Mexican Riviera Tips

[HALleluiah]

Hello everyone! My friends and I are in our 30s and are booked for a December sailing to Cabo, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta on the Oosterdam. I live on the border with Mexico and quite honestly have no desire to do the stereotypical Mexican excursions. I have that here! I'd like to explore the port on my own with plenty of time to lay on the beach and watch the world go by and get back on the ship with plenty of time to spare. Any suggestions of local spots that are must sees at those ports? Any great place to pull up a beach towl and chill? I want to start daydreaming now! I'd like all the port input I can get!

[garydm]

For chilling out, you might consider:

 

Cabo-head to the beach you will see from the ship. When you get off the tender just keep the water to your right and walk around the marina. You will come to a long beach and park yourself anywhere. There are restaurants along the beach, like the Office, but they have become very commercialized.

 

Mazatlan-My favorite is to head to Stone Island. Don't take a tour. After you get off the tram at the terminal make your way thru all the people trying to take you someplace and go out to the street. Turn left and go down about 4 blocks to the "ferries" to Stone Island. They are small boats that hold about 10 people and RT to Stone Island will set you back about $1.50 US. Once you are on the island, do not pay to take the truck shuttle-just walk straight ahead and you will come to the beach in about 300 feet. There is a line of restaurants along here and you can use their palapas and chairs if you are eating or drinking there or just lay out on your own. Last time we were at Victor's which is at the far end and had incredible fresh fish cooked over an open fire along with beer and sodas. You can have a great lunch and about all the liquid you can consume while using their facilities, including banos, for about $10.

 

Puerto Vallarta-if you want something close you can go to the Krystal Hotel and use their beach. Depart the ship terminal and go through the gate in the chain link fence. Do not go out to the main road. Take the road straight ahead and you will come to the rear entrance of the Krystal. Last time there was no security there and we just walked in. Other times, we have told him we were going to the spa there, which we were and he let us thru. If you enter through the main entrance I understand they will charge you $10 or so and that can be applied to your food or beverage purchase.

 

Have a good time.

 

Gary

[Krazy Kruizers]

Krystal Hotel -- really great -- we went there and paid the fee. Used it on food at lunch time.

[billroddy]

My web site has images of the ports you will visit. Also ship's satellite and details of uploading to a web site.

Bill

 

 

http://americahurrah.com/Cruises/Ryndam/RyndamCruiseCritic.htm

[HALleluiah]

What great ideas! Keep 'em coming!

[martinimadam]

I second "The Office"! Great margaritas! And it's so much fun to go back to the ship and complain about your hard day at the office!

[HALleluiah]

What about some more beach options in Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta? That looks like where my trip is going to get trickier! Not a lot of comments there!

[arlodog]

We will be stopping at Hualtulco, Acapulco and Cabo in Feb 09. Not big on water (i.e snorkeling, laying on the beach) excursions; more history, culture. Any suggestions? I would love to go whale watching in Cabo and of course see the divers in Acapulco any pvt tour sugestions?

 

Thanks!

[HALleluiah]

Just so everyone knows.... If you go to the main boards and choose ports or destinations... Now I can't remember which.... Anyway, you can choose Mexican Riviera. There seems to be some decent "general" information. I'd still like to hear more from HAL fans though!

[Scorpiorose]

I find that the ports boards are very slow, but you are right there are some answers there!

 

The office is great, but not altogether cheap! It's fun though!

 

arlodog - the whale watching thing is seasonal, all you have to do is check out PV adventures or any Mexican Riviera tour site and they list the dates for the whales! I ALWAYS just miss them either coming or going down! Seems like I'll miss them again on my Nov. Thanksgiving cruise! :(

 

In my HO, Cabo is the nicest port, very clean, good shopping, nice beach area......when I stayed there before my DD and myself did the ATV lighthouse tour! It was great fun, but dirty!!!

 

PV is fun to walk along the boardwalk, tons of shops with silver, some even have REAL silver!;) We did an ATV tour there too once, it was ok and because we went right through the back area of town we saw the real mexico, which I wanted my DD to see! This time I'm trying Krystals.

 

To all others here: Is the beach at Krystals clean, is it overly crowded?

[Scorpiorose]

I find that the ports boards are very slow, but you are right there are some answers there!

 

The office is great, but not altogether cheap! It's fun though!

 

arlodog - the whale watching thing is seasonal, all you have to do is check out PV adventures or any Mexican Riviera tour site and they list the dates for the whales! I ALWAYS just miss them either coming or going down! Seems like I'll miss them again on my Nov. Thanksgiving cruise! :(

 

In my HO, Cabo is the nicest port, very clean, good shopping, nice beach area......when I stayed there before my DD and myself did the ATV lighthouse tour! It was great fun, but dirty!!!

 

PV is fun to walk along the boardwalk, tons of shops with silver, some even have REAL silver!;) We did an ATV tour there too once, it was ok and because we went right through the back area of town we saw the real mexico, which I wanted my DD to see! This time I'm trying Krystals.

 

To all others here: Is the beach at Krystals clean, is it overly crowded?

 

Here's The Office

Cabo

Cabo

ATVing in PV

[Scorpiorose]

This is what we saw on the way up to hill to a restaurant, OLD MEXICO

 

They make these along the board walk - on the opposite side from these are a long long row of shops and places to eat - see below

We ate, they were closed but when they saw us they opened it up for us and we had a bucket of beer for $5

[HALleluiah]

Thanks so much for the pics! I don't know how I feel about ATVing, but I'm for sure gonna have to go to the Office when in Cabo!

[CaliforniaAC]

In PV we've done Las Culetas (sp?) twice. It's worth the price of the excursion.

 

AC

[Nutrioso]

My recommendations: Copa de Leche restaurant in Mazatlan. Right on the beach on the malecon at the far end. Been there since the 30's and great local foods on the menu. As for Cabo, how about a trip up to Todos Santos in the hills above Cabo. Nice little town, in fact charming, and we had some great handmade empanadas (meat filled pastries) there. ----Penny

[HALleluiah]

Copa de leche here I come! Thanks for the tip! Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta seem to be where I need the most help!

[Taxguy7]

Copa de leche here I come! Thanks for the tip! Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta seem to be where I need the most help!

I was driving my uncle on the west coast of Mexico and he suggested we take a break in Mazatlan. The seafood cocktails were BIG and so good we each had two.:D Hope your food is as good, it probably will be if you order seafood.:)

[ssminnow]

has anyone done the zip line thing

please review where and how much...........

[abb4k]

We were on Diamond Princess in December 2006, and did the zipline excursion in Puerto Vallarta (Los Veranos, arranged on our own, not through the cruiseline). I can't recall how much we paid, but whatever it was, it was worth it. We still talk about it; that's how much fun it was!

[HALleluiah]

Any other great activities we shouldn't miss?

[Ammarg]

I loved the water park in PV. I know, I know, we have them here too, but we went with the whole fam damnly and it was the most fun we had on shore excursion .www.sealifeparkvallarta.com.mx

 

Ann