For my birthday in 2017, I visited my friends in Los Angeles, California and had a blast! In 2018, I wanted to top that trip with the mindset that I would put my passport to use and travel out of the country. I’d been a loyal customer of Southwest Airlines and I had no idea that www.southwestvacations.com existed. After doing some research through the site, they have a section where they highlight vacation package themes. I stumbled upon the “Beach” packages and discovered a cute city called Puerto Vallarta in Mexico. After doing more research about the safeness, attractions, and overall review of the city, my heart was set on going there! I was even more excited to go to a part of Mexico that I had not previously been aware existed. With whom would I travel with you may ask? Well..I wanted to take the trip alone, this being my first of a few solo international trips to follow. I follow a lot of travel social media sites, and I’d heard so many great stories of people taking solo trips. Don’t get me wrong, I love traveling with others, but I wanted to step out of my element and be an independent traveling lady! See my previous blog post about traveling solo here.

Puerto Vallarta is a resort town located on the western side of Mexico in the state of Jalisco. Fun fact: I was ~2 hours away from the town of Tequila, a.k.a., the birthplace of tequila! I unfortunately did not get to visit Tequila (but I drank a lot of tequila during my trip)! From my hotel room and from any view along the coast within the city, there were beautiful views of the surrounding Bahía de Banderas (Bay of Flags) and Sierra Madre Mountains. I went in mid-May and the weather was perfect, ranging from being ~80-90 degrees Fahrenheit. My 2 day adventure in Puerto Vallarta was amazing and I learned a lot about myself and what I’m capable of doing independently. I had one little hiccup that almost made me question whether I should’ve brought someone with me. Before leaving the airport, I went to an ATM to withdraw Mexican Pesos. I had the mindset that I was withdrawing $100 US Dollars. As soon as the money came out, I stepped aside and used my currency converter app, and realized that even though I had 100 Mexican Pesos, which converted to only $5 US Dollars! I didn’t realize until I got back in line to withdraw more Pesos that I didn’t take my receipt or credit card out of the machine. Thankfully the woman who was behind me in line picked it up and gave it back to me (she’s an angel)! This could have ended very badly, and my take away from this is to be cautious and aware of your surroundings! 

Here are a few highlights of my trip:

Day One:

I arrived in the early afternoon in Puerto Vallarta. After going through customs, there was a guy with a tray full of margarita shots…of course I took one 🙂 Uber was available in this city and I utilized it to get from the airport to my hotel. Throughout my trip, Uber was my go to mode of transportation other than walking. Prices were reasonable and super cheap (a 5 mile drive cost ~$5). With my Southwest package, I ended up choosing The Westin Resort and Spa – it was beautiful! 

After getting settled, I took a quick nap before getting ready for my first excursion which was called Rhythms of the Night – Savia (The Legend of 5 Suns), an activity that included a sunset cruise, a dinner buffet, and a show…plus margaritas during the sunset cruise. The excursion started off with a sunset cruise to a small island called Las Caletas. I was able to snap beautiful pictures of Banderas Bay on the way. When arriving on the island, you are greeted by Aztec style dancers and drummers. You are then allowed to roam around and find a place to sit and enjoy the buffet. They had a lot of yummy food including steak, chicken, veggies, fruit, and dessert. I sat at a table that had a nice view of the bay which was very relaxing. There were people near me who I began chatting with and I felt less lonely. After dinner, we were led to a small stadium to enjoy the show entitled Savia (The Legend of 5 Suns). The show had an Aztec theme that included acrobats, dancing, colorful costumes, and lots of music orchestrated by Gilles Ste-Croix, the co-creator of Cirque du Soleil. We were instructed not to take pictures during the show, only at the end when all of the actors and actresses came out to take a bow (sorry!). The ride back to Puerto Vallarta was a party! In addition to the boat crew’s singing and dancing, more drinks were being passed around! It was an amazing night and I made it back safely to my hotel. 

Day Two/Three:

My first order of business for day two was to splurge (somewhat) in a massage. I was staying at a resort, so why not? If you know me, you know that I LOVE a good massage, and that’s what I got as a birthday present to myself. After my relaxing massage, I headed down to Malecon (boardwalk area) via an Uber to be near the location where I would meet my group for the Mex-ology food and drink tour. I got there earlier than expected, allowing me time to explore. While walking down the Malecon, there were several statues along the way that were very interesting. As I walked down the strip, I noticed that there was a La Bodeguita del Medio – a bar that I originally saw in Havana, Cuba. While in Havana, I wasn’t able to go into the bar since it was closed. I was so happy that Puerto Vallarta had one and I made sure to get a mojito. By the time that I finished, it was almost time for the Mex-ology tour. Before heading to the meeting area, I stopped by a beautiful church called Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I really loved the exterior architecture of the church, especially the crown on the top of the main tower.

I headed to the meeting place for the Mex-ology tour and I was glad to know that I wasn’t the only solo traveler in the group! During the tour, we were led by a local who took us to less touristy restaurants where we were able to eat different types of tacos (the best I’ve ever had). We also learned about and drank plenty of tequila as well as other local favorites such as mezcal and raicilla. I learned that tequila is made from blue agave while mezcal is made from different types of agave. Raicilla is also similar to the two in that it is made from agave. The difference being that it is only distilled once. My personal favorite drink that we tried was the paloma which is similar to a margarita. The difference is that it’s typically made with tequila, grapefruit soda, and a squeeze of lime. The tour left everyone feeling very buzzed by the end. It was amazing!

After the tour, I went to a restaurant that I researched prior to heading to Puerto Vallarta called “Gaby’s Restaurant Bar”. The meal was delicious but I could not finish it since I was full from the Mex-ology tour. The Uber that I took from the Malecon area back to my hotel was very interesting. After asking a question, I realized that my Uber driver did not speak English, so we had an entire conversation using Google Translate. The rest of my time on day two and three was less exciting as it only included a relaxing breakfast, a short ride to the airport, and my flight home.

Although my time there wasn’t extensive, I enjoyed my first solo (and international) trip to a new city. This trip would serve as the start to more solo adventures as I gained a greater sense of confidence in my travel abilities. 

For more information, check out the Rhythms of the Night Tour and Mex-ology tour websites.