Help me understand Las Caletas

Hey all!

I have kind of an embarrassing confession to make: I don't really "get" Las Caletas. Can you guys help me out?

Mostly, I don't understand why it is so expensive, and what makes it worth that amount of money. It seems like just a beach day to me. So, if you've been, could you explain what sets it apart from just heading to a beach? Is there something included that I'm not noticing?

Las Caletas is owned by Vallarta Adventures, so it is kind of private beach and activities.

You have to get there by their ship (included) since it is on the other side of the bay. That also makes Las Caletas more special then just another beach.

In wintertime you migh even see whales in the bay wjile sailing there.

They also offer their beach, chairs, included are drinks, meals and also some activities like canoes and for kids a type of Zipline.

No vendors there like on other beaches.

More on their website, but you cannot book them direct when sailing on a cruiseship.

http://www.vallarta-adventures.com/tours/las-caletas-day-trip

Was just there(4 days ago)..you are paying a premium for the privacy, meaning having a limited guest population,(after you deduct meals/drinks) that for us was worth it. Others may have a different view. We also swam with the sea lions..$69 for 2 again for us worth it.

jgb

We have been to Las Caletas about 10 times over the last 12 years. We think it is a great value for what you get but . . . we stay here on extended land vacations and don't pay the inflated ship's price.

It is "just a beach day" with included food, beverages and activities. The beach sand is less coarse, wave action is reduced and THERE ARE NO BEACH VENDORS.

If you are a family with children under 11, there are quite a few activities to keep them busy.

It happens that our cruise strategy is to explore new ports so we don't understand why a first-time visitor would head off to any beach day and hide out. If you've been to Vallarta before, then Las Caletas is a great way to spend the day.

Enjoy!

What about if we don't drink alcohol. Do you think it is still worth the price??

Can you still interact with the monkeys even not being in the kids area???

No. :p

Thanks for all the replies! I think we may skip it this time around. The ship price is $99 per person! Yikes! I have no problem paying that much for a really cool excursion, but this one seems like that isn't a really great value.

We have been to PV before, and really enjoy it! We may end up doing kind of a combo day, which is what we did last time. We went to Mismaloya that afternoon, and it was great!

What about if we don't drink alcohol. Do you think it is still worth the price??

 

 

 

Can you still interact with the monkeys even not being in the kids area???

Yes it is and Yes you can!

DH and I had photos with monkeys, parrots, a hawk, and a donkey! Haha

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Was just there(4 days ago)..you are paying a premium for the privacy, meaning having a limited guest population,(after you deduct meals/drinks) that for us was worth it. Others may have a different view. We also swam with the sea lions..$69 for 2 again for us worth it.

jgb

Are drinks and food included?

If so, that is what you would pay for a Day Pass at Sandals or Beaches.

If so, then it is a pretty good deal (IMHO :D)

Don

Yes, all drinks (adult-style, coffee, etc.) and fabulous buffet food is included. We did it last time we were in PV, and have booked it for our upcoming trip on Star at the end of December.

In 2011, when we went there before (also on Star), we did see whales on our way to Las Caletas. When you get to the island, they have people in native costumes greeting you, very Fantasy-Island style. They have not only a beach to relax on, there are several secluded areas on the winding path to the beach with just a couple of lounge chairs, for more private relaxing. On the beach are lots of free toys to play with. I tried (and failed) at paddle-boarding, which my DH thought was the funniest thing he had seen. There are kayaks, paddle-board, and IIRC, some floaty things out there to swim to. All in all, we really enjoyed ourselves.

I'll have to see if I can find any of the pictures we took last time to post.

Yes, all drinks (adult-style, coffee, etc.) and fabulous buffet food is included. We did it last time we were in PV, and have booked it for our upcoming trip on Star at the end of December.

 

In 2011, when we went there before (also on Star), we did see whales on our way to Las Caletas. When you get to the island, they have people in native costumes greeting you, very Fantasy-Island style. They have not only a beach to relax on, there are several secluded areas on the winding path to the beach with just a couple of lounge chairs, for more private relaxing. On the beach are lots of free toys to play with. I tried (and failed) at paddle-boarding, which my DH thought was the funniest thing he had seen. There are kayaks, paddle-board, and IIRC, some floaty things out there to swim to. All in all, we really enjoyed ourselves.

 

I'll have to see if I can find any of the pictures we took last time to post.

Sounds great....I am really looking forward to this excursion! :)

Thank you for all this information.

Don

I just wanted to add that we were on this excursion in November on our last cruise and would book it again in a heartbeat! We don't drink and we more than felt that we got our money's worth. The seclusion...beautiful beach....great food and very personalized service made it a trip not to be missed. We will definitely book this again on our next trip to PV. Can't wait to go back!

Unfortunately, the economics of cruising mean that most shore excursions are overpriced. We could book that tour for $92 per person, but that is the price for those of us who live or visit PV. Cruise lines charge more ....which is typical of excursions booked on ships. Keep in mind that this excursion involves a long boat transport plus includes food and drink.

Hank

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Unfortunately, the economics of cruising mean that most shore excursions are overpriced. We could book that tour for $92 per person, but that is the price for those of us who live or visit PV. Cruise lines charge more ....which is typical of excursions booked on ships. Keep in mind that this excursion involves a long boat transport plus includes food and drink.

 

Hank

 

 

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I booked this excursion in PV, with Princess a couple of months ago for our April cruise & the charge was $89.00 PP. Now it is $99.00 pp. Glad I booked early.

So I guess the price thru the cruise shiip isn't that high after all. Although, I know it does not include that dolphin encounter or swim.

I checked this excursion out online before booking. It was almost the same price doing it directly as doing it through Princess. I was very surprised.

My wife and I did this just a few weeks ago. Actually it was on November 20th that we were there. As soon as the boat left the dock (large catamaran with two decks) the drinks started flowing. They had margaritas, pina coladas, rum punch, and beer. The beer was Tecate. Bleh... The margaritas and pina coladas were surprisingly good. I never did sample the rum punch. I guess I need to go back again so I can give it a try. ;)

When we got to the beach it was lunch time. There were various serving areas with buffet food. The food was okay but nothing fabulous. We had coffee with Kahlua with our lunch. There was a bottle sitting there by the coffee tureen.

After lunch we moved down to the water. We staked out a couple of chairs right near the water. We tried kayaking for a bit and enjoyed watching the people fall over as they tried the stand up paddle boarding. A bunch of people went to a spot removed a bit from where we were and were snorkeling as a group. I sat and drank and soaked up the sun (the drinks were free flowing) and my wife swam a bit, swam out to a floating platform I called Gilligan's Island (it had a little fake palm tree and a chair) and then she took one of the floatie things (think of a plastic inner tube like deal) and floated out to the buoy line. She said that, while floating out there, she could see a bunch of fish swimming around. At one point I wanted another margarita and there wasn't a server handy so I walked a short distance to one of the serving bars and asked for a couple of margaritas - one for each of us. While standing there I noticed a bottle of Cazadores tequila so I asked for a shot. (I'll drink rather drink Cazadores than a lot of the more expensive tequilas.)

We walked around on the trails a bit, drank some more, etc. and then got on the boat for the return trip. The drinks were still free flowing all the way back. We had spaced our drinking and didn't go wild so neither of us was really inebriated but the trip back was quite a bit "louder" than the trip out to the beach as some folks had been availing themselves of the drinks a little more liberally.

The catamaran had a raised deck platform at the bow and the crew entertained us both ways. The entertainment was a bit louder and rowdier on the return trip but that was mostly due to the passengers who hadn't regulated their alcohol intake as much as they probably should have.

All in all we enjoyed the day immensely. Our port stops for the cruise were Cabo San Lucas, Loreto, La Paz, and Puerto Vallarta. We didn't really enjoy Cabo or La Paz much. Loreto was a wonderful little town with a nice (and mostly empty) beach. NO beach vendors. We skipped Puerto Vallarta and took the Las Caletas excursion instead. I would go back to Las Caletas right now if possible. We had a wonderfully relaxing day.

It was very sad to go from sunning on the beach at Las Caletas to returning home where it's winter. The transition from "getting up when we got around to it" to "getting up because the 5:30 AM alarm is going off and I have to go to work" was brutal.

I booked this excursion in PV, with Princess a couple of months ago for our April cruise & the charge was $89.00 PP. Now it is $99.00 pp. Glad I booked early.

So I guess the price thru the cruise shiip isn't that high after all. Although, I know it does not include that dolphin encounter or swim.

For our Cruise on Princess in February the price is $89pp:o

Has anyone had any spa services? I know it is an extra charge. What do they offer and what is the cost? TIA. :)

Have no recent experience with the spa services but the following may help answer your question. Here is a news article about the spa:http://www.banderasnews.com/health-beauty/las-caletas.htm

The Vallarta Adventures Web site indicates the price spread is currently $35-$70 USDs.

Enjoy!

Have no recent experience with the spa services but the following may help answer your question. Here is a news article about the spa:http://www.banderasnews.com/health-beauty/las-caletas.htm

 

The Vallarta Adventures Web site indicates the price spread is currently $35-$70 USDs.

 

Enjoy!

Thank you SO much! :)

Thrak, for a medium priced tequila I think Cazadores is quiet good! My niece and I did a few shots prior to getting back on the Sapphire Princess when we cruised the Mexican Riviera in 2011.::D:D:D

Thrak, for a medium priced tequila I think Cazadores is quiet good! My niece and I did a few shots prior to getting back on the Sapphire Princess when we cruised the Mexican Riviera in 2011.::D:D:D

Not Tequilia is an interesting topic unto itself. We live in PV for 2 months a year and go through many gallons of Tequilia in our Condo (we use about 2 liters for just our Superbowl party). About 3 years ago a friend suggested we buy El Compadre (reposado) for making Margaritas. This brand is used by quite a few bars in town including the well known Joe Jack's. It is made from 100% Agave but is actually produced outside the state of Jalisco thus avoiding the high Tequilia tax in that state. So a liter bottle of the stuff can be found for about 60-65 Pesos which is about $4 at the current exchange rate.

Hank

We did the Las Caletas day just last week and loved it. The beach was moderately quiet with just enough activities to make the day enjoyable and not rushed. I had an hour massage and my husband had 30 minutes. Very nice Swedish massage with an excellent price ($60 for 1 hour). We also enjoyed the buffet lunch which was delicious as was the margarita and the Mexican coffee with Kahlua. The crew to and from Las Caletas was friendly and helpful and the crew at the site were as well. For us, it was the perfect beach day.

Yes it is and Yes you can!

 

DH and I had photos with monkeys, parrots, a hawk, and a donkey! Haha

 

 

 

 

 

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I was wondering that!! Looking forward to seeing them all!!! Hehehe :D

Hi does anyone have any pictures to share from your trip there? Would love to see! Since we booked it for this Nov!

Thanks ;)

hi does anyone have any pictures to share from your trip there? Would love to see! Since we booked it for this nov!

 

 

thanks ;)

From Star Princess cruise Feb 2015. Great excursion