Coconuts for Sale

The beaches in Puerto Vallarta are filled with vendors of every type of merchandise and food you could imagine: jewelry, blankets, artwork, fish on a stick, shrimp on a stick, even coconut milk.

To get the coconut milk the vendor whacks the top of the coconut off with a machete. He then pours the milk into a plastic bag and puts a straw into it so that the customer can drink it. They were charging $40 pesos for fresh coconut milk that day.

We took these pictures out in Nuevo Vallarta during Spring Break.

Here is the map to the beach.

Public Beach Access in Nuevo Vallarta

Nuevo Vallarta has three main beach access points. The northernmost is at the Etc. Beach Club. Alongside the beach club is a footpath that leads to the beach.

The Etc. Beach Club is a great place to spend a Sunday afternoon which are usually really busy. Order up some cold beers and a plate of nachos while lounging under a palapa. When it gets too hot, go for a swim.

This is the footpath that leads to the beach. Showers are available to rinse off before you head home.

The beach in front of Etc. The picture does not do it justice. I took it in the early morning just after a massive rainstorm which dumped a lot of debris on the beach. This is one of my Favorite beaches in the city.

Map to Beach Access in Nuevo Vallarta

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Other Beach Access Points in Puerto Vallarta

Public Beach Access in Marina Vallarta
Playa de Oro Beach Access

Swimming With the Dolphins in Puerto Vallarta

Consider swimming with the dolphins when you are in Puerto Vallarta. It’s an amazing experience, much better than I could have imagined. Vallarta Adventures and Sea Life Park are the two companies which offer programs to swim with the dolphins. We chose the Signature Dolphin Swim with Vallarta Adventures.

When family came to visit and told me that they wanted to swim with the dolphins, I wasn’t that enthusiastic. I tried to talk them into doing other activities, but they insisted, explaining that this would probably be their only chance in their lives to swim with dolphins.

Swimming with the dolphins never seemed like a big deal to us. We could go anytime, and besides, it always seemed very pricey. It’s the same situation for people who live near Disneyland. They could go anytime but don’t except when they have out of town visitors.

I’m glad the the family forced me to go. Yes it was very pricey, $149 US. And, I would have never paid for it if they hadn’t been so excited about going. But, it was worth it.

Until you get into a pool with dolphins you have no idea how fast, powerful, and majestic they are. They are smart, friendly and playful. For a few moments, I had fantasies of starting a new life as a dolphin trainer.

What To Do After Swimming With The Dolphins

The Dolphin Center is located right on the Marina in Nuevo Vallarta. After you finish swimming with the dolphins you can take a stroll around the marina.

It’s a nice place for a walk but there are very few restaurants or shops. The best place to eat is the 8 Tostadas Restaurant right at the entrance to the dolphin center.

You can also hit the beach at Nuevo Vallarta after swimming with the dolphins. The beach is only a block from the Dolphin Center. Just head west on the Marina boardwalk, cross the street and you will find the public access point.
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This photo is part of the series – Pictures Around Puerto Vallarta – shots that show the beauty, energy, and warmth of our little corner of paradise.

Beautiful Sunset in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico

I took this photo from the breakwater in the Nuevo Vallarta Marina on August 4, 2008 at about 7:30pm. Anyone who has spent time in Puerto Vallarta knows how spectacular sunsets can be here.

The breakwater is a great vantage point to take in the sunset. Crowds of people come out every evening. At times the sunset is so beautiful that people cheer as the sun dips below the horizon. I have watched hundreds of sunsets in Puerto Vallarta and I never tire of them.

If you are not sure how to get to the marina in Nuevo Vallarta check out the map below. Nuevo Vallarta is just north of the airport.
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You never know what sort of wildlife you will come across in Puerto Vallarta. I had a chance to play golf at the Mayan Palace in Nuevo Vallarta this past weekend and while we were playing we were surprised by all sorts of creatures. I was able to snap some photos.

All of the wild animals running around the course kept me distracted from how poorly I was playing. I can always claim that the iguanas made me lose my concentration.

This is the crocodile that lives in the water hazard by hole #4. I now realize that these warning signs are not a joke. I will think twice about searching for the balls that I plunk in the water.

A family of iguanas lives in the drainage system on hole #9 not too far from the clubhouse.

The rocks around the water hazards are full of iguanas.

Perhaps one of the biggest dangers on the golf course, me.

Estudio Cafe Restaurant – Nuevo Vallarta Marina

****UPDATE – Cafe Estudio which is featured in this review is shutting down until October 2009. I was unaware that they are only open during High Season when I posted the review. By chance, we returned on their last day of the season. As we were finishing breakfast the thanked us for coming and said that they will be closed until October. What a bummer. We really like the place. Now we’ll have to wait.****

Last week, I needed a great breakfast place to take a relative who was staying at Paradise Village in Nuevo Vallarta. I was wracking my brain trying to come up some place close to the hotel so we didn’t have to drive into PV or out to Bucerias. It took me a couple of days, but I finally remembered a place that I had seen when I went to an art show in Nuevo Vallarta. It’s called Estudio Cafe which is part of Federico Leon de la Vega’s art studio and gallery.

All tables at Estudio Cafe are outdoors and overlook the Nuevo Vallarta Marina. It’s an idyllic setting for a restaurant. The building is quaint and the view is beautiful. I’d only recently come across Estudio Cafe, but many others have already discovered it. I found the studio/cafe difficult to find the first time I went looking so it surprised me that they had some many customers. People always have a way of finding good food.

Our breakfast was great – made from scratch and made with care. Estudio Cafe made it to my list of favorites after just one visit. To get to the cafe, go to the first entrance (south entrance) into Nuevo Vallarta. Head all of the way in until you come to the hotel and condos on the beach. The Nuevo Vallarta boardwalk will be on your right. Take a right on the boardwalk and the cafe is about block up the boardwalk.

Below are the details and great photos of the restaurant and marina: Restaurant: Estudio Cafe  Type of Food: Mexican Cafe Fare Price: Inexpensive Location: Nuevo Vallarta on the Marina. Paseo de la Marina #31 Hours: Monday to Wednesday  8:30am to 8:00pm Thursday to Saturday 8:30am to 3:00pm What we ate: 1 Huevos Rancheros $50 1 Huevos con Chilaquiles $55 What we drank: 1 Coffee $20 1 Orange juice $20 Total cost: $145 Pesos

Huevos rancheros: two fried eggs on a crispy fried tortillas smothered in a homemade salsa. The salsa had tomotoes, onions, nopalitos (cactus), and jalapenos. The side dishes are chunks of queso fresco (fresh cheese) and black beans.

Huevos con chilaquiles: The meal includes fried tortilla strips covered in a tomatillo salsa garnished with cream and onions, fluffy scrambled eggs and black beans.

The Estudio Cafe kitchen.

The menu at the Estudio Cafe is very simple but the food is very good.

The view from our table on a perfect Puerto Vallarta morning.

Another breakfast place you might like – The Palma de Leon Restaurant in Puerto Vallarta