Pool Sunrise at the Westin in Puerto Vallarta
The New York Times recently published an article on their website called “14 Easy Weekend Getaways” in which they outline “14 top-notch escapes that require fewer than four hours in either a car or a plane from more than a dozen major cities.” Below is an except from the article where they reference Puerto Vallarta, located on Mexico’s Pacific Coast.
From the New York Times:
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
EASY GETAWAY FROM Los Angeles; San Diego; Phoenix; Denver; Houston.
WHAT YOU GET Miles of golden sand, sunsets on the Malecón, open-air dance clubs, whale watching.
WHY NOW Drug-related violence, concentrated mainly in the northern border region of Mexico, has cast a pall over the entire country and scared tourists away from popular Pacific coast resorts like Puerto Vallarta, which have remained safe for visitors. As a result, deals abound. “We have special offers available even in our most luxurious accommodations,” said Antonia Lavendar, director of commercialization for the Puerto Vallarta Convention and Visitors Bureau. If lounging poolside at an upscale hotel on the cheap, margarita in hand, isn’t enough, there are galleries and boutiques along the Malecón promenade, cobblestone streets to explore in the colonial Old Town zone, zip-line canopy tours in the nearby Sierra Madre Mountains, and whale-watching trips just offshore.
WHERE TO STAY The 14-acre Westin Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa is offering rates as low as $129 a night — a 20 percent discount. The Presidente InterContinental Resort dropped starting rates for its newly decorated oceanfront suites to $148 a night in March from $198 last year; in April, rates begin at $180. Villa del Palmar (villagroupresorts.com) offers 562 suites with balconies or terraces for as low as $85 a night with all-inclusive rates that begin at $211 per person per night for meals and many water sports.
