mexico
West Coast: ° Cabo San Lucas ° Puerto Vallarta ° Sea of Cortez
East Coast: ° Playa del Carmen ° Cancun and the Mayan Riviera
Cabo San Lucas
WorldMark Coral Baja, December 2006. We love this resort. I don't really feel as though I'm in a tropical resort unless you can swim up to a bar and order a beverage . . . which can be done at the WorldMark Coral Baja. I think this is essentially a time-share resort (for which we have a timeshare trade), but we also overheard conversations that indicated that anyone can book here. This is where timeshares come in handy as we were low on cash that year and our timeshare trade for a week at this beautiful place cost $40 (taxes, I think), plus the airfare and it's generally easy to find low airfare to Mexico. While we may never return to Cabo, WorldMark was reasonably well located. Unfortunately it isn't really walking distance to anything, but public transportation was a block away and acceptable. We took the local bus into town and down to the waterfront. Absolutely the best restaurant we found was Captain Morgan's in the old town. Built around an open-air courtyard, superb food, very pricey, but worth the one meal we had there.Puerto Vallarta
A quick get-away from the West Coast. While it has first-class accommodations, Puerto Vallarta has also retained its old-world charm because of the colorful neighborhoods built up the hillside from the main part of town.The area around Playa Mismaloya became famous after director John Huston filmed "The Night of the Iguana" with Ava Gardner and Richard Burton there in 1963. The impressive rock formations of Los Arcos emerging from the bay's crystalline waters are noted diving areas. Downtown, murals painted by Manuel Lepe adorn buildings, and the Malecon (sea wall) is adorned with bronze sculptures. Beaches are beautiful, the water is warm, and fish are vivid.
Streets are lined with shops and galleries featuring paintings and sculptures by local artists, including vivid Shamanic artwork from Huichol Indians from villages in Jalisco and North Central Mexico.
Sea of Cortez
A dozen of us lived out of kayaks in the Sea of Cortez. Now, THIS is a superb way to vacation. I went with Sea Trek Ocean Kayaking out of Sausalito on one of their annual trips to the Sea of Cortez. (They organize the trips each Spring, they are on their 30th year in Baja and have included Belize, and they fill quickly. If you are interested, contact them directly through their web site or at 415.332.8494 and let them know "Dianne sent me.")We flew into Loreto, which was a sleepy fishing village a few years ago, but I've heard that like so much of Mexico and Central America, it is turning into San Diego South. Sea Trek takes care of everything; you basically just show up with beach clothes, a windbreaker, small sleeping bag and tent, meet at a hotel in Loreto, then go. Fabulous people — all kayakers are fabulous people — guest kaykers have included members from the Oceanic Society and various environmental groups. As you kayak from secluded beach to beach, Sea Trek's staff fishes during the day, sets up camp and a kitchen at each stopover at starts your meal. You paddle in, set up your tent, hang out, have dinner, sleep like a baby, then get up the next day to paddle to the next stop. If it gets too warm during the day, just roll out of your kayak into the Sea of Cortez. Jacques Costeau said the Sea of Cortez is the youngest sea in the world and, as such, it is vibrant and filled with life.
An environmental note is warranted here: People moving to Baja want their golf courses . . . golf courses DO NOT belong in dry places. Developers in this area claim to be "green," citing they are "desalinating sea water" rather than using fresh water. There is no fresh water to use, and desalination is not "green." Desalination will ultimately destroy the Sea of Cortez and everything in it, which means they will be destroying great beauty and a replenishable food source.
Reading departure signs in some big airport