Las Caletas Tour

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I was reading a little bit about the Las Caletas Tour through the ship (Vision of the Seas) and it looks like my kind of day - a lazy beach day with options for snorkeling, hiking and etc.

 

Anyone have any comments, suggestions, etc on this tour?:D

[MSN-Travelers]

I was reading a little bit about the Las Caletas Tour through the ship (Vision of the Seas) and it looks like my kind of day - a lazy beach day with options for snorkeling, hiking and etc.

 

Anyone have any comments, suggestions, etc on this tour?:D

 

The tour operator is Vallarta Adventures. Their web site is at http://www.vallarta-adventures.com/las-caletas/index.html You cannot book this tour directly with Vallarta Adventures if you arrive on a cruise ship. You can book this tour through an independent tour agency such as Vallarta Online http://www.vallartaonline.com/tours/Caletas/ or thru Puerto Vallarta Tours http://*****************************/las-caletas-snorkeling.htm Hmmm ... I guess I'm not allowed to post the link to Puerto Vallarta Tours but you can replace the stars with those three word typed as one continuous word.

There is only one tour that leaves the cruise ship terminal at 9 AM and returns in mid-afternoon. It doesn’t matter if you book thru the ship or an independent tour broker because you will all be on the same tour boat.

Las Caletas can be a very relaxing, enjoyable day if you arrive with reasonable expectations. Mother nature determines what the wind, waves and water conditions will be, not the tour operator.

DW and I, along with friends & family, have been going to Las Caletas since 2000. They have progressively expanded the facilities and offered additional activities. This has become a very popular excursion and can be crowded on the “activity beach” if there are a number of ships in port. Go to the Vallarta Adventures site and click on the “see map” button on the right side about 2/3rds of the way down.

The beach area with the label “C” is where you will find the majority of the beach chairs. If having a chair on the beach is important, it would be a smart move to get over there right a way and get your chair(s) and stake a claim to a patch of beach. You can check out the rest of the place and other activities after you have your chair. The beach area with the label “F” may be under water if the tide is in.

They offer massage services for an additional fee. Very reasonable rates but they start sign-up while on the excursion boat headed over to Las Caletas. If this is important to you, then make sure you track down the gal that runs that activity while on the boat as time slots can fill up very fast.

They offer organized activities with group kayaking and group snorkeling. You can do these things individually or as part of a group. If you want to do them as a group, then you are tied to their schedule.

So … Check with the guys on the boat as it heads for Caletas to see when group activities will take place, then schedule your massage based on what group stuff you want to do, then get a chair as soon as you get off the boat and then try to relax and have fun.

Enjoy!

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Thanks for the reply and all the excellent information! I will check the links you gave me for additional information.:)

[Bucky3]

Our whole family of 6 adults and 3 teenagers have done this excursion three different times and will probably book it again in December. It's a great day if you like the beach, margaritas, nice buffet, kyacking, etc. We booked through the ship.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Our whole family of 6 adults and 3 teenagers have done this excursion three different times and will probably book it again in December. It's a great day if you like the beach, margaritas, nice buffet, kyacking, etc. We booked through the ship.

Add in snorkeling and it sounds like a perfect day for us!:D

[Bucky3]

Oops, should have added snorkeling too! And, if you take the little hike up to where the parrots are, on the day we were there they had a tiny monkey the kids got to have crawl all over them! They loved that little monkey. They also have a sea lion there and charge extra for signing up to "play" with the sea lion. We didn't find this a necessary expense as the sea lion was right where everyone was snorkeling. It was quite entertaining. It's really a nice day, and, in our opinion, one of the nicest beaches along the Mexican Riviera.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

It sounds delightful.:) How is the snorkeling, anyway? Do you see a lot of fish? Also, is there coral or mostly just rocks?

[platterb]

My husband and I both loved Las Caletas. Were there last November on the NCL Star and have booked it again on our Diamond cruise in January. Someone mentioned that it could be crowded if there are a lot of ships in port since it is popular. Check the cruise calendar for your sailing and it will tell you how many ships are in a particular port on a particular day. Like our last visit, our Diamond sailing is the only ship in port in Puerto Vallarta that day so it became a no brainer.

[carbon]

Mercury is the only ship in port that day. So it looks like no crowds! Did you book with the ship or direct?

[mrsmagnolia]

Just returned from the mercury last week, and los Caletas was the best!

We had a lovely, sunny day and the crew aboard wer fun and entertaining, lots of drinks are available...Had a nice ride over, a nice buffet, and some beautiful sights, it remeinded me of Bermuda.

They offer snorkeling equpment on board ($3.00) for the mouth piece thing, which is nice an very hygenic., the snorkeling was good, i had a little yellow and black fish escort me around the whole time i was in the water, soooo cute!!!

I left my husband saoking up the sun, but when I popped my head out of the water, he was rubber rafting, then in a kayak!!!! It was so great, the catamaran arrived a little later than we expected, but we arrived back, caught the tender, then showered and made it it our early seating to everyone's amamzement...

I would definitely do it again, and we did book it through the ship.

[carbon]

Did you feel like you missed Puerto Vallarta spending all day at Los caletas?

Have never been to PV before.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Just returned from the mercury last week, and los Caletas was the best!

We had a lovely, sunny day and the crew aboard wer fun and entertaining, lots of drinks are available...Had a nice ride over, a nice buffet, and some beautiful sights, it remeinded me of Bermuda.

They offer snorkeling equpment on board ($3.00) for the mouth piece thing, which is nice an very hygenic., the snorkeling was good, i had a little yellow and black fish escort me around the whole time i was in the water, soooo cute!!!

I left my husband saoking up the sun, but when I popped my head out of the water, he was rubber rafting, then in a kayak!!!! It was so great, the catamaran arrived a little later than we expected, but we arrived back, caught the tender, then showered and made it it our early seating to everyone's amamzement...

I would definitely do it again, and we did book it through the ship.

 

Thanks for the review! It sound like my type of day. Now, just 15 months to go......................:D

[LA-Mom]

I have looked at the three tour operators as listed in the beginning of the thread. They seem to be about the same price and only a little cheaper than the ship itself (RCCI Vision of the Seas). I am traveling with my husband and two little girls, ages 5 and 8. We will be in PV on Thursday December 14th.

 

Here are my questions:

• How do I decide which operator to choose? I have no experience with cruises or arranging activities like this.
  
• Will the water and air temps be warm enough on Dec. 14 to enjoy a day on the beach and in the water?
  
• Does someone meet us at the dock?
  
• If the activity says it leaves the Marina Vallarta at 9:00 a.m. and my watch is set to Los Angeles time, how do I know what time to leave the ship? The whole idea of local time versus ship time versus Los Angeles time is very confusing to me. :confused:

Thanks for any help.

[MSN-Travelers]

I have looked at the three tour operators as listed in the beginning of the thread. They seem to be about the same price and only a little cheaper than the ship itself (RCCI Vision of the Seas). I am traveling with my husband and two little girls, ages 5 and 8. We will be in PV on Thursday December 14th.

 

Here are my questions:

• How do I decide which operator to choose? I have no experience with cruises or arranging activities like this.
  
• Will the water and air temps be warm enough on Dec. 14 to enjoy a day on the beach and in the water?
  
• Does someone meet us at the dock?
  
• If the activity says it leaves the Marina Vallarta at 9:00 a.m. and my watch is set to Los Angeles time, how do I know what time to leave the ship? The whole idea of local time versus ship time versus Los Angeles time is very confusing to me. :confused:

Thanks for any help.

 

My wife and I are coming to the end of our sixth multi-week stay in Vallarta. Watching the cruise ships enter the bay and head for the port is a morning is a coffee-on-the-balcony ritual.

 

Vision of the Sea has always been in the bay around 7 AM (local time) and tied up at the dock no later than 7:45 AM. We did Caletas for the sixth time last Thursday. VotS was the only ship in port and at the dock. Today, Princess is also in port and VotS is at the dock again.

 

First thing you have to do is dump LA time from the brain box. It all becomes vacation time and the fine folks on the ship will always tell you what the local time is vs. ship's time (if there is a difference).

 

Vallarta Adventures has one sailing to Caletas each morning. It leaves from the port and is no more than a hundred yards from the ship's ramp. Tourism is THE industry in Vallarta. They run this operation just like Disney. Everybody that is taking a water based tour is all herded to the east end of the port where the tour operators have their ticket booths. It's impossible to miss.

Daily tour schedules are often adjusted to accomodate ship arrival times. Here is a key tip to keep in mind ... If the ship offers the excursion, then you can book it independently. All of the people leave and return at the same time/place.

 

Who should you book with ... The method/agency that you are most comfortable with. It really boils down to cost and many people place a premium on peace of mind.

 

Yesterday, My wife and I did a day sail with Vallarta Adventures. Carnival Pride was in port. I paid about 40% less than the cruisers off the ship. The only difference in our tours had to do with the start/finish location. DW & I had to show up at the Vallarta Adventure office in the Marina vs. cruisers who were picked up at the port (five minutes away). Go with whatever is comfortable for you.

 

Weather will be just fine unless you live in the middle of a desert and 90° is freezing cold. I will say, the water is the warmest and clearest that we have ever encountered in all the years we have been vacationing in Vallarta.

 

Enjoy!

[gottago2mexico]

It sounds delightful.:) How is the snorkeling, anyway? Do you see a lot of fish? Also, is there coral or mostly just rocks?

 

Snorkeling is average, no coral, just rocks. But quite a few fish. This is not the Caribbean, but it's still fun.

 

Did you feel like you missed Puerto Vallarta spending all day at Los caletas?

Have never been to PV before.

 

If you want to experience the town of Puerto Vallarta, you won't want to do the Las Caletas tour. You won't have time to visit the town because it's an all-day tour, as most of the boat and beach tours in Puerto Vallarta are. However, if you want to enjoy a short (45 minute) booze cruise, and some time relaxing on the beach, snorkeling and kayaking, then this is a good tour. For my money, I enjoy Las Animas and Yelapa more than Las Caletas (which is more expensive too), but you will have a good time. All the boat tours and beach stops are fun, including Las Caletas.

 

The "hiking" consists of a short, uphill guided nature walk that takes about a half-hour round-trip, where the guide shows you various types of orchids. There is a guided snorkeling tour, and use of kayaks is free. This is a really leisurely day on the beach - lots of lounging and relaxing.

[carbon]

Tell me about this tour...Las Animas and Yelapa.

[gottago2mexico]

Las Animas and Yelapa are two separate beaches, I don't believe there are any tours that visit both places.

 

Las Animas is probably the best beach in Vallarta, and is normally preceded by a visit to Los Arcos for snorkeling, then a visit to Quimixto for lunch and the waterfall. Tours that go here include the Vagabundo, Sarape, and Santa Maria.

 

Yelapa is also a big, fully developed beach with a full range or beach restaurants and water activities. Next to the beach is the town of Yelapa, which also features a waterfall, which is fun to explore. Tours that visit Yelapa include Pegaso Discover Yelapa and Princess Yelapa.

Both stop at Majahuitas for snorkeling on the way.

 

I just like that the beaches are much bigger and fully developed than Las Caletas. The beach at Las Caletas is quite small, the chairs and hammocks run out on busy days, and there are not restaurants available (though they do serve you lunch), or a full range of beach activities like parasailing, waverunners, etc.

[LA-Mom]

Thanks for all the information on tours and time. This is a learning process.

 

Now I am leaning away from Las Caletas. I am considering doing the Pirate Ship Miragalante activity (for the family time) instead but I would also like to see some of the city too. We are in port on a Thursday from 8am-11pm off Vision of the Seas.

 

How feasible is it to do both? We would do the pirate ship event first. That is supposed to bring us back around 3:30. If we have been sitting on a ship and playing on a beach, I am assuming we won't be exhausted from too much activity. I am traveling with my husband and two girls, 5 and 8. We are all in good physical condition and have no issues with getting around.

 

What's the best way to get a taste of the city if we are starting around 4:00? Is it dark in PV at 5:00? If so, it may be tough to see much with only an hour of time. Can we walk around and see anything of interest? My husband and I do not drink or party so night life is not something we are interested in.

 

If we are tired and need a break after the pirate thing, what can we do in the evening after coming back off the ship after the 6:00 dinner on the ship? Is it a casual night for dinner on the Vision when we are in PV?

[MSN-Travelers]

Thanks for all the information on tours and time. This is a learning process.

 

Now I am leaning away from Las Caletas. I am considering doing the Pirate Ship Miragalante activity (for the family time) instead but I would also like to see some of the city too. We are in port on a Thursday from 8am-11pm off Vision of the Seas.

 

How feasible is it to do both? We would do the pirate ship event first. That is supposed to bring us back around 3:30. If we have been sitting on a ship and playing on a beach, I am assuming we won't be exhausted from too much activity. I am traveling with my husband and two girls, 5 and 8. We are all in good physical condition and have no issues with getting around.

 

What's the best way to get a taste of the city if we are starting around 4:00? Is it dark in PV at 5:00? If so, it may be tough to see much with only an hour of time. Can we walk around and see anything of interest? My husband and I do not drink or party so night life is not something we are interested in.

 

If we are tired and need a break after the pirate thing, what can we do in the evening after coming back off the ship after the 6:00 dinner on the ship? Is it a casual night for dinner on the Vision when we are in PV?

 

The entertainment on the "Pirate" ship is geared toward your daughter´s age bracket. The transit time to their activity beach is about an hour and a half each way vs. fifty minutes on the Caletas excursion. The Caletas excursion site has a dock vs. the pirate beach where people are transferred to the beach in smaller boats. The pirate excursion will get you back around 3:30 vs. Caletas at 4 PM. I wouldn´t expect your family will be exhausted from physical activity. If anything, you may be tired from the sun and heat during the day. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

 

Sunset in Vallarta is around 6:20 this time of year. Vallarta is known for it´s "boardwalk" (the Malecon) that runs the length of the central shoping district, diverse restaurants and shopping in the flea market/tourist district. Other than the cathedral, there really isn´t a ton of stuff to see, but more than enough to do.

 

Enjoy!