultural, more gastronomical, they can easily go to this area of Nayarit too.
SPEAKER_03:Mm-hmm. Well, and I think that's what people are looking for. They're looking for more experiences now, and and I am looking on your website, visit nayareet.travel. And uh there is lots to do. You can explore archaeological sites. There's whale watching, there's uh golf courses, uh Nayarit wine. There's great food to enjoy. So uh there's there's lots of things that people can see and do. So let's touch on on some of those things. If I if I have uh a week to stay there and I'm landing in Topek, uh where would you take me?
SPEAKER_00:Well, there's a lot of areas that you can start from there. If you land in Topek the capital, you can easily go to the beach area that is San Blas. It's like only 30 minutes from the airport today's main area, but it's in the north, not in the most known areas of the beach of Nayarit. Because we call Riviera Nayarit to all these 200 miles of beach that goes from Bahía de Banderas in the south, like next to the airport of Puerto Vallarta, all the way to the north of the state. So all this area is called Riviera Nayarit. And this is the brand that we are actually promoting the most, Nayarit as a state, and Riviera Nayarit, the beach area. So if you arrive to this area of the capital of State at the peak, is you're gonna be easily go to uh San Blas. San Blas is only 10 minutes from there. San Blas is very well known for all this gastronomy, actually, because you can find the best pescados arand or grill fish in this area. They do it in a special way because they use the the good from the mangroups to cook this fish, so it gives the a different flavor to this. You can find also uh many seafood like ceviches or um uh chicharron de pescado. So this area in particular gives you a lot of uh gastronomy. But going to the south, you will find the well, starting from there, it's actually the Riviera Nairid. If you go to the south of the state, you will find uh Puntamita. Punta Mita is this area with this uh exclusive resource. All the international brands that you know in hotels, like Four Seasons, uh Conrad, uh San Regis, One and Only, Fairmont, all these international brands are looking to put a hotel in this area because it became like so popular among these uh uh luxury travelers that look for relaxed um beach area, but with all these uh you know uh hard things to get there. So it's easy to get to this area and find these beautiful beach areas. But you also have the option of staying in these hotels and taking day trips, let's say, to uh Sayulita. Sayulita is this boho chicken style uh magical town that is in in the area. Very unique because uh for those that want to explore or to feel the authentic Mexico, this is the place, it's surfers, paradise, you can find these artisan markets, local cuisine, uh coffee shops. It's very unique because you cannot find any big resort, just small small hotels, boutique hotels. None of this is all inclusive, a lot of uh condos too. So it's a very relaxed, relaxed atmosphere. And moving from there, you can actually go to the center of the of the of the state where you can find, for example, Hala. Hala is another colonial town uh nested in the foot of this volcano that is uh uh in the area. So you will be surprised enough moving from one area that is the beach to Sayulita, this Bohochik style town, to this colonial town that is Hala, and then for example, uh Compostela that is close to Hala. Gala is another historic center of and very uh the rich in architecture. You can find uh churches and and houses, uh coffee plantations in the area. So, what I say, if you want to spend a week here in the area, well, look for one of these beautiful resorts in the beach area of Riviera Nayarit, but also take the opportunity to go inside to see Sayulita, Jala, Mescaltitan, Postela, all these Maical towns that are in the area. And I'm gonna speak a little bit more about the Maical towns, because Maical Towns is this program of the federal government to uh promote these little towns that have something special to attract tourism. And in Mexico, in the whole country, there's a hundred and seventy-seven Maical towns. In the state of Nairid, we have nine of those. So a lot of activities, a lot of uh actu I don't know, attractions. Depending on what you're looking for, I'm pretty sure you can find something here in the state.
SPEAKER_03:Mm-hmm. So what qualifies as a magical town? Like not every town can call themselves a magical town. So what what do they have to go through? And and you know, I uh we don't need to get into too much detail about that, but uh what makes them magical?
SPEAKER_00:Well, the thing is that you gotta claim to be a magical town if you see something that is like attractive for the tourists. Let's say Saulita. Saulita attracts tourism in general, but it's a small town. Attracts tourism because it has this authentic Mexican feeling. When you are there, actually you see this colorful streets with all this paper uh holding on the on the street. You'll see the the vendors on the street also selling uh the handicrafts, uh all these coffee shops, these stores, these markets that tell you that this is authentic Mexico. That's why it's you can claim to be a magical town. Of course, this is a whole process, like takes like a couple of years to get it. It's applying to the federal government claiming I'm gonna I'm gonna be a magical town because of this and this and this, and I have, let's say, connectivity, I have attraction for all these uh I have this uh main dish that you can find in most of the markets or restaurants in the area. I have all this natural beauty with these waterfalls or these uh mangroves or this beach area of this snorkel area. So just to claim that you have something special to attract the tourism and you have the infrastructure to to to support it, let's say hotels, transportation, and and activities to to connect to to this area.
SPEAKER_03:So is Sayulita a magical town?
SPEAKER_00:Sayulita is one of the magical towns of Nayarit, yes.
SPEAKER_03:I've been to Saulita. It is there is something magical about it. It is a unique town. Uh and I I enjoyed my uh day there. It was it was it was quite amazing.
SPEAKER_00:It is, it is. I was telling the people, uh and it's very easy to get there from the Punta Mita area where you can find all these big resources that I was mentioning. Uh it's so it's an easy trip of 30 minutes only. You can actually rent a car and do it by yourself, or there's most of the hotels offer this day trip to go to Sayulita or San Pancho. San Pancho is the town that is just next to Sayulita. It's like more cultural, it's the same style of town because it's really small. It goes to the beach, but it's like less crowded than Sayulita. Sayulita is more like for the young visitors, travelers that want to party at night. But San Pancho in the south is for the less uh adventurous people that want a relaxed boho chip style uh uh atmosphere, but without this party vibe, you know?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um anything else you want to add? Well, uh the thing is that we're actually trying to promote more and more this area of Niere, not only because of the beach again, we're actually uh having more um uh uh attractions uh in the area. This is the best season to travel to Naed from the winter of November, December, January, February, because the climate is so uh unique, not as humid during the like during the summer. You can actually see the home wells in the area because it's the season where you can see them there. I was like last week there, and I saw one from my window. I was in one of the hotels in Puerto Vallarta, and it was so unique. So you need to see them there. And if you want to do something unique, come to this area and visit La Islas Marietas or called Isla de la More, Low Island. It's something something unique in the area because it's like uh an island, but it looks like a crater of the moon. And the only way to get there is like taking a boat, uh swimming a little bit, and getting in through a cape on the to to get into this island. And it's limited to only 200 persons per day. So it's something like very specific, very unique that you will that you can do in this area. So a lot of things. I I I uh encourage people to visit the, as you mentioned, the the website, visitnayarit.travel where you can find all these lists of hotels, activities, magical towns, and attractions, and think about like a another option. If you've been to Mexico in some other uh destinations, think about uh Nayarit like a another destination where you haven't been and you can actually explore the authentic Mexico.
SPEAKER_03:And it's uh nice that uh there's another option to fly uh non-stop into uh Topique and and and go that route too, right?
SPEAKER_00:Exactly, because people want to travel like direct. So we know that. And we are trying to to uh improve the connectivity in flights and and also the roads in the area. So like this, you have the option of flying direct all the way from Calgary to Topek the capital.
SPEAKER_03:Perfect. Uh Israel Arena is the uh USA and Canada PR director for visitnayareet. Visitnayareet.travel is the website. Uh great chatting with you, Israel. I uh I do appreciate your time.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you very much, Randy, and we hope to see you back there in Sayolita and all the area of Nayarit.
SPEAKER_03:And that is our show for this week. If you have comments or questions, we'd love to hear from you. If you have a show idea, send that along as well. My email is Randy at theinformtraveler.org. And if you like what you heard, tell a friend. You can check out our website too at theinformtraveler.org. In the meantime, thanks for listening. Travel safe and be an informed traveler.