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Category Archives: Highly Recommended
Villa Mercedes Petit Hotel Celebrates Diversity
Over the last 75 years, Puerto Vallarta has grown! But not lost its charm.
I love that in Puerto Vallarta’s Romantica Zone and Old Towne, you have so many unique special boutique properties to choose from.
On my recent trip, I discovered a “new” place to stay. VILLA MERCEDES PETIT HOTEL. Amapas 175, Playa Los Muertos. I have walked by here before, but never had the chance to see inside! Just peaking in the front door, you can tell that something very special is inside!
Adults only, pet friendly, gay friendly, Villa Mercedes is a fantastic gem! A PETIT HOTEL with boutique type accommodations steps away from Los Muertos Beach. It has sort of a 50’s Palm Spring feel to me. Bright colors, simple and sleek lines and a bit eclectic.
Here is the cool part; Villa Mercedes is located in this historic hacienda-style building built in the early 1950 ́s, at the time the first and only “finca” or weekend retreat in the once secluded and remote Los Muertos Beach.
The property takes its name after its original owner, who was a real trailblazer in PV and one of the earlier settlers. They have preserved most of its original architectural character through generations. Now the property is ran and owned by Mercedes grandson, who is gay. They have been a member of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) since 2009. And an active member of the Puerto Vallarta LGBT Business Association, and was one of the first supporters and still is an active supporter of Puerto Vallarta ́s Gay Pride.
Art and Mexican crafts mixed with contemporary eclectic define most of the carefully decorated spaces with wonderful murals by artist Ana Rifa, Zapoteco textiles, gorgeous vintage cement tile mosaics, and original historic architecture.
Connecting to the property is 116 Pulpito Gastro Bar (Formerly the old Kit Kat Lounge). Intimate dinner is served every night at Villa Mercedes Peitit Hotel´s courtyard. Drinks and appetizers are also available upon guests´ request in the pool bar or in the roof deck on the third floor. Guests can choose from two interesting menu choices: Pulpito 116 and Maia Inspired Cuisine. Breakfast is also served in the courtyard during the high season months of November to May. Service in the hotel´s courtyard and roof deck is open to guests and their friends from 9:00 AM to 11:30PM.
The property has a total of 16 lodging options ranging from studio rooms, jr. suites, master suites, and penthouses. Some include fully equipped kitchens, others have kitchenettes. All have been upgraded with AC, flat-screen TVs, wifi access, cieling fans, temperpeudic mattress tops, safe boxes, mini-bars, and unique art, and decor, and textiles.
There is a courtyard at ground level with a pool, lounge area, food and bar service, and tropical landscaping. On the third floor there is a more private sun deck and roof garden accessible to guests and also available for events. – I just LOVE THIS PLACE. It’s a piece of Vallarta history!
Villa Mercedes Petit Hotel Adults Only
Rivera Del Rio HIDDEN GEM Hotel
Magical and Whimsical!
LOVE THIS PLACE!!! What a hidden gem! It is whimsical and magical and you never want to leave! Usually my hotel is just a place to crash and shower and change. This place is SO SPECIAL, you never want to leave. The rooms are very very nice. Staff is top notch. The rooms, pool and views are breathtaking! Did I say I LOVE IT HERE?! This is MY FAVORITE Puerto Vallarta Hotel. It is visually stunning inside. Everywhere you look.
Situated in the heart of old town Puerto Vallarta (Zona Romantica). This luxury boutique bed and breakfast property is located on the bank of the Rio Cuale and the last remaining dirt road of old town. Rivera del Rio offers a luxurious setting for your wedding, honeymoon, group event or getaway with friends.
8 Rooms that are all very very nice! Each is very special. LOTS of photos on their site that will WOW YOU! Prices can run anywhere from $80-$150 for smaller rooms up to $170-$260 for the larger suites. All depends on the season and days you choose.
Rivera del Rio is a sumptuous Mexican bed and breakfast villa, nestled on the verdant banks of the Rio Cuale river. Here, amidst a primitive elegance, one steps back through the ages where Old Town Puerto Vallarta intertwines with the exquisite décor of the legendary “Silver” Maria Cortez.
Hailed by Casas and Gente Magazine as one of the world’s top architectural lady designers, N.Y Interior designer Billy Baldwin called her eclectic abode “the house of dreams” – a true Boutique Hotel.
Stars from all over the globe have crossed her threshold; from Raquel Welch to the jewel fashion icon Ken Lane. Her flowing manta curtains captured not only the movie cameras of Tony Scott but countless films and set locations from Vogue to Italian Elle. John Crocus labeled lasting acquaintances “Silver,” and fashion icon Perry Ellis, the “Luxury Lovers.”
Bathing in an emerald pool forget five stars, you will find a web of stars as you savor the 360 degree view of a jaguared Jungle, or languish in the Greek oyster alabaster spa, particularly sensuous in the pearly glow of moonlight.
Each newly remodeled and carefully crafted apartment is decorated with heavenly marbled fireplaces, Victorian leopard-claw tubs, and crispy cold air conditioners that will acclimate you to Vallarta’s heavenly temperatures. The Rivera del Rio is one of the few haciendas in Puerto Vallarta to offer a wholly purified water system!
It doesn’t get much better than this!
- Delicious made to order breakfast
- Spacious suites including several with living rooms and kitchenettes
- AC mini splits throughout suites and living room areas
- Flat Screen TVs with Cable TV
- Wireless Internet throughout suites, villa, and pool deck
- Free USA and Canada calling
- Free Local and Mexico calling
- Outdoor Rooftop Pool
- Outdoor Whirlpool Tub for 10
- Indoor Lap Pool
- Daily maid service
- Top of the line pillowtop mattresses, linens, and comforters
- Top of the line bathroom towels and amenities
- Large soak tubs and bidets in most suites
Paradise awaits you – A true joy and delight at your beck and call! Viva Mexico!
Watch the Video on their site!
Galeria Indigena Fine Mexican Native Art Puerto Vallarta
The first time we drove past Galeria Indigena, there was a girl outside dressed as “Catrina” and I knew we had to stop in! We made the cab drive turn around and drop us off!
When you walk in the door – it’s sensory overload! Rows of fantastic arts! This place is huge!
The store has an extensive collection from various indigenous cultures of Mexico: dance and ceremonial masks, handcrafted Oaxacan black clay pottery by Zapotec indians, unique Day of the Dead items in ceramic and paper mache’, sacred Huichol Indian bead and yarn work, hand-blown glass, Nahua Indian lacquer art from Guerro, religious arts and figures, majoloica pottery from Tlaxcala and talavera ceramic pieces from Pueblo with some 800 designs, Mata Ortiz pottery, as well as extraordinary bark paper etchings by internationally-known Nahua artist Nicolas de Jesus. The collection of items will wow you!
While we were there picking and choosing what we wanted to take back with us, we started talking with the owner, who has been in business 27 years! He offered us a beer and gave us a private tour of his growing collection upstairs! (Which is not yet open to the public). I just want to work in this store!
For the past 27 years Ignacio Jacobo (“call me Nacho”) and his wife, Maria del Camen Najera, traveled throughout their native Mexico searching for indigenous art which they offer for sale in their 5,000 sq. ft. Galeria Indígena. (Indígena is Spanish for “native” or “indigenous.”
“Nacho’s” inventory comes from some 54 Mexican tribal regions. He says that many of the skills are passed on from generation to generation, with each generation modifying the basic efforts and utilizing new technologies and skills. He is forthcoming in telling the stories behind most of his inventory. I’ll share some of them with you.
ROWS of Catrina’s at all prices! I don’t think I have ever seen so much Day of the Dead art in one shop! You have to allow a good hour to browse this wonderful treasure trove of art!
Sidenote – Some 100 years ago (1913), Mexican artist and cartoonist José Guadalupe Posada created the La Catrina’s calavera, the skeletal skull covered by a broad-brimmed hat decorated with ostrich feathers.
Some say that he was parodying poor Mexicans for putting on upper-class European airs. During the years 1946-47, Diego Rivera created a mural that featured a skeletal La Catrina fully dressed in finery. Rivera depicted himself as a young boy holding La Catrina’s bony right hand while behind him stands Frieda Kahlo with her hand on his shoulder. Posada stands at La Catrina’s left. The mural is now at the Museo Mural Diego Rivera in Mexico City. La Catrina has morphed into Mexico’s symbol of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) signifying Mexican’s belief in the neutrality of death.
The Indigena gallery is one of my personal favorites for gifts. But secretly I want ONE OF EVERYTHING for myself!
Galeria Indigena – Central – 628 Juarez.
Tel: 223-0800, 222-3007
Mon-Fri, 10am-8pm; Sat, 10am-6pm; Sun, 11am-3pm.
FIND THEM ON FACEBOOK!
No Way Jose! Voted BEST FOOD Puerto Vallarta
Ask just about anyone in Puerto Vallarta and they will name NO WAY JOSE! as one of their top favorite restaurants!
Melt in your mouth Filet for about$17?!
Table-side prepared Caesar Salad that is one the BEST I have ever had in my life!
No Way José! boasts the only Mexican Contemporary menu in PV with delicious dishes representing every region in Mexico.
You’ll find your fav from the Red Snapper Carpaccio to the Creamy Shrimp Bisque, from the Chiles En Nogada to the Mole Poblano.
And you MUST, I stress MUST order a flaming coffee drink! The guys make it a show stopper and it’s delicious!
You’re kidding? You don’t see anything on the menu that excites you?
No problem! Their award-winning kitchen, La Cocina de Amor, happily responds to special orders to please even the most discerning palate. For the vegetarians who are on the look-out for creative options, they use only the freshest locally grown in-season vegetables to create dishes found only at No Way José!.
At No Way José! you become part of the family after your first visit.
Owners Julie and José Alfredo personally attend to every guest, and take every comment to heart to continuously improve their menu and service. “We’re a romantic and spontaneous environment where you may hear José Alfredo burst into song at the bar, or where you may be invited to spin around for an impromptu dance by a member of one of the most charming service teams in Puerto Vallarta.”
“We provide joy and happiness through delicious food, creative drinks, impeccable professional service and the warmth of a happy home that brings Mexican cuisine to the world.
We are at your service.
We are… Tu Casa in Vallarta!”
| 5 de Febrero 260, Emiliano Zapata, 48380 Puerto Vallarta, Jal., Mexico +52 322 223 2853 |
Best Zip Line in Puerto Vallarta
Believe it or not,
neither my partner or I are big on high heights. We both have some vertigo issues! We don’t mind roller coasters, because you are strapped in really good and really, nothing can happen to you.
So when the guys from GoGay Puerto Vallarta ASSURED me it was very safe, and that you are totally strapped in, we said WHY NOT?! (See that tiny little orange dot flying over the river? That’s me!)
What a fantastic time and experience! CANOPY INDIO has more than SIX miles of cable in a series of 10 zip lines, many over than 1100 feet long and over 656 feet high, without any doubt, this tour will be the most memorable of your vacation.
The experienced and bilingual staff will explain the mechanics of riding the cables taking you step by step through your high-flying riding adventure with a short little “class”. Ricky and Ivan were our guides for the day, and they were funny, helpful, and just all around great guys who really helped make the experience memorable.
All of the quality gear is professional and certified and all participants are under the care of trained staff during the whole tour also.
And for those who enjoy the calm and relaxation instead of flying through the trees, they offer delicious specialties and freshly made drinks in the open air restaurant-bar.
With a beautiful river-view you can enjoy the most delicious Mexican dishes and the choicest of the seafood and refreshing beverages while you wait for your adventurous companions, or enjoy the “Tequila Bar” tasting the best brands and you can even refresh yourself taking a swim in the beautiful river.
The package we bought from GoGay / Jungle Zip Line Advernture, included transportation to and from the luxury gay boutique hotel Casa Cupula, the complete zip line canopy experience, and afterwards lunch with refreshments and a complimentary tequila tasting. We also had a photographer shooting photos of us while we zipped and 2 of the guys had GoPro cameras on their helmets to capture some live footage – and I am so glad we did the photos and video – well worth it!
This awesome Canopy in Puerto Vallarta will WOW you! It’s amazing zipline’s speed and height will amaze you with outstanding views of the Banderas Bay.
Come alone and make new friends or come with a group to enjoy an adventurous and unforgettable experience in Mexico!
BOOK YOUR RESERVATION through the Concierge Services at Casa Cupulo
or on the GoGayPuertoVallarta Facebook Page
Suggestions & Restrictions
– Guest intoxicated with drugs or alcohol are not allowed on tour
– Maximum weight: 250 lbs
– Comfortable clothes and tennis/running shoes
– Swimsuit – in case you want to jump in the river and cool off
– Towel, sun glasses
– Sunscreen advised -Insect repellent (bugs did not bother me-but you never know)
– Cash for souvenirs and photos (and tipping your 2 guides!)
RANKED NUMBER 1 with TRIP ADVISER
and BEST GAY PUERTO VALLARTA.
