Back in the 1980's, when 24-hour photo developing shacks shaped like cameras were hot business opportunities for entrepreneurs in a pre-digital age, a friend showed me travel snapshots of a tropical jungle that looked right out of a Tarzan movie. He had just returned from a vacation in Puerto Vallarta.
"That jungle is in Mexico?" I asked naively.
David Barnes flashed a roguish smile and showed more photos of waterfalls and him swinging by a vine to land in a refreshing tropical lake, raving about how awesome the experience had been.
He flashed through other Kodachrome-captured moments showing beautiful beaches, sail boats, fun-looking bars and deluxe resorts.
It was the jungle, however, that most intrigued me, so when we took a Mexican Riviera cruise to Puerto Vallarta, that was on my must-do list. Sure enough, there's a pretty cool jungle not far from downtown Puerto Vallarta, and it's a lot of fun to visit. We even swung on vines and dropped into that tropical lagoon.
A few years later, Julie and I went on a snorkel excursion by boat. That proved to be another wonderful adventure.
This time, however, we just winged it, walking off the ship in the general direction of a nearby beach. Pounding the pavement along a busy avenue was not a pleasant stroll. We had trouble finding beach access that wasn't protected by guards in shacks beside beach resorts.
A guard directed us toward a public entrance, but eventually we cut through a less-restrictive hotel lobby and past a pool area where guests wore wristbands to identify them as belonging there. While not exactly "Mission Impossible," we were happy to emerge on the beach without being busted.
When living in California, lounging on a beach was always an option, so on cruises, we've usually sought excursions or snorkel spots to make each day special. No longer living on the West Coast, however, we were happy to have a chance to just lay on our towels and occasionally cool off in the clear blue sea.
Hunger arrived around lunchtime, as usual.
On our trek back to the ship, we passed Puerto Mágico, a little shopping area that offered a free shuttle back to the ship.
I believe I had tacos and enchiladas that day, but my favorite lunch on the ship was Wonton at Chopsticks Noodle Bar, a walk-up counter alongside the main pool. I can't remember if Chopsticks was open on port days, but ordering a bowl of any of the Asian soups with the works, accompanied by a beer, is something you should try at least once during your trip. There's no extra charge at Chopsticks.
The free shuttle bus definitely made it easier to return to the beach, so after a delicious lunch, we decided to forego a relaxing afternoon just lounging by the pool on the ship to return to the sand and small surf.
At Puerto Mágico, Julie found that elusive white cap she'd been searching for at other ports, so we actually qualified as customers.
Following our afternoon at the beach and returning to the ship, we headed to the outdoor aft bar from which we took in the beautiful view of Puerto Vallarta at sunset for the sail-away.
Unfortunately, Julie's iPhone automatically "corrected" the lighting to make it look like daytime. I guess you'll just have to go there to appreciate that lovely glow for yourself.
If you want a cheap and easy port day in Puerto Vallarta, look for that Puerto Mágico shuttle when you get off the ship. However, there are lots of terrific excursions in Puerto Vallarta that you should take on your first visit, like ziplining through that intriguing jungle that I'd admired in photos almost forty years ago.
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