Viva Mexico!

It had been 16 years since I ventured back to Mexico after having taught in Zamora, Michoacan. My UK friend and I decided to explore the sights and sounds of Nayarit, 15 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta.

First off, if you are like me and do not relish the all-inclusive resorts in Mexico but prefer to experience the authentic Mexican vibe, then Nuevo Vallarta is for you. Thanks to booking.com, we stayed in a tranquil bed and breakfast with 13 rooms for a reasonable price, but not off the beaten path and in walking distance to the beach, restaurants and “OXXO”, the Mexican convenience store. OXXO is as familiar to locals as “Bimbo” bread and you can buy anything from snacks, water, cervezas to liquor. If you are lucky, you will cross paths with a woman and her son selling tamales con plantain (bananas) before entering OXXO.

Our place was Casa Virgilio located in a residential neighborhood and run by a Cuban from Havana. What a paradise and at 14 pesos to the Canadian dollar, you can stay at this place for only $350 a week including waking up to a luscious breakfast consisting of Mexican frijoles, eggs, quesadillas, rice, papaya, melon and pineapple juices. We filled our bellies and partook in the empty pool and hot tub as we relished the sounds of birds including egrets, herons and humming birds. Under the palapas, we could see gargantuas orange iguanas with black stripes slithering down the banks of the river.

The interior of the rooms were magnificently accented with Mexican tile work.

For authentic Mexican cuisine, head down el paseo de las palmas, turn right and walk a few blocks to Ruffus y Lola. We had the best mole, rice, fish and empanadas at this place for only 100 pesos. Needless to say, we were regulars there and Ruffus gifted us tiles.

If you fancy exploring little local towns, I would recommend Bucerias, 15 minutes north of Nuevo Vallarta and easily accessible by local bus or taxi. This little place boasts a strip of markets and restaurants leading to the windy ocean where you encounter a marvelous steel, bronze statue of a deep sea diver spearing oysters.

Another gem of a place is the fishing village of Sayulita in Banderas Bay.

Easily accessible by taxi, this area is known as the surfing capital of Nayarit. The famous iguana tree is a must visit where you can feed these reptiles bananas as you knock on the bark of the tree watching them clamor down for their food.

Sayulita has many shops to buy souvenirs including ceramics and paper shops where you can buy mandelas and plastic or paper Mexican banners. For 50 pesos, I brought these back and they now hang on my patio.

For an affordable holiday away in the sun and warmth at Christmas time where the temperatures reach 30 degrees, I would highly recommend Mexico. You cannot beat the warmth and hospitality of the locals!